Test 3 Flashcards
Deviance
Behavior that violates the standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society
Crime
A violoation of a criminal law for which some government authority applies formal penalties
Social Problem
Social Conditions which public or government agencies evaluate negatively and wish to change
Stigma
- labels society uses to devalue members of certain social groups
- Erving Goffman
Social Control
The techniques and strategies for preventing devinat human behavior in any society
4 Major Points of Debate with Best’s and Luckenbill’s definition of deviance
- Deviance refers to behavior, not merely any condition that makes a person discreditable
- Deviance is an UNACCEPTABLE violation of social norms
- Deviance violates MAJOR social norms (Mores, not Folkways)
- Deviance makes the offender elegible for NEGATIVE REACTIONS by social control agents (eg. Police, Teacher)
4 Levels of Explaining Deviance
- Classical
- Biological
- Psychological
- Sociological
Classical
View that deviance is a matter of personal, rational choice
Commits crime because they want to commit crime
Utilitarianism - Beccaria and Bentham
People act in ways that are useful, purposeful, and reasonable
4 Key Elements of the Classical Model
- The deviant has the “free will” to choose deviant or conforming behaviors
- Deviant solutions are chosen over conventional solutions when deviancy requires less work for a greater payoff
- A person’s choice of a deviant solution can be controller by fear of society’s reaction to such acts - punishment!
- The more severe, certain, and swift the reaction, the better it can control deviance
Determinism
The use of the scientific method to discover the biological, psychological, or social forces behind human behavior
Biological
Focuses on the physial structures or psysiological process of individuals
Lombroso
Atavism
Sheldon
Body types:
- Ectomorph
- Mesomorph
- Endomorph
XYY Theory
Rapist - extra Y
Twinkie Defence
******
Psychological Explanations
Focus on the structure and processes of the individual’s psyche as an explanation for deviance
Containment Theory - Peckless and Dinite
Psych based theory
Personality Factors - Mental Illness
Sociological Theory
Do not look for sources of deviance within the individual but rather view deviance as a social product
Structural Functionalist’s sociological explanations
View deviance as a “normal” part of society which performs a function OR view deviance dysfunction
4 Functions of Deviance – Durkheim
- Deviance affirms cultural values and norms.
- Responding to deviance clarifies moral boundaries.
- Responding to deviance promotes social unity.
- Deviance encourages social change.
Merton’s Strain Theory
5 Modes of Adaptaion
Mode Goals Means
- Conformity + +
- Innovation + -
- Ritualism - +
- Retreatism - -
- Rebellion - -
Social Conflict Theory on Sociological Theory
Emphasize that who and what is considered deviant is based largely on the relative power of categories of people
Deviance=Powerlessness
3 Propositions
- The norms of any society generally reflect the interests of the rich and powerful
- “The Golden Rule” - Rules made by powerful (w/ gold) - The powerful have the resources to resist deviant labels.
- There is widespread belief that the norms and laws are natural and good masks their political character
Spitzer
Capitalism and Deviance
Social Junk
People who do little work but are no threat to society.
Social Dynamite
People who directly threaten the capitalist system
- Dealt with by criminal justice system
Symbolic Interactionist’s Sociological Theory
Emphasize that no act is inherently deivant but may become such through the repsonse of others
Lemert’s Primary Deviance
The initial acts of norm violation. They are insignificant and provoke little reaction from others.
Lermert’s Secondary Deviance
Occur as the result of a deviant label (the reaction of others). The label has impact on the “self” and social interaction.
Medicalization of Deviance
The transformation of moral and legal issues into medical matters.
Examples of Medicalization of Deviance
Alcoholism, drug use, obesity, sexuality
Stratification
A structured ranking of entire groups of people that perpetuates unequal economic rewards and power in a society.
Subjective Method of Measuring Social Class
Permits Individuals to locate themselves within a system of social ranking
Objective method of measuring social class
Assigns individuals to classes on the basis of criteria such as occupation, education, income, and place of residence.
Prestige
The respect and admiration that an occupation holds in a society
Life Chances
The opportunities people have to provide themselves with material goods, positive living conditions, and favorable life experiences.
Income
Salaries and wages
Wealth
An inclusive term encompassing all of a person’s material assets, including land, stocks, and other types of property
Far more concentrated than income in the US
Absolute Poverty
A minimum level of substistence below which no family should be expected to live
Relative Poverty
A floating standard of deprivation by which people at the bottom of a society, whatever their lifestyles, are judged to be disadvantaged in comparision with the nation as a whole.
Caste
A hereditary rank, usually religiously dictated, that tends to be fixed and immobile.
Closed System
A social system in which there is little or no possibility of individual social mobility.
Class System
A social ranking based primarily on economic position in which acieved characteristics can influence social mobility
Open System
A social system in which the position of each individual is influenced by his or her acieved status.
5 Characteristics of Caste/ Closed Systems
- Great status consistency (welath, power, prestige)
- Birth determines one’s occupation
- Marriage unites people of the same social standing
- Powerful cultural beliefs underline the system
- Contact between members of strata is constrained
2 Examples of Caste Systems
- Hindu social system of rural India
- Racial apartheid in South Africa
5 Characteristics of Class/ Open Systems
- Lower lebvels of status consistency
- Social categories not as rigidly defined with greater contact and less segregation
- Social mobility is greater
- Careers a more matter of choice and achievement
- Extension of political rights (in principle)
2 Examples of Class Systems
- U.S.
- Germany
Mixed Systems of Stratification
Mix of Class/ Open and Caste/ Closed systems
2 Examples of Mixed Systems
- U.K
- Japan
Poverty Line in U.S in 2010
$22,113 for a family of 4
Poverty Distribution
Age: Under 18 overrepresented
Race/Ethnicity: Blakcs and Hispanic overrepresented (but more whites in poverty)
Gender: Female headed households overrepresented
Feminization of poverty
A trend in which women constitute an increasing proportion of the poor people of the United States.
3 Methods for Measuring Crime
- Uniform Crime Report (UCR) – Number of crimes measured by what is reported to law enforcement agencies (a.k.a FBI Data)
- National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) – Number of crimes measured by asking a smaple if they were victimes of various crimes
- Self-Report Studies – A research approach that requires subjects to reveal their own participation in deviant, delinquent, or criminal behavior.
Uniform Crime Report (UCR)
“Crime known to the police”
Needs to be reported to count as a crime
MEasures only selected offenses– focuses too much on “street crime”
National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
“Crime known to the victims”
- Memory of victims questionable
- $$ Not useful in many geographical regions (campus, city, county, state)
Self-Report Studies
“Crime known to the criminals”
- Only select populations surveyed (kids, convicts)
- Only minor offenses reported with accuracy
