unit 11 - lecture notes Flashcards
deviancy & crime
Social control is not an institution it is a what?
It is a process often performed through institutions.
What are some examples of agents of social control? Institutions of social control?
Agents - parents, teachers, employers, religious leaders etc
Institutions - mental hospitals, military, judicial systems etc
What is the ultimate form of social control?
Regulating thoughts that therefore regulate behaviors.
Why do people often, but not always, comply to social control?
The rules have been internalized.
How is deviance different from nonconformity?
Deviants requires a negative social reaction, if there is no reaction, it is merely nonconformity.
The amount of disfavor attached to someone’s deviance depends on what?
- how harmful or dangerous the behavior was
- whether the behavior was intended
- if the deviant persist in being a deviant
- what the competence of the person who engaged in the behavior is
- the degree to which the group agrees that it’s a violation of a norm
Why is deviance relative?
It is a social construction and it’s relative to the norms of any particular people, group, society, or culture.
In a sociological sense, deviance is seen how?
It is seen as ethically neutral as it may serve a useful purpose.
How do structural functionalist perceive the structure of social control?
- Societal values and norms
- Internalization of values and norms
- Positive and negative sanctions to achieve social control
- Sanctions are both formal and informal as ways of creating social control
What is a powerful and effective way of achieving social control?
The use of sanctions; either formal or informal or positive or negative.
Formal sanctions are designed to what?
They are designed to prevent, deter, as well as reform and re socialize deviance.
What are four positive functions of deviance? Briefly explain as needed.
- The cutting of red tape- Productivity may actually be facilitated when an individual does not follow all the details of a procedure
- Acting as a safety valve- A certain amount of deviance condemned but not firmly repressed may take strain off the legitimate order
- Works to clarify the rules
- Can function to unite a group
How can social solidarity be increased by deviance?
- Opposing the deviant- results in greater social cohesion among the group itself
- Trying to convert the deviant
- Protecting the deviant
- Reinforcing conformity- through criticizing the deviant, group members praise and reward each other for their conformity
- Can act as a warning signal that something is wrong with the system
What is the conflict theory perspective on deviance?
Conflict theory is worried about social control itself being the problem because it’s those with unfair amounts of power that control who will be labeled as a deviant.
What are two concerns conflict theorists may have regarding deviancy?
- Selective application of norms and labels- the difference in labeling because of a difference in socioeconomic status
- Selective enforcement of the law- treatment by police and if the law is different in effect these groups in significant ways.
In understanding a theoretical explanation of social control, what is the main question?
In this mini theory, the question is why don’t more people deviate more often?
What are four causes of conformity?
- Attachments- deviancy occurs more frequently if and when individuals are alone
- Investments- why risk or compromise the life a person has built for themselves to engage in deviant behavior
- Involvements- too busy to be deviant
- Beliefs- having a moral issue with deviant behavior
How are crime rates often thought to be recorded? What are four alternative measures of crime?
Crime rates are often thought about as “numbers of offences recorded by police.”
- Data from non official agencies- insurance companies, hospitals etc
- Anonymous self-report surveys
- Victimization surveys
- Participant observation
What are six types of crime? Briefly explain if needed.
- Street crime- violent offences are crimes against the person
- Organized crime-ex. mafia
- Corporate/Suite crime
- Corporate/White collar crime
- Cybercrime
- Government crime
What are some examples of corporate or suite crime?
Some examples are backdoor deals, administrative, environmental, financial, labour, unfair trade practices, manufacturing etc
When understanding government crime, what are three aspects?
- Criminal activity of governments
- Political corruption
- Criminal activity of police
What are four rationales for punishment within the criminal justice system?
- Penal function- retribution; an eye for an eye
- Deterrence function deterrence; the assumption that if someone is punished for a crime, they will not commit it again
- Corrections function - rehabilitation; Focused on the needs of the offender for them to develop in a way that they will not reoffend
- Incapacitation- rendering the offender incapable of further offence
what is the purpose of restorative justice?
Attempts to create a dialogue between the harm doer and the one harmed; but it is victim centred.
What are three questions asked in a punitive justice system?
- What laws have been broken?
- Who did it?
- What did they deserve?
What are three questions asked by a restorative justice system?
- Who has been hurt?
- What are their needs?
- Whose obligations are those needs?
