Module 5: DQ1
Kishon
CE...PPT_8_new.pptxDeviance, Crime, and Society
Chapter 8
Norms and Deviance
Norms: expectations about what constitutes appropriate or acceptable behavior
Usually unstable and not easily explained
Deviance: actions that conflict with society’s norms
Relative and arbitrary concept
Crime is deviance that violates legal norms
Action can only be considered deviant relative to norms
Policy influences norms
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Conflicting Norms and Tension
Society needs institutions that resolve or limit conflict
Aim at making people tolerant
Society values a certain amount of deviance
Some norms are universal
Homosexuality is less universal
The greater relativity the greater the homogeneity of the society
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Norms, Crime, and the Rule of Law
Rule of law
Decisions whether something is or is not within the norms
A crime is made on a case-to-case basis
Codified into the law of the land
Limits of government, example:
The U.S. Bill of Rights
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Differing Legal Traditions
Law enforced in different ways
Common law tradition
Civil law tradition
Social law tradition
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Major Theories of Deviance
Psychological and biological explanations of deviance
Chemicals tell us what actions to perform
Genetic and biological predispositions to deviance
Genes guide behavior
Sociobiology and deviance
Biological basis for deviance
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Symbolic Interactionist
See individuals interpret social life through symbols learned from group they belong to
Examples of these perspectives include:
Differential association theory
Control theory
Labeling theory
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Functionalist Perspectives
See all activities in society as having a function
Examples of these perspectives include:
Strain theory
Illegitimate theory
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Economic Explanation of Deviance
Explanation through costs and benefits
The lower the income the higher the crime
The higher the income the lower the crime
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Crime, Law, and Order
Crime
Deviant behaviors that violate society’s norms and have been codified into law
The less deviant behavior the less crime society will have
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Interrelation Problem
U.S. System of Justice
Trying to do too much to control its population
Unequal application of implementation of justice
Punish crime rather than provide guidance
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Outcomes
Too many people in U.S. jails and prisons
The U.S. makes up 5 percent of the world population, but U.S. prisons account for more than 20 percent of the world’s incarcerated persons
Far too many of those imprisoned are young black men
60 percent of the prison population is black or an ethnic minority
Minority groups, especially black people, have lost faith in U.S. policing and justice system
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Figure 8.1
Classifying Crimes
Felony
Misdemeanor
Infraction
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Victimless Crime
Crime can be decreased if we rethink what is considered crime
Many have argued for the elimination of laws against victimless crime as a way to reform the criminal justice system
Examples of victimless crimes:
Prostitution
Gambling
Drinking in public
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Is Justice Applied Equally in the U.S.?
Poor showing in international comparisons of justice systems
Problem of policing is evident
Expensive legal systems disadvantage minorities and the poor in society
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Deciding the Purpose of Criminal Justice System
Focus is on the wrong goals – punishment
Justice system should focus on guidance and learning to rehabilitate deviate behavior
Restorative justice vs. punitive justice
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Police Bias
Empathy and counseling is necessary for guidance
Mentoring is broken down in poor neighborhoods
Many policemen are white
Not good role models for black male teenagers
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
The Racial Reality of Policing
Distrust
Too many black people killed
Murders in low income neighborhoods go unsolved
Witnesses afraid to testify
Police seen as opposition to societal norms/progress
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
The Empirical Evidence Is Insufficient to Guide Policy
Evidence is not clear which views are appropriate
Causation and correlation of different variables is difficult to discern
Statistical analysis cannot provide definitive answers
Unequal application of justice suggests that the justice system does not treat all Americans fairly
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
