Sociology Assignment
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Intro_Module6.pptxDeviance and Crime
Introduction to Sociology: Module 6
Deviance is a violation of ever-changing social norms
Deviance is overlooked in some situations
Deviance is culturally and historically relevant
Crime- the forms of deviance in which formal penalties are imposed by the society
Deviance Definitions
Deviance is socially constructed
Some acts are deviant at one time and place and not at others
An individual’s status or group may be defined as deviant
What is deviance?
Some acts are inherently deviant
Those who deviate are socially identified and recognized
Deviants purposely and knowingly break the law
Deviance occurs because there is a dishonest, selfish element to human nature
Deviance Myths
When the criminal justice system gets involved and formal penalties are imposed by society, we refer to deviance as crime
Consensus crimes - when members of society are in general agreement about the seriousness of deviant acts
Predatory crimes (i.e., premeditated murder, forcible rape, and kidnapping for ransom) are consensus crimes
Crimes
Conflict crimes occur when one group passes a law over which there is disagreement or that disadvantages another group
E.g., laws concerning public disorder, chemical offenses, prostitution, gambling, property offenses, and political disenfranchisement
Stigma- the disapproval attached to disobeying the expected norms
Crimes 2
Micro-Level Explanations of Deviance: Rational Choice and Interaction Theories
Rational Choice Theories and Social Control -
Why do most people conform?
With true free will, deviance should be more common
Why is There Crime?
Rational choice theory:
Human beings seek to maximize pleasure and minimize pain
Whether to be deviant depends upon the calculation of the pleasure/pain ratio
Positive sanctions - rewards for socially approved behaviors
Negative sanctions - punishments for breaking societal norms
If people use rational choice, we can deter deviance by increasing the costs or changing awareness of costs already in place, or changing perception of the cost/benefit balance
Rational Choice
Social Control Theory:
Bonds encourage us to adhere to norms
People are bonded to society in 4 ways
Attachment to others
Commitment to conventional activities
Involvement in activities that keep them busy
Belief in the social rules of their culture
Social Control Theory
Two factors shape our tendency to conform:
Internal controls - Those voices within us which tell us when a behavior is acceptable or unacceptable, right or wrong
External controls - Society’s formal or informal controls against deviant behavior
Social Control
Differential association (or reinforcement) theory- conformity or deviance is learned from those we spend time with
Labeling theory- behavior is not intrinsically deviant, but becomes deviant because it is labeled as such
Members of a society define what is deviant and impose sanctions for that behavior
Individuals who engage in primary deviance are not labeled, but those who engage in secondary deviance are
Symbolic Interactionism
Labeling theory -
Being labeled can reinforce deviant behavior by:
Increasing alienation
Forcing increased interaction with deviant peers
Motivating juvenile delinquents to positively value and identify with the deviant status
Deviance becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy
Those with less power in society are more likely to be labeled as deviants
More Labeling Theory
Labeling theory –
Two stages are defined in the process of becoming deviant:
Primary deviance – violation of a norm that may be an isolated act, individual is generally not initially labeled as a result of the act
Secondary deviance – individual continues to violate a norm and begins to take on a deviant identity; this becomes publicly recognized and individual is identified as a deviant
Stages in Labeling Theory
Meso-level analysis is focused on ethnic subcultures and national organizations and institutions within a nation
Macro-level theory focuses more on societies and global social systems
Structural-functionalist theories:
Anomie and social disorganization- the breakdown of the norms guiding behavior leads to social disorganization
Structural Functionalism
Strain theory- those with fewer resources are less able to achieve societally shared goals and may resort to deviant behaviors to achieve their desired goals
Strain - an experience created by the difference between definitions of success (goals) and the means available to achieve those goals that can lead to deviance
Merton’s Strain Theory
Merton outlines 5 ways to adapt to the strain:
Conformity- embracing the society's definition of success and adhering to the established and approved means of achieving success
Innovation- use of illicit means to reach approved goals
Ritualism- strict adherence to culturally prescribed rules, even though individuals give up on the goals they hoped to achieve
Retreatism- giving up on both the goals and the means
Rebellion- rejecting the socially approved ideas of "success" and the means of attaining that success, but replaces those with alternative definitions of success and alternative strategies for attaining the new goals
Strain Theory Adaptations
Deviance serves vital functions for society
Sets examples of unacceptable behavior
Provides guidelines for behavior that is necessary to maintain social order
Bonds people together through their common rejection of deviant behavior
Provides jobs for those who deal with deviants
Can signal problems in a society that need addressed (stimulate positive change)
Opens societies to new and creative paths of thinking
Structural Functionalism on Crime and Deviance
Conflict theory- deviance is a result of social inequality
Elites want to maintain control, so they define what is deviant to benefit themselves and deflect attention from their own behaviors
The greater the difference between the minority and majority, the greater the conflict in a society
Conflict is inevitable under the current power arrangement
Conflict Theory
Feminist theory- abuses suffered by women are rooted in the patriarchal, capitalist system
The causes include the gendered division of labor, the separation of spheres, and the socialization of children
Cultural attitudes toward crime against women differ based on the status of women in that society
Women are less often in a position to commit crimes and often commit crimes that are different from men’s
Feminism
Crimes that affect the individual or primary group seem most threatening to us and receive the most attention in the media and from politicians
How much crime is there?
Two categories of crime, according to the FBI:
Type I crimes include murder, rape, robbery, etc.
Type II crimes include fraud, simple assault, vandalism, etc.
Crime Categories
Ways of measuring crime:
Uniform Crime Reports
National Incident-Based Reporting System
Self-Reported Surveys
National Crime Victimization Survey
Triangulation of data leads to the most accurate results
Crime Measurements
Street crime - crimes against individuals or property
Crimes without clear victims:
Victimless or public order crimes - acts committed by or between consenting adults
Hate Crimes - criminal offenses motivated by the offender’s bias against a religious, ethnic/national origin, or sexual orientation group
Types of Crimes
The Crime Clocks
2007
2015
Crimes involving organizations and institutions:
Organized crime - on-going criminal enterprises that have the ultimate purpose of personal economic gain through illegitimate means
E.g., sale of illegal goods and drugs, infiltrating legitimate businesses through threats and intimidation, racketeering
Drug dealing not as financially rewarding as often thought.
Transnational organized crime takes place across national boundaries and is becoming an increasing problem
Organized Crime
Occupational or white-collar crime - a violation of the law committed by an individual or group in the course of a legitimate, respected occupation or financial activity
Types of occupational crimes:
Crimes against the company
Crimes against employees
Crimes against customers
Crimes against the public
Occupational Crime
Terrorism - premeditated politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant target by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience
International terrorism - terrorism practiced in a foreign country
Terrorist groups can be religious, state-sponsored, left- or right-wing, or nationalist
Terrorism
Cross-national comparisons of crime:
Different societal values can lead to different levels of crime
When the economy is poor in a country, crime rises
Crime Across the World
Global Crimes - crimes that involve transnational conglomerates, smuggling of illegal goods and humans, or that violate international laws, treaties, or agreements
World systems perspective - the cause of deviance lies in the global economy, inequalities between countries, and competition between countries for resources and wealth
Capitalism has caused inequality to rise between core and periphery nations
Periphery nations may resort to unconventional means to meet their goals
Global Crimes
The internet has led to an increase in global crime
It provides a wide audience
It gives a space to an “underground web” of illegal businesses
It supports crime by connecting people to illegal operations
It is very difficult to police since law enforcement is unsure of whose jurisdiction it is
Global Cyber Crime
Structural-functionalism - the justice system is important for maintaining order in society
Conflict theorists - the criminal justice system presents crime as a threat from poor people and minorities and disproportionately arrests and sentences them
Macro Perspectives on Criminal Justice
Total institution- completely controls the prisoners’ lives and regulates all of their activities
Inmates’ lives are changed through:
Degradation- mark the inmate as deviant
Mortification- break down the individual’s original self as the inmate experiences resocialization
Incarceration rates have increased
“Get tough on crime”
“War on drugs”
Preventative policies
Prison and Jails
Functions or the purposes of prisons include:
Revenge or retribution
Removing dangerous individuals from society
Deterrence
Recidivism
The likelihood that someone who is arrested, convicted, and imprisoned will later be a repeat offender is 75%
Functions of Prisons
The most controversial method of control
The most common argument for using the death penalty, or capital punishment, is to deter people from crime, not only by the person killed, but by others who are deterred because they know this is a possibility
Capital punishment is most common in Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa
There is evidence that the death penalty is race and class biased
A disproportionate number of minority and lower-class individuals are put to death in the U.S.
It is more likely to be imposed if a white person has been murdered
The Death Penalty
Building social capital- social networks, shared norms, values, and understanding that facilitate cooperation within or among groups and access to important resources
Shock probation- releasing a first time offender early in the hope that the shock of prison life would deter them
Day treatment or half-way houses
Restitution- The offender renders money or service to the victim or community under supervised parole to compensate the victim
Privatization of prison - an attempt to turn prisons into more business-like, cost effective institutions
Alternatives to Prison
