Deviant Behavior
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Korgen1e_PPT_Ch06_Deviance.pptxIdentifying Deviant Behavior
Chapter 6
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Sociology in Action
Kathleen Odell Korgen
Maxine P. Atkinson
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Defining Deviance
Conceptualization allows for measurement-Conceptualization is how we define a concept so researchers can measure it.
Conceptualizing deviance can be a complex task because it involves behaviors, conditions, and beliefs.
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Learning Objective: 6-1: How do we define what is deviant?
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What Is Deviance?
How Norms Make Social Life Possible
Sanctions
Deviance (the violation of norms) is relative. What people consider deviant varies from one culture to another and from group to group within the same society.
Deviance (the violation of norms) is relative. What people consider deviant varies from one culture to another and from group to group within the same society. As symbolic interactionists stress, it is not the act but the reactions to the act that make something deviant.
All groups develop systems of social control (sanctions) to punish deviants—those who violate their norms.
To explain why people deviate, sociobiologists and psychologists look for reasons within the individual, such as genetic predispositions or personality disorders. Sociologists, in contrast, look for explanations outside the individual, in social experiences.
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Defining Deviance-Approaches
Approaches to Defining Deviance: The Statistical Approach
Low probability of happening, Not relevant to norms
The statistical approach to deviance is not used very often. Many things have a low probability of happening, such as, lightning striking a person or winning the Lottery. Society doesn’t treat such events, or the individuals involved, as deviant.
What are some examples? Characteristics (e.g., natural hair color, eye color, left-handedness)
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Learning Objective: 6-1: How do we define what is deviant?
The statistical approach to deviance is not used very often. Many things have a low probability of happening, such as, lightning striking a person or winning the Lottery. Society doesn’t treat such events, or the individuals involved, as deviant. Instructors can ask about student characteristics (e.g., natural hair color, eye color, left-handedness) and evaluate if a student should be viewed as deviant if he/she is the only one in class with that characteristic.
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Defining Deviance- Legalistic
Approaches to Defining Deviance: The Legalistic Approach
Violating laws is deviant
Other acts sinful or in poor taste
Only crimes considered deviant
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Learning Objective: 6-1: How do we define what is deviant?
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Defining Deviance- Normative
Approaches to Defining Deviance: The Normative Approach
Violation of any norm is deviant
Violate folkways, mores, laws = deviant
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Learning Objective: 6-1: How do we define what is deviant?
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Defining Deviance-Norms
Approaches to Defining Deviance: Social Norms
Norms dictate acceptable behavior
Weak response to folkway violations
Harsh response to more violations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OkGF7xNyAM
What norms are viewed as “acceptable” to violate? What is it about those norms that makes violating them acceptable, or at least not problematic in the eyes of others?
https://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/fs/2017/272004.htm
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Learning Objective: 6-1: How do we define what is deviant?
What norms are viewed as “acceptable” to violate? What is it about those norms that makes violating them acceptable, or at least not problematic in the eyes of others?
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Legalistic Approach
Social norms indicate what is and is not acceptable in a given culture.
Folkways are the rules that guide everyday behavior, and people do not typically respond strongly to their violation.
Mores are more serious rules and receive harsher responses for their violations
The legalistic approach.
Using this approach, any violation of the law is considered deviant.
There is a difference between crimes, sin, and poor taste, with only acts of crime being considered deviant.
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Defining Deviance-Sanctions
Approaches to Defining Deviance: Sanctions
Sanctions are punishments
Informal versus formal sanctions
Sanctions.
Sanctions are punishments or penalties for breaking rules.
Sanctions can be informal (e.g., gossip) or formal (e.g., imprisonment) in nature.
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Learning Objective: 6-1: How do we define what is deviant?
Which type of punishments (formal or informal) have a more lasting effect on individuals? Which type has a bigger impact on day-to-day behavior? Why is that the case?
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Defining Deviance- Perspectives
Assumptions about Social Reality and Perspectives on Deviance
Relativist perspective: Culture defines deviance
Absolutist perspective: Some things inherently deviant
Most research takes relativist perspective
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Learning Objective: 6-1: How do we define what is deviant?
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Deviance- Relative
What is considered “good” and “acceptable” is either subjective (relativist) or objective (absolutist) in nature.
Relativist perspective.
Using the relativist perspective, behaviors, conditions, and beliefs are deviant only to the extent that cultures view them as deviant.
“Deviance” is a result of social construction, not an inherent characteristic of an act.
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Deviance-Absolutist
The absolutist perspective states that some behaviors, conditions, and beliefs are inherently deviant.
According to this approach, it does not matter if a culture approves or disapproves of the behavior, condition, or belief.
Research approaches versus individual morality.
Most deviance scholars use a relativist approach when studying human behavior.
Researchers can disagree with the behaviors they study, but they shouldn’t let their views influence their research
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Defining Deviance-Conflict
Assumptions about Social Reality and Perspectives on Deviance: Conflict/Critical Perspective
Conflict perspective subtype of relativist approach
Deviance socially constructed
Deviance label used against the vulnerable
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Learning Objective: 6-1: How do we define what is deviant?
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Deviance- Conflict Theory
Conflict/Critical perspective.
The conflict perspective is a subtype of the relativist approach.
Deviance is socially constructed and those in power determine what is considered deviant.
The label of “deviance” can be used against those who are vulnerable in society
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Deviant Heroes”?
Liazos felt “deviance” was stigmatizing
Different terminology called for
Role of deviance in social change
Nuts, Sluts, and Perverts” or “Deviant Heroes”?
The term “deviance” has been criticized in the past.
Alexander Liazos felt the term “deviance” was stigmatizing and wanted to use terms such as “victimization,” “persecution,” and “oppression.”
Liazos used the phrase “nuts, sluts, and perverts” to describe the groups that were of most interest to sociologists.
Sociologists argue that deviance is necessary for social change.
Understanding theories of deviance and crime.
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Learning Objective: 6-1: How do we define what is deviant?
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Deviance- Theories
Early perspectives in the sociology of deviance and crime.
Many early theories of crime and deviance focused on biological issues as the cause.
Durkheim’s work in the late 1800s transformed the study of deviance as he focused on variations of deviance rates across places, groups, and time periods.
Durkheim’s sociological theory of suicide.
Durkheim’s book, Suicide, focused on how the organization of societies influences suicide.
Some countries had consistently high rates, while others had low rates of suicide.
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Understanding Theories of Deviance and Crime-Durkheim & Theory
Early Perspectives: Durkheim’s Sociological Theory of Suicide
Durkheim examined societal organization and suicide
Countries had different suicide rates
Anomie - Norms fail to regulate behavior
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Learning Objective: 6-2: What do sociological theories suggest about the causes of deviant behavior, including crime?
Instructors can ask students why suicide should be studied from a sociological perspective. If suicide is an individual behavior, why should the characteristics of society matter? Why would regulating behavior be relevant to something as personal as suicide?
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Understanding Theories of Deviance and Crime-Durkheim
Early Perspectives: Durkheim and the normality of crime
Crime and deviance serve functions
Society without crime impossible
Punishment affirms moral boundaries
Durkheim and the normality of crime.
From a functionalist perspective, even crime and deviance make contributions to society.
Durkheim argued that a society without crime is impossible.
The purpose of punishment is to assert shared values, not reduce crime.
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Learning Objective: 6-2: What do sociological theories suggest about the causes of deviant behavior, including crime?
Is it possible to live in a society that is free of crime? How might the definition of crime, or deviance, change in a society where people don’t engage in criminal behavior as we know it?
What are the benefits of crime in our society? Instructors can show how many industries, along with the criminal justice system, are needed because of crime. What would happen to people who work in these fields if we found a way to significantly reduce or eliminate crime as we know it?
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Understanding Theories of Deviance and Crime-Anomie
Early Perspectives: Merton’s Anomie Theory
Anomie: Over-emphasize success, under-emphasize opportunity
“Success at any cost” mentality
Merton’s anomie theory.
Merton conceptualized anomie as a condition where society overemphasizes success and underemphasizes the opportunities to achieve that success.
The “success at any cost” climate is a result of anomie in the United States.
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Learning Objective: 6-2: What do sociological theories suggest about the causes of deviant behavior, including crime?
Is it cheating if you only get caught? How often do we see this mentality in professional sports? Why is this acceptable? If such behaviors are acceptable in sports, why not education? Or health care? Or the workplace?
What would our cultural messages look like if we didn’t over-emphasize success?
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Understanding Theories of Deviance and Crime-Control Theory
Explaining Deviance and Crime Today: Control Perspectives
Control involves people and places
Social disorganization: Neighborhoods and crime rates-Social disorganization theories examine the features that cause some neighborhoods to have high crime rates while other neighborhoods have low crime rates.
Collective efficacy: Work together, common goals-Social bonds, which are connections to other people and society, act as a type of social control.
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Learning Objective: 6-2: What do sociological theories suggest about the causes of deviant behavior, including crime?
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Understanding Theories of Deviance and Crime-Today
Explaining Deviance and Crime Today: Control Perspectives
Social bonds are social connections
Enforcement of conformity
Self-control focuses on personal characteristics
Impulsiveness and self-centeredness
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Learning Objective: 6-2: What do sociological theories suggest about the causes of deviant behavior, including crime?
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Creating Deviance-Labeling
Labeling Perspective-This perspective is rooted in symbolic interactionism.
Labeling theory emphasizes the power of definitions.
The focus is on the reaction to a behavior that results in a label, not the behavior itself.
Rooted in symbolic interactionism
Focus on labels and reactions
Primary versus secondary deviance-Primary deviance is rule-breaking that individuals engage in before any labels are used.
Secondary deviance refers to rule-breaking that is a result of a deviant label
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Learning Objective: 6-3: What are the social processes involved in creating social norms?
Do labels really matter? Instructors can ask how many students have received a label and then purposely acted in a way to fit the label?
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Creating Deviance- Stigma
Labeling Perspective
Stigma a mark of disgrace
Deviant roles engulf other roles
Social positioning central to labeling
Stigma is a mark of disgrace and interactions that communicate that a person is disgraced, dishonorable, or otherwise deviant.
Role engulfment occurs when the deviant role overtakes a person’s other social roles due to their “spoiled identity.”
A master status is the primary status assigned to a person by others.
Stigmas can create barriers to conventional life, such as finding a job.
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Learning Objective: 6-4: How does social location influence who and what is defined as deviant?
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Managing Deviant Identities
Howard Becker’s typology of deviance (Table 6.2).
The “falsely accused” are individuals who receive deviant labels without having engaged in deviant behavior.
“Pure deviants” are those who engage in deviant behavior and receive labels consistent with that behavior.
“Secret deviants” are those individuals who engage in deviant behaviors but avoid being labeled.
“Conformists” are those who do not engage in deviant behavior and are not labeled as deviant.
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Learning Objective: 6-5: How do individuals manage deviant identities?
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Managing Deviant Identities-Stigma
Stigma Management
Reduce stigma from spoiled identity
Visible stigmas are apparent
Invisible stigmas can be hidden
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Learning Objective: 6-5: How do individuals manage deviant identities?
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Managing Deviant Identities-stigmas
Stigma Management: Managing invisible stigmas
Passing strategies hide the stigma
Revealing strategies acknowledge the stigma
Korgen, Sociology in Action 1e. SAGE Publishing, 2019.
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Learning Objective: 6-5: How do individuals manage deviant identities?
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