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Group Conformity and Deviance
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Name
Instructor’s Name
Due Date
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Group Conformity and Deviance: Discussion Post
1. Pick one type of crime and describe it.
White-collar crime, particularly insider trading, refers to the unlawful use of a
company’s securities, especially for personal benefits, using privileged and important
information about the company (Liu & Miller, 2019). This crime distorts the market and can
lead to huge losses among average investors who need help to obtain such information.
2. Which theory on deviance would you say provides the best explanation for deviance in
society?
Of all the theories elaborated in sociology, conflict theory best explains deviance in
society. It provides awareness that the definitions of deviance are made and implemented by
the elites in society, resulting in their benefit to the detriment of the weaker parties (Conerly
et al., 2021). This theory presupposes that laws and norms are the instruments in the hands of
the elite to keep the subordinate population in check.
3. Pick a famous politician, business leader, or celebrity arrested and prosecuted for a
crime. What crime did they allegedly commit?
A famous business lady, Martha Stewart, was arrested and prosecuted for insider
trading (Liu & Miller, 2019). She was convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and
perjury in connection with the sale of ImClone Systems’ stocks based on inside information.
Who was the victim?
The victims of Stewart’s crime were the investors who suffered from her deceitful and
unfair misuse of insider information to minimize loss (Liu & Miller, 2019).
Explain his or her actions from the point of view of one of the major sociological
paradigms.
From the conflict theory point of view, Stewart illustrated how the powerful and the
elite take advantage of their authority and capital to get rich at the cost of the less fortunate
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(Conerly et al., 2021). This theory points out that the capitalist system generates conditions
that allow the rich to indulge in deviant behaviours to maintain or increase their status.
What factors best explain how this person was penalized for the crime?
Stewart’s relatively light penalty, which included a five-month imprisonment term,
was due to her ability to afford the best legal services as a wealthy socialite (Liu & Miller,
2019). Her case also shows how white-collar crimes are punished less severely than street
crimes, as the conflict theory posits that the legal system is a tool for the powerful.
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References
Conerly, T. R., Holmes, K., & Tamang, A. L. (2021). Introduction to Sociology. (pp. 173-
192). OpenStax.
Liu, L., & Miller, S. L. (2019, January 20). Intersectional Approach to Top Executive White-
Collar Offenders’ Discourses: A Case Study of the Martha... ResearchGate; Wiley.
