Deviance in the News
Summary of the Article
There was a sad incident of mass shooting through the early Sunday morning at the Ballers Hookah
Lounge and Cigar Bar in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania whereby 2 people were killed and 7 others hospitalized.
The deceased were named as 44 year old Nathaniel Smiley Jr of Gulf Shores and 28 year old, Stephanie
Stuart of Jacksonville. A fight was reported before the incident inside the bar, and there might be two or
more shooters, said Allegheny County Police Superintendent Chris Kearns. There were finesse signs of
no gun and other weapons allowed, but it is shocking how they were allowed into the facility. This
shooting is, however, not the first of its kind to occur at the bar within the last month, even though in
the previous cases, people were not killed. Police are yet to arrest anyone, or make any headway
concerning the allegations and investigation is still ongoing. The local people of the region, including the
women and children like Rena Parrotte, are crying from the increasing violence that is happening in the
region.
Sociological Analysis
The mass shooting at the Ballers Hookah Lounge can be analyzed through several sociological theories of
deviance, crime, and social control. Using a sociological imagination allows us to connect this incident to
broader societal patterns and underlying social issues.
Social Disorganization Theory
According to ‘The Social Disorganization Theory,’ that explains that when the social structure of a
particular area is broken and does not possess adequate bonds, then the instances of deviant behaviors
are more likely. The socioeconomic condition associated with these recent shootings implies that Penn
Hills IS a community in crisis over social order and control. The recurring acts of aggression pointed to at
the Ballers Hookah Lounge show indicators that this may mean social disorganization hence low police
presence and poor social existence, poor or little social and community support. This theory helps us
understand why certain areas experience higher rates of crime and violence: They therefore do not have
the social structures that are needed in order to curb such pathologic behaviors.
Differential Association Theory
According to Edwin Sutherland, Differential Association Theory which states that those who are involved
in criminal activities are in a different way associated with other people. When joining a new bar,
patrons are most likely to adopt the behavior of other members of that social group and that is why; the
normalization of violence by the patrons or inclusion of violent inclined individuals can be expected to
influence the new patrons and make them violent also. Thus, based on the history of multiple shootings
related to the bar, the place can be considered as an establishment promoting deviant subcultures that
learn and practice violent behavior based on the general interaction patterns. This can contribute to the
reproduction of violence and thus cultivate the expectation that deviance of any sort is perfectly all
right.
Social Control Theory
Social Control Theory by Travis Hirschi centres around the/extents to which an individual is tied into the
society in a way that hinders negative behaviour. The prohibited symbols for firearms in the bar and
securities guards present on its scenes demonstrate social attempts at regulation, but the pervasiveness
of violence implies that these are insufficient. The lack of a strong social structure and fails of Kaleka’s
control mechanisms might suggest that there is no way the violence could be stopped in the community.
As civil persons like Rena Parrotte want an end to the violence and point towards the situation of
increased neonatal death rate, what is called for is strengthening social bonding and making the social
control mechanism more efficient for safety and orderliness.
