Deviance and social control
Student’s name
Institution
Course
Date
Deviance is defined as behavior that violates societal norms and has negative social effects.
Some acts are considered so harmful that governments enact formal laws forbidding them.
Crime and murder are two of the most common forms of deviance in the United States.
These two acts violate state laws, and it is a clear case of deviation that many People are
concerned about.
Sociological perspectives on crime and murder
Functionalist perspective explain why the number of criminal actions in the country
increases. According to this viewpoint, no society can exist in which individuals do not depart
in some way from the aggregate type or average member; it is, therefore, unavoidable that
among the deviations, there will be some criminals. Human desires like lust and greed,
according to functionalists, are unquenchable and pervasive. Because people in society strive
for anything and demand more, crime and deviation, including murder, become unavoidable
social facts in such a setting.
Theories that support my point of view
Theory of Conflict
Deviant behavior is viewed as a result of a material imbalance between diverse socio-political
groups, according to Conflict Theory. Gender, religion, color, class, and other factors may be
used to divide such groups. Each sociopolitical party tends to see its interests as intertwined
with those of others. In other words, members of various groups tend to view rights and other
social benefits as a zero-sum game in which outsider gains result in losses for your group. To
modify their circumstances, including the systems that helped produce them, individuals who
find themselves in an uneven social position in society will be prone to deviant conduct.
People frequently behave in defiance of societal norms to express a grievance, according to
Conflict Theory.
Reference
Deutschmann, L. B., & Kirkland, S. (1994). Deviance & social control. Scarborough, ON,
Canada: Nelson Canada.
