Deviance and Crime - Sociological Imagination - Lecture Slides, Slides of Sociology

Download Deviance and Crime - Sociological Imagination - Lecture Slides and more Slides Sociology in PDF only on Docsity! Chapter 6 Deviance and Crime docsity.com Questions for you… • Think of a situation in which you were labeled as a “deviant.” • How did the label make you feel? Did you embrace or reject the label? • How is deviance more about how people respond to the person labeled as deviant? • How is deviance a matter of “relativity”? docsity.com Deviance • Any behavior, belief, or condition that violates social norms in the society or group in which it occurs: – drinking too much – robbing a bank – laughing at a funeral docsity.com Deviance and Society • Deviance can vary from culture to culture. • Deviance can vary from time to time within the same culture. • Through social change, what was once deviant can become the “norm.” docsity.com Deviance and Social Inequality • Issues of social inequality affect group experiences and overall treatment in the criminal justice system. docsity.com How Much Do You Know About Youth Gangs and Deviance? • True or False? – Juvenile gangs are an urban problem; few rural areas have problems with gangs. docsity.com How Much Do You Know About Youth Gangs, and Deviance? • False. – Gangs are frequently thought of as an urban problem because central-city gangs organized around drug dealing have become prominent in recent years; however, gangs are found in rural areas throughout the country as well. docsity.com What Is Social Control? • Practices that social groups develop to encourage conformity to norms, rules, and laws and to discourage deviance. docsity.com Functionalist Perspective Deviance serves three functions: 1. Deviance clarifies rules. 2. Deviance unites a group. 3. Deviance promotes social change. docsity.com Merton’s Strain Theory of Deviance Mode Method Conformity Accepts approved goals, pursues them through approved means. Innovation Accepts approved goals; uses disapproved means. Ritualism Abandons society’s goals; conforms to approved means. docsity.com Merton’s Strain Theory of Deviance Mode Method Retreatism Abandons approved goals and approved means. Rebellion Challenges approved goals and approved means. docsity.com Functionalist Perspectives Theory Key Elements Social control/ social bonding When ties to family and friends are weak, individuals are likely to engage in criminal behavior. docsity.com Interactionist Perspectives Theory Key element Differential association Deviant behavior is learned in interaction with others. Labeling theory Acts are deviant because they have been labeled as such. docsity.com Interactionist Perspectives Theory Key element Primary /secondary A person accepts the “deviant” label and continues to engage in “deviant” behavior. docsity.com Differential Reinforcement Theory • Criminologist Ronald Akers (1998) combined differential association theory with elements of psychological learning theory to create differential reinforcement theory. – If a person’s friends and groups define deviant behavior as “right,” they is more likely to engage in deviant behavior. – If a person’s friends and groups define deviant behavior as “wrong,” the person is less likely to engage in that behavior. docsity.com Social Bond Theory • The probability of deviant behavior increases when a person’s ties to society are weakened or broken. • According to Hirschi, social bonding consists of – attachment to other people – commitment to conformity – involvement in conventional activities – belief in the legitimacy of conventional norms. docsity.com Labeling Theory • States that deviance is a socially constructed process in which social control agencies designate certain people as deviants, and they, in turn, accept the label and begin to act accordingly. • Focuses on the variety of symbolic labels that people are given in their interactions with others. • The act of fixing a person with a negative identity, such as “criminal” is directly related to the power of those who do the labeling and those being labeled. docsity.com How the Law Classifies Crime • Crimes are divided into felonies and misdemeanors. – A felony is a serious crime such as rape, homicide, or aggravated assault, for which punishment typically ranges from more than a year’s imprisonment to death. – A misdemeanor is a minor crime typically punished by less than one year in jail. docsity.com Polling Question • Did you ever use marijuana during your senior year in high school? A. Yes B. No docsity.com How Sociologists Classify Crime • Sociologists categorize crimes based on how they are committed and how society views the offenses: 1. conventional (street) crime 2. occupational (white-collar) and corporate crime 3. organized crime 4. political crime docsity.com Arrest Rates by Gender, 2008 All offenses (excluding traffic charges) EG eyo Murder and non-negligent 89.2% 10.8% manslaughter Robbery tice 11.6% Larceny-theft Wa CB RCy Fraud eer Pia Y | Males i Females (€)2012 Cengage Learning docsity.com Functions of Punishment • Retribution – The punishment should fit the crime. • Social protection – Restrict offenders so they can’t commit further crimes. docsity.com Functions of Punishment • Rehabilitation – Return offenders to the community as law- abiding citizens. • Deterrence – Reduce criminal activity through a fear of punishment. docsity.com Reducing Global Crime • Requires a global response, including: – Cooperation of law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and intelligence services across geopolitical boundaries. – Regulation by the international community to control international money laundering and trafficking in people and controlled substances such as drugs and weapons. docsity.com Quick Quiz docsity.com 1. ________ is any belief, behavior, or condition that violates significant social norms in the society or group in which it occurs. A. Deviance B. Mores C. Taboos D. Crime docsity.com Answer: B • The "good worker" is often an example of ritualism in Strain Theory. docsity.com 3. Punishment is seen as serving four functions. Which item below is NOT one of those functions? A. innovation B. deterrence C. retribution D. social protection docsity.com Answer: A • Punishment is seen as serving four functions. Innovation is NOT one of those functions. docsity.com 5. A felony is a serious crime such as rape, and homicide for which punishment means imprisonment from one year to death. A. False. B. True. docsity.com Answer: B • A felony is a serious crime such as rape, and homicide for which punishment means imprisonment from one year to death. docsity.com 6. Control Theorists suggest that deviance is more likely to occur when social bonds are strongest. A. False. B. True. docsity.com