Post on 10-Feb-2016
description
Key Assumption
◦People know
◦Deviation: a conscious decision
“The Effective Environment”
◦ Actual circumstances
◦ & interpretation
Biography ◦ Our social background
Effective environment & biography shape:◦ Affinity◦ Willingness
Everyday life: ◦ where we are now
Role of others◦ Friends: role models ◦ Provide reasons, rationales◦ Support
Commitment◦ Commitment to conform, P of deviance◦ Inverse relationship
Hirschi
Definition of self◦ “Am I the kind of person that would do that?”
Deciding to deviate◦ Overcoming moral constraints
Techniques of neutralization, again (Sykes & Matza)
Metaphor of the Ledger: (Klockars, 1974) ◦ one bad act in an otherwise good record
Claim of Normality: (Henry, 1978)◦ yes, it's illegal, but . . .
Rule’s moral significance is trivialized Denial of Negative Intent (Moss, 1990)
◦ Acknowledge harm, but claim that the harm was not intentional "just having fun", "never meant for it to go so far"
Claim of Relative Acceptability (Moss, 1990)◦ others' behavior is worse than the action in
question
Willingness is NOT commitment Willingness has to be renewed (people
change)◦ People aren't deviant for all time◦ Biography is always in the making
People evaluate their deviant experience◦ Good? bad?
Motives (affect decision initially and whether to continue)◦ $◦ Recreation◦ Status
Motives (cont’d)◦ Political
protest; desire to change meanings ◦ Problem-Solving
Moral emotions: humiliation, indignance To maintain in a stressful situation Self-help
◦ Interpersonal/Social The deviance maintains a relationship
Emphasis on “Agency” and Choice◦ Irony: Common ground with Classical Theory
BUT – ◦ Still focused on moral entrepreneurs and agents
of control