What is deviance?

• Two ways of approaching or defining deviance: • Normative:

• Older definition• Absolute terms• deviance refers to behavior that violates social norms or to

persons that engage in such behavior.• Relativistic:

• deviance refers to behavior or persons that are defined as deviant by social audiences.

• This definition is termed relativistic because it views persons or their behavior as deviant only relative to the way other people react to them.

• Let’s explain, illustrate, exemplify: class activity.

05/03/23 Rima Brusi, Ph.D. CSUF 1

Theories of Deviance

• Functionalism:• Deviance serves a function in our society.

• According to Émile Durkheim, deviance serves a positive social function by clarifying moral boundaries and promoting social cohesion.

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Theories of Deviance (cont’d.)

• Conflict theory:• Deviance is a result of social conflict.

• In order for the powerful to maintain their power, they marginalize and criminalize the people who threaten their power. Inequality is reproduced in the way deviance is defined.

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Theories of Deviance (cont’d.)

• Structural strain theory:• Developed by Robert Merton• It states that there are goals in our society that people want to achieve, but they cannot always reach these goals. This creates stress (or strain) because people are aware of the goals but do not have the means to achieve them.

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Theories of Deviance (cont’d.)• Merton’s

typology of deviance (structural strain theory table)

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Theories of Deviance (cont’d.)Merton’s typology: Conformists

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Conformists accept the goals of the society and the means of achieving those goals.

Theories of Deviance (cont’d.)Merton’s typology: Innovators

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Innovators accept the goals of the society, but they look for new, or innovative, ways of achieving those goals.

Theories of Deviance (cont’d.)Merton’s typology: Ritualists

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Ritualists aren’t interested in the goals of the society but they do accept the means of achieving those goals.

Theories of Deviance (cont’d.)Merton’s typology: Retreatists

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Retreatists don’t accept the goals of the society or the means of achieving those goals.

Theories of Deviance (cont’d.)Merton’s typology: Rebels

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Rebels don’t accept the goals of the society or the means of achieving those goals, so they create their own goals using new means.

Theories of Deviance (cont’d.)

•Differential association:•A symbolic interactionist perspective developed by Edwin Sutherland

•States that we learn deviance from hanging around deviant peers

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Theories of Deviance (cont’d.)

•Labeling theory:• A symbolic interactionist perspective developed by Howard Becker

• States that deviance is caused by external judgments (labels) that change a person’s self-concept and the way that others respond to that person

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Theories of Deviance (cont’d.)

•Labeling theory:• Becker suggests that “labeling” can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy—a prediction that causes itself to come true.

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Deviant Identities

•Stigma:•Term coined by Ervin Goffman •Describes any physical or social attribute that devalues a person or group’s identity, and which may exclude those who are devalued from normal social interaction

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Deviance and Crime

• Crime:• If a behavior is considered deviant, it means that it violates the values and norms of a group, not that it is inherently wrong.

•However, research on deviance also includes crime.

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Deviance and Crime (cont’d.)

•Crime is the violation of a norm that has been codified into law.

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Deviance and Crime (cont’d.)

• Crime and punishments can change over time!

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Control and Punishment

•Deterrence: prevent crime by threatening harsh penalties

•Retribution: retaliate or take revenge for a crime that’s been committed

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Control and Punishment (con’t.)

• Incapacitation: remove criminals from society by imprisoning them

•Rehabilitation: reform criminals so that they may re-enter society

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Can Deviance Be Positive?

•Positive deviance is defined as an act that is outside of the norm, but may actually be heroic rather than negative.

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The Real World: An Introduction To Sociology, 3rd Edition

Copyright © 2012 W. W. Norton & Company