Lecture Outline I. a. b.

Introduction Most people conform to norms most of the time Most people violate the norms, at some time

i. but whethe r that violator is seen as deviant depends upon the importance and severity of t he violation c. d. e. II. Deviance- the violation of social norms Stigma- the disapproval attached to disobeying the expected norms We are all deviant in some times and some places What is deviance?

a. Deviance is a violation of societal norms, but those norms are always c hanging i. In some si tuations deviance and crime are overlooked or seen as understandable ii. The same ac ts can be considered very deviant in one society and tolerated in another b. Crime- the forms of deviance in which formal penalties are imposed by th e society i. Deviance i s socially constructed- members of groups and societies define what is deviant ii. re deviant at one time and place and not at others iii. l s status or group may be defined as deviant c. III. a. Deviance can be problematic or functional for society Misconceptions about Deviance Popular Belief: Some acts are inherently deviant An individua Some acts a

i. FALSE, the y re related to time, place, context, and the status of the individual ii. Those in po wer have the advantage of defining what is deviant to suit themselves and often set the punishments for deviant behaviors b. Popular Belief: Those who deviate are socially identified and recognized

i. FALSE, mos t of us deviate from norms, but most behaviors that deviate from a norm are neve r recognized as deviant

ii. crimes that are reported ever result in arrests c.

Only 1/3 of

Popular Belief: Deviants purposely and knowingly break the law

i. FALSE, mos t deviance is driven by emotion, encouraged by friends, caused by disagreements over norms, or is a result of conditions in the immediate situation d. Popular Belief: Deviance occurs because there is a dishonest, selfish el ement to human nature i. FALSE, mos t deviants do not attribute their own actions to personality or dishonesty. Inst ead, they know when they re being deviant and actively plan to do so e. Crime: Deviance that Violates the Law

i. When the c riminal justice system gets involved and formal penalties are imposed by society , we refer to deviance as crime deviance that violates criminal law ii. When member s of society are in general agreement about the seriousness of deviant acts, the se are referred to as consensus crimes 1. Predatory crimes (premeditated murder, forcible rape, and kidnapping for ransom) are consensus crimes iii. Conflict cri mes occur when one group passes a law over which there is disagreement or that d isadvantages another group 1. Examples include laws concerning public disorder, chemical offenses, pro stitution, gambling, property offenses, and political disenfranchisement iv. Crimes are of ten thought to be the most threatening forms of deviance, but it is important to recognize that they are still just one type of deviant behavior IV. What Causes Deviant Behavior? Theoretical Perspectives

a. Sociologists reject biological and psychological behaviors in favor of studying deviance scientifically in terms of the interactions, social structure, and social processes that lead to deviant behavior b. Sociologists consider social class differences, cultural and subcultural norms, and power structures that influence conformity or deviance c. Micro-Level Explanations of Deviance: Rational Choice and Interaction T heories i. Rational C hoice Theory argues that individuals make decisions based on calculated costs an d benefits to themselves. 1. Rational choice theorists argue that the best way to deter crime is to k eep the punishments high so that it is greater than the benefits associated with crime.

a. A shift in this ratio may result in a change of the sanctions provided for certain behaviors i. - rewards for society approved behaviors ii. punishments for breaking societal norms b. If rational choice holds true, we can deter deviance by increasing the c osts or changing the awareness of costs already in place, or changing perception of the cost/benefit balance ii. Social Cont rol and Rational Choice theories- why do most people conform? With true free wil l, deviance should be more common 1. People are bonded to society in 4 ways. These bonds encourage us to adhe re to norms a. b. Attachment to other people who respect the values and rules of society Commitment to conventional activities they do not want to jeopardize Negative sanctionsPositive sanctions

c. Involvement in activities that keep them so busy that they do not have time for deviant behavior d. Belief in the social rules of their culture (accepted because of childho od socialization) e. 2. If these things are weakened, we are more likely to be deviant Two factors shape our tendency to conform

a. Internal controls- those voices within us which tell us when a behavior is acceptable or unacceptable, right or wrong b. External controls- society's formal or informal controls against deviant behavior iii. Differential association theory- some people learn to conform and others learn to deviate de pending upon the family, peers, and others with whom they associate 1. A symbolic interaction approach because the emphasis is on how others sh ape your definition of what is normal and acceptable 2. Becoming deviant depends upon the duration, intensity, priority, and fre quency of time spent with the group 3. Youth from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to be violent because they have learned in their social settings to use violence to solve pro blems a. Note: the norms that these children are breaking are defined by those i n power (the upper-class) b. We now know that all strata of society commit deviant acts, but the kind

s of deviance they commit vary by social class iv. Labeling theo ry- Behavior is not intrinsically deviant- it is deviant because it as labeled a s such. Members of society create deviance by defining something as deviant and react to the deviance by imposing penalties. It is this reaction that defines be havior of an individual as deviant more than the act itself 1. Two stages in becoming deviant

a. Primary deviance- a violation of a norm which may be an isolated act. I t does not lead to being labeled deviant b. Secondary deviance- the individual continues to violate a norm and begin s to take on a deviant identity 2. The process of labeling deviants happens at every level of analysis and can lead to reinforcing the deviant behavior by: a. b. Increasing alienation Forcing increased interaction with deviant peers

c. Motivating juvenile delinquents to positively value and identify with t he deviant status 3. The deviance becomes a self fulfilling prophecy- a belief that becomes a reality a. The individuals come to see themselves as deviant because of the way th ey are treated by others 4. Some groups and individuals are labeled as deviant based on their lack o f power and status in society, with those who have less power being more likely to be labeled deviants a. E.G., The Saints and the Roughnecks- the social status of the boys dete rmined why they were deviant and how they were treated for similar behaviors; th is led to self-fulfilling prophecies 5. Labeling theory is primarily micro-level theory, but macro-level social forces also shape whether one is labeled or can avoid the label a. When members of the dominant society feel that their power is threatene d, they may react by creating an impossible situation for the minority b. The minority s violation of the rules is then treated as deviant

6. The general learning theory of crime and deviance combines elements of l abeling theory and differential association theory. It argues that labeling effec ts are mediated by associations with one s peer group, including delinquent peers ( Schmalleger 2006:256). d. Meso- and Macro-Level Explanations of Deviance: Structural-Functional an d Conflict Theories i. Meso-level analysis is focused on ethnic subcultures and national organizations and instit utions within a nation, while macro-level theory focuses more on societies and g lobal social systems

ii. Structuralfunctionalist theories- deviance results from anomie and stain and can be benefi cial for society iii. Anomie and S ocial Disorganization- the breakdown of the norms guiding behavior that leads to social disorganization 1. Anomie is another word for normlessness.

2. Caused by a lack of shared, achievable goals and a lack of socially appr oved means to achieve goals 3. Durkheim first described anomie as arising when societies are disorganiz ed, such as rapidly urbanizing, going through sudden prosperity or depression, r apid technological change, or when a government is overthrown a. Affects urban areas first

iv. Strain theory - most people in society share similar values and goals, but those with fewer re sources are less able to achieve those goals. They experience frustration and an ger, and may use deviant methods to achieve those goals 1. Strain- an experience created by the difference between definitions of s uccess (goals) and the means available to achieve those goals that can lead to d eviance 2. Merton outlines 5 ways to adapt to the strain

i. Conformity- embracing the society's defini tion of success and adhering to the established and approved means of achieving success ii. pproved goals iii. Ritualism- strict adherence to the culturall y-prescribed rules, even though individuals give up on the goals they hoped to a chieve iv. he means v. Rebellion- rejecting the socially approved i deas of "success" and the means of attaining that success, but replaces those wi th alternative definitions of success and alternative strategies for attaining t he new goals v. Conflict the ory- deviance is a result of social inequality (in terms of social class, race, religion, etc.) or the struggle between groups for power a. conflicts occur because groups share interest in power Retreatism- giving up on both the goals and t Innovation- use of illicit means to reach a

b. Deviance is often related to social class status, interest groups, or cu ltural conflict c. Wealthy and powerful elites want to maintain their control and their hi gh position in society d. e. aw Elites have power to pass laws and to define what is deviant Some conflict theorists blame capitalism for unjust administration of l

f. To reduce crime, conflict theorists argue that we must change the struc ture of society to support equal and fair treatment for all. vi. Feminist theo ry- macro-level causes of abuses suffered by women are rooted in the patriarchal , capitalist system. a. These causes include: i. overned by their sex 1. Women s work is undervalued, and men often exploit women for their unpaid work and sexuality in order to continue the current social order ii. f crime. iii. The separation between public (work) and pri vate (home) spheres of social activity create we/they thinking between men and w omen iv. The socialization of children into gender-spe cific adult roles have implications for how males and females perceive and relat e to each other 1. and Children are taught that the differences between men and women are natural normal Women s status cause them to be the victims o Women are faced with a division of labor g

2. Cultural attitudes toward crime against women (like rape) differ based o n the status of women in that society 3. Women are less often in a position to commit crimes, and when they do th ey are often to procure money V. Crime and Individuals: Micro-Level Analysis

a. Crimes that affect the individual or primary group seem most threatenin g to us and receive the most attention in the press and from politicians b. How much crime is there? i. ries of crime, according to the FBI Two catego

1. 2.

Type I- murder, rape, robbery, etc. Type II- fraud, simple assault, vandalism, etc.

ii. Rate of cri me- the number of crimes committed (usually reported as per 100,000 people) 1. Has been dropping since the mid-1990 s iii. uring crime 1. Uniform Crime Reports- submitted voluntarily by police departments, but flawed because many crimes are not reported, and many criminals are not arrested or prosecuted 2. ed Self-reported surveys- asking individuals which crimes they have committ Ways of meas

a. One self reported survey is that National Incident-Based Reporting Syst em (NIBRS) designed to address some of the problems created by the UCR 3. Victimization surveys- surveys that ask people how much crime they have personally experienced 4. 5. c. How crime is measured affects what and how much crime is reported Triangulation of data leads to the most accurate results Predatory or street crime- crimes against individuals or property i. hat concerns us the most ii. Most crimin ologists do not think that these are the most important or most dangerous crimes d. Crimes without Victims - acts committed by or between consenting adults The type t

i. Most parti cipants do not consider themselves to be victims, but the offense is mostly an a ffront to someone else s morals ii. These illeg al acts may be tolerated as long as they do not become highly visible e. Hate crimes- criminal offenses committed against a person, property, or group which are motivated by the offender's bias against a religious, ethnic/na tional origin, or sexual orientation group i. ese crimes occur spontaneously ii. Often bruta l and vicious because the perpetrators rage against the individual as a represen tative of the group they despise iii. The targets are individuals who have certain traits or are a part of a certain community Most of th

VI. a.

Crime Involving Organizations and Institutions As societies modernize, a rise in anomie leads to more crime

b. As societies modernize, they also become more dependent upon formal soci al control c. Crimes Involving Organizations and Institutions

i. Organized crime- on-going criminal enterprises that have the ultimate purpose of personal economic gain through illegitimate means 1. 2. head 3. a. b. c. A particular problem when societies experience anomie Marginalized ethnic groups may use organized crime as a way of getting a Types Sale of illegal goods and drugs Infiltrating legitimate businesses through threats and intimidation Racketeering (the extortion of funds in exchange for protection )

4. Organized crime brings in more than 1% of the gross national product in the United States 5. Transnational organized crime takes place across national boundaries and is becoming an increasing problem ii. Occupationa l crime- A violation of the law committed by an individual or group in the cours e of a legitimate, respected occupation or financial activity 1. Less visible than violent crimes because it is frequently committed by t hose who are in power 2. Less publicized because it has no clear obvious physical injury to the i ndividual involved 3. mes 4. The cost of white collar crime is far greater than violent predatory cri Types of occupational crimes

a. Crimes against the company- more likely when employees feel little loya lty to the organization, the organization is large and impersonal, they feel res entful toward the company, the theft is seen as a fringe benefit , and the employee s see theft as a challenge b. Crimes against employees- like neglect of worker safety

i. Differential assoc iation theory- profits are expected by investors and coworkers

ii. e benefits seem to outweigh the costs at the time

Rational choice- th

iii. Strain theory- corpo rations must make the greatest short-term profits in order to achieve their goal s c. d. VII. Crimes against customers Crimes against the public National and Global Crime: Macro-Level Analysis

a. Terrorism refers to premeditated politically motivated violence perpetra ted against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, us ually intended to influence an audience i. State orga nized crime is a form of crime including acts defined by law as criminal but com mitted by state or government officials. b. Cross-National Comparisons of Crime- different societal values can lead to different levels of crime i. E.G.- Japa nese values of not bringing shame to the family and less focus on material posse ssions and consumption as markers of success lead to less crime ii. onomy is poor in a country, crime rises c. Global crimes- crimes that involve transnational conglomerates, smuggli ng of illegal goods and humans, or that violate international laws, treaties, or agreements i. World syst ems perspective- the cause of deviance lies in the global economy, inequalities between countries, and competition between countries for resources and wealth 1. As a result of capitalism, inequality has risen between core and periphe ry nations, which results in inequality 2. Core nations take advantage of periphery nations, leading the periphery nations to use unconventional means to reach their goals ii. t has lead to an increase in global crime 1. 2. 3. It provides a wide audience for fraudsters It gives a space to an underground web of illegal businesses The interne When the ec

It supports crime by connecting people to illegal operations

4. It s very difficult to police since law enforcement is unsure of whose jur isdiction it is VIII. Controlling Crime: Social Policy Considerations

a.

Dealing with Crime: The Criminal Justice Process

i. Structural -functionalists- the justice system is important for maintaining order in societ y ii. Conflict th eorists- the criminal justice system presents the threat of crime as a threat fr om poor people and minorities; it creates fear of victimization in members of so ciety 1. It is in the interests of the powerful for us to think that crime is pri marily the work of the poor, since it deflects discontent and hostility from the powerful 2. There will always be crime because the powerful will ensure that somethi ng is labeled as deviant iii. Jails 1. Total institution- an institution that completely controls the prisoners lives and regulates all of their activities 2. a. Inmates lives are changed through: Degradation- acts that mark the inmate as deviant Prisons and

b. Mortification- acts that break down the individual s original self as the inmate experiences resocialization 3. Minorities and the poor are disproportionately represented in jails and prisons 4. Rates of incarceration have increased (despite only 3% of criminals goin g to prison) in the U.S. for several reasons: a. The war on drugs iv. of Prisons 1. Functions include: i. ii. Revenge or retributions Removing dangerous individuals from society The Purposes

iii. Deterrence- preventing an individual from fu ture deviance and deterring others from becoming deviant 1. A common argument used for capital punishment (the death penalty) despit e research demonstrating that murder rates are lower in states without the death penalty and inmates reporting that the majority of crimes are not planned 2. The death penalty disproportionately is given to minorities and the poor and when a white person is the victim

3. Over 125 people on death row have been found innocent because of DNA tes ting and further evidence iv. Recidivism- despite prison supposedly rehabil itating offenders, the likelihood that someone who is arrested, convicted, and i mprisoned will later be a repeat offender is 75% v. nalty 1. The most controversial method of control is for the state to put the per son to death 2. The most common argument for using the death penalty, or capital punishm ent, is to deter people from crime, not only by the person killed, but by others who are deterred because they know this is a possibility 3. Although most developed countries do not use the death penalty, the U.S. still does 4. Capital punishment is most common in Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa 5. U.S. states with the death penalty assume that those contemplating crime s will be deterred by severe penalties; however, studies on the deterrent effect s of capital punishment do not support the first assumption 6. There is evidence that the death penalty is race and class biased; a dis proportionate number of minority and lower-class individuals are put to death in the U.S. 7. The death penalty is more likely to be imposed if a white person has bee n murdered than if African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Ameri cans are killed vi. Forms of Social Control a. Building social capital- social networks, shared norms, values, and und erstanding that facilitate cooperation within or among groups and access to impo rtant resources b. Increasing an offender s education or job training reduces the risk of rec idivism and of going to prison in the first place c. More severe punishments for crime are not always effective Alternatives The Death Pe

d. Shock probation- releasing a first time offender early in the hope that the shock of prison life would deter them e. f. Community service requirements Day treatment and half-way houses

g. Restitution- The offender renders money or service to the victim or comm unity under supervised parole to compensate the victim (does seem to reduce the likelihood of a repeated offense and is less costly than prison)

h. Privatization of prison- an attempt to turn prisons into more business-l ike, cost effective institutions i. Sociologists and criminologists are skeptical because the primary go