Conformity and Deviance

1. Conformity and Deviance • What is deviance? • Theories of deviance

2. What is deviance? “nonconformity to a given set of norms that are accepted by a significant number of people in a community or society” (p. 133)

3. What is deviance? • Everyone violates norms. • So who is deviant? • “significant” is the key word; deviants are significantly in violation of norms

4. What is deviance? • If deviance too widespread, some might be “normalized” • Groups that significantly violate norms of the wider society: deviant subcultures

5. Theories of deviance • Biological • Psychological • Sociological

6. Biological theories • Attempts to link physical traits with behavior go back to 19th century (Lombroso) • Mid-20th century theories linking physique with crime also discredited • Ongoing attempts to find sources of criminal (esp. “psychopathic”) behavior in brain structure, but no evidence of genetic basis for deviance

7. Psychological theories • Psychopaths: withdrawn, emotionless, violent • These traits not restricted to criminals • Social response to the behavior just as important as the individual’s psychology; reciprocal effects

8. Social control • Social control: social methods used to keep behavior within bounds • Sanctions: positive or negative, formal or informal reactions to behavior used to reinforce social norms • Ideally, people internalize norms through interaction with others (socialization) • Laws are the basis for external social control by the State • This tends to reinforce power of elites, according to “conflict” theorists • But even subcultures have their own norms; e.g., the code of the street • “a cultural adaptation to a profound lack of faith in the police and the judicial system…” (Anderson, 34) • “The code of the street thus emerges where the influence of the police ends and where personal responsibility for one’s own safety is felt to begin.” (ibid)

9. Sociological theories • Durkheim • Merton • Differential association • Labeling • Social control theory

10. Durkheim: why is crime “normal”? • A certain level of deviance is functional • Allows for innovation (adaptive function) • Promotes boundary maintenance • Helps us recognize what is normal (affirms norms;) • Enhances social solidarity • Therefore we can’t (or shouldn’t) completely eliminate deviance • Too much deviance, widespread acceptance is “pathological”; anomie (dysfunctional)

11. Durkheim and deviance norms Norms affirmed; social solidarity enhanced. Y deviant society X X X X X X Normal people

12. Merton: structural strain theory Socially approved goals (values) Socially approved means (norms) Unequal access creates “structural strain” Individuals experiencing structural strain must choose a “mode of adaptation” to the resulting anomie.

13. Merton: structural strain theory – modes of adaptation

14. Sutherland: differential association • Criminal (deviant) behavior is learned in primary groups where norms differ from those of wider society • Similar to Becker’s (1953) work on marijuana use, but Becker’s later (1963) study developed labeling theory (Giddens:140)

15. Differential association Dominant culture social norms Deviant subculture social norms X

16. Becker: labeling theory • One learns how to smoke dope through a subculture • Deviance is a process of interaction between deviants and nondeviants (Giddens, 140) • Social structure gives some people the power to define others as deviant; e.g., “potheads” • The label is a stigma; a mark of social disgrace that changes social interaction and self image

17. Lemert: labeling theory • Primary deviation: an initial act that violates social norms • Secondary deviation: the individual comes to accept the label, and acts accordingly

18. Labeling theory Powerful interests Label Primary deviation Label accepted Secondary deviation

19. Control theory (new criminology) • Evidence that many crimes are situational, based on opportunity; • This results in “target hardening” in richer areas • Poorer sections left with more crime • Broken windows theory

20. Macro-to-micro: Saints and Roughnecks • Class structure affects how deviance is handled • Similar behavior results in different outcomes • “saints” and “roughnecks” were labels • Labeling theory most widely used in sociology