Sociology in Modules

1. Sociology in Modules Deviance and Social Control

2. Deviance and Social Control 7 • Module 23: Social Control • Module 24: What Is Deviance? • Module 25: Crime

3. A Look Ahead • When does conformity verge on deviance? • How does a society control its members • What are the consequences of deviance?

4. Social Control Module 23 • Social control: Techniques and strategies employed for preventing deviant human behavior in any society • Parents • Peer groups • Companies • Government

5. Social Control Module 23 • Sanctions: penalties and rewards for conduct concerning a social norm • Death penalty ultimate formal sanction • Subject of controversy centered on effectiveness of this sanction as social control

6. Conformity and Obedience Module 23 • Conformity: Going along with peers who have no special right to direct behavior • Obedience: Compliance with higher authorities in an hierarchical structure

7. Conformity and Obedience Module 23 • The Milgram Experiment • Experimenter instructed people to administer increasingly painful electric shocks to a subject Two-thirds of participants fell into category of “obedient subjects”

8. Informal and Formal Social Control Module 23 • Informal social control: Used casually to enforce norms • Formal social control: Carried out by authorized agents Interplay between formal and informal social control can be complicated, especially if informal social control encourages people to violate social norms

9. Sociology on Campus Module 23 • Why do most college students regard binge drinking as a normal rather than a deviant behavior? • Do you think informal social control or do you think formal social control would be more effective in stopping binge drinking on your campus?

10. Law and Society Module 23 • Some norms are so important to a society that they are formalized into laws • Law: Governmental social control • The legal order reflects values of those in a position to exercise authority • Control Theory: Our connection to members of society leads us to systematically conform to society’s norms

11. Module 23 Figure 23-1: U.S. Imprisonment Rate, 1980-2008

12. Figure 23-2: Executions by State Since 1976 Module 23

13. Figure 23-3: The Status of Medical Marijuana Module 23

14. What is Deviance? Module 24 • Deviance: Behavior that violates the standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society • Involves violation of group norms, which may or may not be formalized into law • Social definition within a particular society and at a particular time

15. What is Deviance? Module 24 • Deviance and Social Stigma • Stigma: Labels society uses to devalue members of certain social groups • Deviance and Technology • Technological innovations can redefine social interactions and standards of behavior related to them

16. Functionalist Perspective Module 24 • Durkheim’s Legacy • Punishments established within a culture help define acceptable behavior and contribute to stability • Erikson illustrated boundary-maintenance function of deviance • Anomie: Loss of direction felt in society when social control of individual behavior has become ineffective

17. Functionalist Perspective Module 24 • Merton’s Theory of Deviance • Anomie Theory of Deviance: How people adapt in certain ways by conforming to or by deviating from cultural expectations • Conformist • Innovator • Ritualist • Retreatist • Rebel

18. Interactionist Perspective Module 24 • Cultural Transmission Theory • Cultural transmission: Humans learn how to behave in social situations, whether properly or improperly • Differential association: Process through which exposure to attitudes favorable to criminal acts leads to the violation of rules (Sutherland)

19. Interactionist Perspective Module 24 • Social Disorganization Theory: Increases in crime and deviance attributed to absence or breakdown of communal relationships and social institutions Some claim social disorganization theory seems to “blame the victim”

20. Interactionist Perspective Module 24 • Labeling Theory: Attempts to explain why some people are viewed as deviants while others are not; also known as societal-reaction approach Societal-reaction approach:Response to an act, not the behavior, determines deviance

21. Interactionist Perspective Module 24 • Social Constructionist Perspective • Deviance is a product of the culture we live in • Focus on decision making process that creates the deviant identity

22. Interactionist Perspective Module 24 • Labeling and Sexual Deviance • Definition of deviant sexual behavior varied significantly over time and from culture to culture • Use of terms, even in positive way, still implies human sexuality can be confined in neat, exclusive categories • Definition of sexual deviance seems to change with each generation

23. Conflict Theory Module 24 • People with power protect their own interests and define deviance to suit their needs • Differential justice: Differences in way social control is exercised over different groups

24. Feminist Perspective Module 24 • Adler and Chesney-Lind argue existing approaches to deviance and crime developed with men in mind • Society tends to treat women in stereotypical fashion Cultural views and attitudes toward women influence how they are perceived and labeled

25. Research Today Module 24 • Does Crime Pay? • Do you know anyone who has stolen out of need? If so, did the person feel justified in stealing, or did he or she feel guilty? How long did the theft continue? • Economically, profit is the difference between revenues and costs. What are the costs of the illegal drug trade, both economic and social?

26. Table 24-1: Modes of Individual Adaptation Module 24

27. Table 24-2: Sociological Perspectives on Deviance Module 24

28. Crime Module 25 • Crime: Violation of criminal law for which some governmental authority applies formal penalties • Index crimes • Murder • Rape • Robbery • Assault • Burglary • Theft • Motor vehicle theft • Arson

29. Types of Crime Module 25 • Sociologists classify crimes in terms of how they are committed and how society views the offenses • Victimless crimes • Professional crime • Organized crime • White-collar and technology-based crime • Transnational crime

30. Types of Crime Module 25 • Victimless crimes: Willing exchange among adults of widely desired, but illegal, goods and services • Professional crime: Many people make a career of illegal activities • Professional criminal: Person who pursues crime as a day-to-day occupation

31. Types of Crime Module 25 • Organizedcrime: Group that regulates relations between various criminal enterprises involved in illegal activities • Dominates world of illegal business just as large corporations dominate conventional businesses • Serves as means of upward mobility for groups of people struggling to escape poverty

32. Types of Crime Module 25 • White Collar and Technology-Based Crime • White Collar crime: Illegal acts committed in the course of business activities • Computer crime: Use of high technology to carry out embezzlement or electronic fraud • Corporate crime: Any act by a corporation that is punishable by the government

33. Types of Crime Module 25 • Transnational Crime • Crime that occurs across multiplenational borders International crime spans the globe

34. Sociology on Campus Module 25 • Campus Crime • Is crime a problem on your campus? If so, what kinds of crime? What have college officials done to discourage it? • Choose two theories of crime discussed in this chapter and apply them to crimes that have occurred on your campus. Which theory seems to fit better?

35. Table 25-1: Types of Transnational Crime Module 25

36. Crime Statistics Module 25 • Reported crime is very high in the U.S., so public regards crime as major social problem • Only track crimes that are reported to law enforcement agencies • Victimization Surveys: Surveys of ordinary people, not police officers, to determine whether they have been victims of crime

37. Understanding Crime Statistics Module 25 • International Crime Rates • Violent crimes much more common in U.S. than Western Europe in 1980s and 1990s Disturbing increases in violent crime are evident in other Western societies

38. Table 25-2: National Crime Rates and Percentage Change Module 25

39. Figure 25-1: Victimization Rates, 1973-2007 Module 25

40. Gun Control Module 25 • Understanding the Issue • Role of firearms in crime remains fairly consistent despite reported crime decrease • Brady act not enough for gun control supporters • In 2008, Supreme Court struck down a near-total ban on handguns in Washington, D.C.

41. Gun Control Module 25 • Applying Sociology • About 42% of U.S. households have some type of firearm on premises • About half of all adults in U.S. favor stricter laws covering sale of firearms • National Rifle Association uses impressive power to block or dilute gun control

42. Gun Control Module 25 • Sociological Insights • Conflict theorists: powerful groups like NRA dominate legislative process • Interactionists: gun control opponents and proponents use symbols to their advantage

43. Gun Control Module 25 • Initiating Policy • Advocates for stricter gun control want more tools for law enforcement, extended checks on gun sales, and an end to large-volume gun sales • Meets strong opposition from NRA and fire arms manufacturers • Public health advocates engaging the issue

44. Figure 25-2: Restrictiveness of State Gun Laws Module 25