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Becoming Deviant (Erdwin Pfhul & Stuart Henry). Key Assumption People know Deviation: a conscious decision. Becoming Deviant: Contributing Factors . “The Effective Environment” Actual circumstances & interpretation. Becoming Deviant: Contributing Factors. Biography
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Becoming Deviant(Erdwin Pfhul & Stuart Henry) • Key Assumption • People know • Deviation: a conscious decision
Becoming Deviant: Contributing Factors • “The Effective Environment” • Actual circumstances • & interpretation
Becoming Deviant: Contributing Factors • Biography • Our social background • Effective environment & biography shape: • Affinity • Willingness
Factors Contributing (to Affinity & Willingness) • Everyday life: • where we are now • Role of others • Friends: role models • Provide reasons, rationales • Support
Factors Contributing (to Affinity & Willingness) • Commitment • Commitment to conform, P of deviance • Inverse relationship • Hirschi • Definition of self • “Am I the kind of person that would do that?”
Factors Contributing (to Affinity & Willingness) • Deciding to deviate • Overcoming moral constraints • Techniques of neutralization, again (Sykes & Matza)
Additions to Sykes and 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"
Additions to Sykes & Matza, cont’d • Claim of Relative Acceptability (Moss, 1990) • others' behavior is worse than the action in question
Cautionary Notes • Willingness is NOT commitment • Willingness has to be renewed (people change) • People aren't deviant for all time • Biography is always in the making
Continuing the Deviance? • People evaluate their deviant experience • Good? bad? • Motives(affect decision initially and whether to continue) • $ • Recreation • Status
Motives • 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
Summary Comments • Emphasis on “Agency” and Choice • Irony: Common ground with Classical Theory • BUT – • Still focused on moral entrepreneurs and agents of control