Crime and Deviance

1. Crime and Deviance

2. Deviance • Deviance: Behavior that violates social norms • Murder • Rape • Arson • Graffiti • Fighting • Picking your nose • Cross-dressing • Drunk Driving • Cheating on a test

3. Deviance Across Cultures • Deviance is culturally relativistic; it varies from society to society • It also varies within societies • Murder is deviant • Police officer killing an armed suspect is not deviant • Rebel flag in Ohio is deviant • Rebel flag in Alabama is not deviant • HIV / AIDS is deviant if you got it through drug use or sexual contact • Not deviant if you acquired it through blood transfusion

4. Why Does Deviance Happen? I. Cultural-Transmission or Differential Association Theory (Sutherland) • Deviance is learned through interaction with others • Differential association: if you interact more with deviant people, you will be deviant • A deviant person is socialized into deviant norms • Interactionist perspective

5. II. Structural-Strain Theory (Durkheim and Merton) • Deviance is a natural outgrowth of values, norms, and structure of society • Certain people can’t meet goals of society: Anomie • Functionalist perspective

6. III. Control Theory (Hirschi) • Similar to Structural-Strain theory • Deviance occurs in people who do not have close ties to the community • People with close ties are controlled by other community members • People without close ties have less to lose • Consequences of deviance determine behavior

7. IV. Conflict Theory • Competition and social inequality lead to deviance • Power struggle • Deviance is defined by the group in power—anything threatening their power is “deviant” • Group in power establishes ideologies that explain deviance as a lower-class phenomenon

8. V. Labeling Theory (Lemert and Becker) • Focuses on how people become labeled “deviant” • All people commit deviant acts, but not everyone is deviant • Primary Deviance: nonconformity that goes undetected • Secondary Deviance: deviance that results in a person being labeled

9. How Would Each Theory Explain the Columbine Shootings?

10. The Columbine MassacreApril 20, 1999 • Littleton, CO • Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold • Both had a criminal record • Both were bullied at school • “Trenchcoat Mafia” • Both listened to “violent” music • Both were classified as “Goths” • 12 students and 1 teacher killed • 21 students injured

11. Why is Deviance Good for Society? 1. Unifies the Group “Us vs. Them” -Gives a Sense of community 2. Clarifying Norms -Defines boundaries of behavior 3. Diffusing Tension -Minor acts of deviance are a “safety valve” 4. Identifying Problems -Tells which parts of society need change 5. Provides Jobs -Judges, lawyers, police, prison guards, etc.

12. Crime • Crime: An act prohibited by law and punishable by a governing body • Who is committing crimes? 1. Mostly Male: Generally more aggressive than females 2. Mostly White in numbers, mostly Black by percentage 3. Mostly under 25: More laws for those under 18-21

14. Types of Crime 1. Violent Crime: Murder, rape, robbery -physical violence or threat of violence 2. Crime against property: Burglary, arson -No person is physically harmed 3. Victimless Crime: Prostitution, gambling, drug use -No harm to anyone except the perpetrator 4. White Collar Crime: Fraud, tax evasion, toxic pollution -By people of high social standing 5. Organized Crime: Drug trafficking, gambling, black market -large scale and professional

15. Stigma • A mark or sign to label a criminal • http://www.familywatchdog.us/

16. The Criminal Justice System 1. Police: Make arrests -few crimes prevented by police 2. Courts: Determine guilt or innocence—issue sentences 3. Corrections -Recidivism: repeated criminal behavior 65% in US—the highest in the world 76% juvenile recidivism—also highest in the world -Approaches to correcting deviance • Retribution • Deterrence • Rehabilitation • Societal Protection -Are we too nice? -Do we not rehabilitate? 4. Juvenile Justice System: Different punishments for similar crimes -focus in on rehabilitation

18. The US Prison System • The US has 5% of the world’s population and 25% of the world’s inmates • 1 in 5 inmates is sexually assaulted • 25% of all inmates are gang members • 35% of inmates are drug addicts • 80% are drug users • 25% of all prison beds are occupied by people who are mentally insane • Only 12 of 5000 prisons have higher education programs • 700,000 inmates are released each year • 2/3 are back within three years

19. The Death Penalty History and Statistics • The Death Penalty has existed since before Christ • Punishable offenses have ranged from blasphemy to murder • The Death Penalty was strongly questioned by Enlightenment philosophers of the 1800s • In the US, the rate of capital punishment has changed • In 2002, 71 people in 13 states were executed • Texas had the most with 33 • 70 were by lethal injection, 1 by electrocution • 38 states use the death penalty • In 2002, there were 3,557 inmates on death row (all for murder) • There was a moratorium in the US from 1967-77

22. Arguments For Deterrent Punishment fits the crime Criminals forfeit their rights Recidivism rate is so high Economical Arguments Against People still commit crimes Chance of innocence “Cruel and Unusual” Immoral / Human Rights Economical Arguments