DEVIANCE

2. DEVIANCE • THE RECOGNIZED VIOLATION OF CULTURAL NORMS • BIASED TOWARDS THE POSITIVE • BIASED TOWARDS THE NEGATIVE • “DIFFERENT” OR “UNEXPECTED” ARE WORDS OFTEN USED TO DESCRIBE DEVIANCE FROM A SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE • DISTINCT AREAS • CRIME (LAWS) • VIOLATION OF FORMALLY ENACTED CRIMINAL LAW • JUVENILE DELINQUENCY • VIOLATION OF THE LAW BY YOUNG PEOPLE

3. THE ATTEMPTS A SOCIETY MAKES AT CONTROLLING THOUGHT AND BEHAVIOR • PASSIVE SOCIALIZATION • SOCIETY’S RULES EXIST IN OUR MINDS EXTERNALIZED BY FEELINGS OF SHAME AND GUILT • RESOCIALIZATION PROCESSES • COERCIVE METHODS USED TO ALTER A PERSON’S SELF-IMAGE AND PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE ON ISSUES • CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM • THE INSTITUTION THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REACTING TO ALLEDGED VIOLATIONS OF SOCIETAL LAWS

4. THEIMPORTANCE OF THE NORM PLAYS A ROLE IN DETERMINING WHAT TYPE OF SANCTION IS MOST SUITABLE FOR THE OFFENSE COMMITTED

5. DEVIANCE VARIES ACCORDING TO NORMS • NO ACTION IS INHERENTLY DEVIANT • PEOPLE BECOME DEVIANT • HOW OTHER PERCEIVE AND LABEL US • DEVIANCE INVOLVES POWER • RULE-MAKERS, RULE-BREAKERS, AND RULE-ENFORCERS • NORMS AND APPLYING THEM ARE LINKED TO SOCIAL POSITION

6. DEVIANCE: • AFFIRMS CULTURAL VALUES • CLARIFIES MORAL BOUNDARIES • PROMOTES SOCIAL UNITY • ENCOURAGES SOCIAL CHANGE • OPENS LINES OF COMMUNICATION

7. EXPLAINING DEVIANCE • MERTON’S STRAIN THEORY • DEVIANT BEHAVIOR IS LINKED TO SOCIAL STRUCTURE • TWO KEY QUESTIONS: • HOW REALISTIC ARE SOCIAL (PERSONAL) GOALS? • HOW ACCESSIBLE ARE THE LEGITIMATE MEANS FOR OBTAINING SUCH GOALS? • THE GAP BETWEEN WHAT “OUGHT TO BE” AND “WHAT IS” LEAVES A PERSON “STRAINED” • ORIGINS OF STRAIN • BELIEF IN MERITOCRACY • BELIEF IN AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD • BELIEF THAT THE SYSTEM WORKS EQUALLY • BELIEF THAT INDIVIDUALS WILL BE REWARDED IF THEY FOLLOW SOCIETY’S LEAD

8. STRAIN THEORY

9. PRIMARY DEVIANCE • EPISODES OF NORM VIOLATION THAT MOST PEOPLE TAKE PART IN WITH LITTLE HARM DONE TO SELF-CONCEPT • SECONDARY DEVIANCE • WHEN PEOPLE “MAKE SOMETHING” OF ANOTHER’S DEVIANT BEHAVIOR, THEY MAY… • PUSH THE PERSON INTO REPEATED NORM VIOLATIONS • AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW DEVIANT IDENTITY • STIGMA • THE MARK OF SOCIAL DISGRACE THAT OFTEN INVOLVES PUTTING A PERSON THROUGH DEGRADATION CEREMONIES • RETROSPECTIVE LABELING • RE-INTERPRETING SOMEONE’S PAST • MAKING “JOHNNY’S” PAST BEHAVIORS MORE CONSISTENT WITH HIS PRESENT DEVIANT ACTIVITIES

10. DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION • DEVIANT BEHAVIOR IS LEARNED • FREQUENCY OF ASSOCIATION IS CENTRAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEVIANCE • IF ASSOCIATES ARE PRONE TO VIOLATION OF NORMS, THEN ONE IS ALSO MORE LIKELY TO TAKE PART • CONFORMITY REAPS REWARDS WHILE THE LACK OF IT REAPS PUNISHMENT • OTHER LEARNING TAKES PLACE • THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF COMMITTING CRIME IS TAUGHT • PERSONS LEARN HOW TO NEUTRALIZE ANY FEELINGS OF GUILT AND SHAME

11. ATTACHMENT • FAMLY, PEERS, AND SCHOOL HELP US FORM CONFORMING ATTACHMENTS • OPPORTUNITY • DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE A PERSON HAS ABOUT THE FUTURE AND OPPORTUNITIES • INVOLVEMENT • TIME AND ENERGIES ARE LINKED TO “LEGITIMATE” ACTIVITIES • BELIEF • BUYING INTO CONVENTIONAL MORALITY

12. TAKING A LOOK AT CRIME • CRIMES AGAINST THE PERSON • DIRECT VIOLENCE, OR THREAT OF IT • CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY • INVOLVES THEFT OF PROPERTY • HATE CRIMES • CRIMES MOTIVATED BY RACIAL OR OTHER BIAS • WHITE-COLLAR CRIME • THOSE COMMITTED BY PEOPLE OF HIGH SOCIAL POSITION IN THE COURSE OF THEIR OCCUPATIONS • CORPORATE CRIME • CRIMES COMMITTED BY CORPORATIONS AGAINST EMPLOYEES AND CONSUMERS

13. THE “TYPICAL” CRIMINAL • AGE • PERSONS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 15 AND 24 • 14% OF POPULATION • 39.2% OF ARRESTS FOR VIOLENT CRIME • 45/7% OF PROPERTY CRIMES • GENDER • 71.1% OF PROPERTY CRIMES AND 83.1% OF ALL VIOLENT CRIMES ARE COMMITTED BY MALES • SOCIAL CLASS AND TYPES OF CRIME • LOWER CLASSES COMMIT MORE “STREET CRIME” THAN THE UPPER CLASSES, BUT THE UPPER CLASSES OFTEN COMMIT MORE SOPHISTICATED CRIMES INVOLVING MORE MONEY • RACE AND ETHNICITY • MINORITY GROUPS MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY YOUNG BLACK MALES, ARE DISPORPORTIONATELY INCARCERATED • REASONS INCLUDE • RACISM, THE OPPORTUNITY STRUCTURE, POLICE TARGETTING

14. BLACKS REPRESENT 12.7% OF THE POPULATION, BUT ACCOUNT FOR NEARLY ONE-THIRD OF ALL ARRESTS FOR PROPERTY CRIMES AND 40.2% OF ALL ARRESTS FOR VIOLENT CRIMES. WHY? • RACISM DOES EXISTS • RACE IS RELATED TO SOCIAL STANDING • CRIMES OFTEN COMMITTED BY WHITES ARE “UNREPORTABLE” • CULTURAL VALUE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MINORITY GROUPS A PERSON SHOULD NOT THINK THAT RACE CAUSES CRIME!

15. THE SYSTEM RIGHT NOW, I AM THE LAW AS FAR AS YOU’RE CONCERNED, FRIEND. I WOULD START COOPERATING IF I WERE YOU! • POLICE • PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT BETWEEN POPULATION AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM • LOTS OF DISCERNMENT • HOW SERIOUS IS THE CRIME? • IS THE SUSPECT COOPERATIVE OR NOT? • HAVE THEY ARRESTED THE SUSPECT BEFORE? • ARE BYSTANDERS PRESENT? • THE COURTS • PLEA BARGAINING • NEGOTIATING A GUILTY PLEA OFTEN RESULTS IN… • REDUCED CHARGE • REDUCED PUNISHMENT

16. RETRIBUTION • MORAL VENGEANCE INFLICTED • DETERRENCE • DISCOURAGE FUTURE DEVIANCE • REHABILITATION • REFORM OFFENDERS WHILE IN PRISON • SOCIETAL PROTECTION • TEMPORARY REMOVAL OF OFFENDER THROUGH INCARCERATION • PERMANENT REMOVAL BY DEATH DOES ANY OF IT REALLY WORK?