Social Deviance
Chapter 1: The Nature and Meaning of Deviance
Chapter Goals
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Be able to define deviance Understand what a "norm" is Understand the impact of subcultures on deviance Know what "relativity" has to do with deviance
What is Deviance?
Some sociologists conceive of deviance as a collection of conditions, persons, or acts that society: Disvalues Finds offensive Condemns These definitions avoid the critical question: How or why people classify acts or individuals as offensive Such a conception also fills to recognize the possibility that deviance might include highly valued differences
Definitions of Deviance
Reactivist (relativist) definition: Holds that there is no universal or unchanging entity that defines deviance Deviance is in the "eye of the beholder" Deviance occurs through the reactions of others Normative definition Deviance is a violation of norms Norm is a standard about "what human beings should or should not think, say, or do under given circumstances" (Blake and Davis, 1964: 456). Norms are social properties, group evaluations, or guidelines Norms as expectations exhibits behaviors based on habit or traditional customs
Deviance and Society
Social Norms Expectations of conduct in particular situations Norms vary according to: a. How widely people accept them; how society enforces them b. How it transmits them; how much conformity they require Some norms remain fairly stable in the standards they set; others define more transitory expectations Crucial contributions to the process of maintaining order Proscriptive norms: tell people what they should not do
Prescriptive norms: tell them what they ought to do
Differentiation and Deviance
People differ from one another in a number of ways: Age, sex, race, educational attainment, and occupational status Differentiation Sociological term that refers to such variation Emile Durkheim (1895/1982): Deviance is normal and constant Modern, industrial societies may differ by: Age, sex, race, urban v. rural, and interaction patterns Some sociologists have recommended leaving deviance undefined However, judgements of deviance do not refer constant standards
The Creation of Disapproval
What stimulates disapproval? Social Power The ability to make choices by virtue of control over political, economic, or social resources Powerful people often define standards for deviance White-collar crimes Why do some individuals get punished and others who do not over the same act? Norm Promotion: an ability to successfully promote particular norms to the exclusion of other, competing norms Social judgements of disvaluement represent a core component of the concept of deviance
Subcultures
Subculture: A culture within a culture -- a collection of norms, values, and beliefs which are distinguished from the dominant culture For example: gangs (youth) subculture Subculture differences: Acts labeled deviant in one group may be perfectly acceptable behavior in another Subcultures may arise in highly differentiated, complex societies Subcultures represent collective solutions to shared problems posed by the dominant culture
Positives of Subcultures
Subcultures help to solve the problems Provides social support for members Enhances self-esteem by suggesting rationales for their conditions Offers practical suggestions for independent survival
Relativity of Deviance
Deviance are behaviors that happen to offend some groups