Social Deviance
Chapter 3: Becoming Deviant
Chapter Goals
Be able to explain deviant roles Understand how people study deviance Know what individualistic theories of deviance exist
Socialization and Social Roles
No one is deviant all the time, even the most committed deviant engage in deviant acts only at times. Individuals do not automatically learn social behavior. It is an acquired process developed through socialization. - Role playing and role taking not only socializes an individual during childhood, but this process continues throughout life. Role Prescriptions: required behavior (beliefs, attitudes). Role Proscriptions: not permitted because of other roles. For example, a bachelor is a proscribed role to a husband. Role strain: a single person must fulfill multiple roles.
Role Term Role
Meaning A set of expectations for a person occupying a particular social position. (Social positions are called statuses). Also, the behavior expected of a
Prescribed Role
Required behavior (habits, beliefs, attitudes, motives, and actual conduct) of a status Proscribed Role A role not permitted to an individual because of other roles the person occupies Role Playing Orienting one's behaviors to a set of expectations bound up in a role Role Taking The decision to adopt a particular social role Role Set A set of expectations attached to a particular combination of actor-other identities and all associated with one of the actors' identities Master Role A role to important to the individual that he or she organizes other roles around it
Deviant Role Taking
Deviant roles can become powerful. Once a person acquires a deviant role, other social roles are centered around the deviant role When a deviant role becomes that powerful, it is known as a master role To understand deviance, one must: Comprehend the world as deviants do Remain detached to analyze the interrelationships of the deviant world and the larger social order
Research on deviance has begun with a motivation to correct behavior rather than understand it A balance must be reached to see and maintain the authenticity of what is observed
How to Study Deviance
Sociologists have learned to gather deviant perspectives by conducting: In-depth interviews Soliciting "insider" information from deviants Participant observations Researchers become insiders to collect information through participant observation, becoming or posing as members of the study groups. This research usually maintains secrecy; the researcher's targets do not know they are under study. The members of the group treat the researcher as one of their own and share their lives.
Seeing the Deviant's Perspective
Society's negative sanctions can pose general stigma as a deviant. Stigma is instigated and labeled by social groups who benefit by separating wrongdoers. Stigma may benefit those of the punishing group, but creates problems deviants, who must learn to live with criticism by others. Deviants use five techniques to manage or cope with the stigma. Secrecy Manipulating the Physical Setting Rationalizations Change to Non-deviance Joining Deviant Subcultures
Individualistic Theories of Deviance
Biological Explanations of Deviance Some trace deviant and antisocial behaviors to physical anomalies, body chemistry compositions, or hereditary characte