Chapter 3, textbook Flashcards
(26 cards)
What do positivist theorists focus on
- they focus on the actor
- > the act itself
- > deviance can be identified in a clear and cut way
- > they search for a causation and that is the key for them
What is the claim of interpretive theories?
- their claim is that the only reality emerges through reciprocal, inter subjective understanding between people
- > they focus on the meanings that emerge from interactions between people who are engaged in symbolic dialogue
What is the focus of critical theorie
- they have a self-reflecting value-orienting foundation
- > they work towards social justice and emancipation
-they focus on power relations that underlie the creation of social rules
What is the key idea behind symbolic interactionism
- it is that social action emerges from MEANING
- > meaning is continuously created and recreated through interpretive theories of deviance
- > society is not a structure but a PROCESS
What is role taking
- by placing ourselves in the role of others
- >we try to see the world from their perspective
What is the looking glass self`
- how do we appear to other people
- > what do they think of our appearance
- > what we imagine others think of us is what we think about ourselves
-we essentially internalise what other individuals think of us
What is the basis of the labelling theory
- they analyse the process of being labelled deviant
- > the consequences of that label
-over time, being labelled differently has a consequence on how those labelled individuals perceive themselves1
Describe the terms “tagging” and “dramatisation of evil”
- tagging involves identifying a particular act as deviant
- dramatisation of evil involves coming to generalise a judgement to a person
- > you basically classify a person as evil
What is primary deviance vs secondary deviance
Primary deviance
- > we all engage in little acts of rule breaking that are seldom noticed
- > and rarely caught by others
Secondary deviance
- > we engage in rule breaking
- > but also build a lifestyle around it
What is meant by the term master status
- it is a core characteristic by which others identify you
- >one that overrides other characteristics you might have
What is meant by the term stigmatization
- it refers to the process of exclusion
- >of becoming an outsider
What are the three different types of stigma
1) Physical stigma
- >eg; clothing, hair style, or weight
2) Moral stigma
- >substance abuse
- >criminal activity
- >financial problems
3) Group stigma
- >association with certain social groups
- >based on religion, or sexual and gender identity and expression
What is courtesy stigma or stigma by association
-this is facing stigmatization for the action of others
What is a spoiled identity
- when you assume a role that brings on stigma
- >managing how the audience perceives us is much more difficult
What is disintegrative shaming vs reintegrative shaming
Disintegrative
->deviant persons are rejected by the community
Reintegrative
- > an effective treatment for criminal behavior
- > criminal is shamed for the act but it is a temporary stigma
- > criminal is shown that leaving criminality behind will result in them being fully accepted back into the community
What is tertiary deviance
- stage that can potentially emerge after the transition from primary deviance to secondary deviance
- > some people who have been labelled and who then develop an identity and a lifestyle on that label may resist the idea that the label is a “deviant one”
- > they may go on to try to change social norms to show that their acts were not deviant
-eg; join large scale social movements
What is meyant by the term deviant career
- deviance emerges, progresses and changes over time
- >there are stages to involvement in deviance just as there are stages in the development of a career
What are the three stages in the deviant career
1) Beginner user
2) Occasional user
3) regular user
What is the primary criticism of the interpretative theory
-is that it fails to address social structure and its role in the process surrounding deviance and normality
What is meant by the term praxis
- social scientists have a responsibility to use their work in pursuit of practical, emancipatory goals
- > emancipation=liberation, freedom
What is the main idea behind conflict theorists
- they believe social rules do not emerge out of consensus
- > but rather out of conflict
- > they serve the interests of the most influential groups in society
- the most powerful are less likely to break the rules
- > because the rules were created by them
- the less powerful groups are more likely to act in ways that violate social rules
- > because of their oppression and alienation
- > social rules have defined the acts of the powerless as deviant in the first place
What is the difference between instrumental and structural Marxists
Instrumental
- > propose that institutionalized social rules, such as law are created by the powerful
- > these laws serve the interests of the powerful
- > the deviant label is an instrument used to control the proletariat and maintain economic structure in society
Structural
- > they propose that institutionalized social rules are created by the powerful to protect the capitalist economic system
- > rather than to protect individual capitalists
- > the bourgeouisie may be subject to a deviant label if their behavior threatens the foundation of capitalism
What is group conflict theory
- extension of conflict theory beyond cultural groups to a wide range of other groups as well
- > multiple groups are always manoeuvring for more power in society and clash with each other as a result of their simultaneous struggles for power
What does Marx mean by the term ideology
- in its broad sense
- > it refers to the worldview held by society’s powerful groups
- > a worldview based on the interests and needs of the powerful
