Chapter 6 Flashcards
(41 cards)
Approaches to Social Deviance
Statistical Approach
Legalistic Approach
Normative Approach
Relativist v. Absolutist Perspective
Relativist Perspective
deviance depends on culture, time, and context
Absolutest Perspective
there are some behaviors that are deviant across all cultures and times
Social Deviance
any transgression of socially established norms, differs across time and place and even within societies
Phrenology
linking bumps in the skull to certain behaviors
Lombroso
father of modern criminology, believed people were born criminal, influenced by Darwin’s natural selection, link criminality to atavism, positivist criminology
Atavism
“throwbacks” to an earlier stage of evolution, Lombroso
Functionalism
while deviance is an abnormality to eliminate, a certain amount is functional, Durkheim
Durkheim
deviance contributes to social cohesion by enhancing the sense of what is right and wrong, anomie, normative theory of suicide
Anomie
a state in which society’s norms fail to regular behavior
Normative Theory of Suicide
different levels of social regulation and integration affect suicide
Anomic
too little social regulation, the world doesn’t always behave the way you expect it to behave, people think they’re doing the right thing and it still goes wrong
Fatalistic
too much social regulation, nothing to look forward to, everything has been decided and is always the same, no surprises
Altruistic
too much social integration, group dominates life of individual to the point where individual feels no purpose beyond group, if something happens to the group they will have no purpose
Egoistic
too little social integration, feeling insignificant, no connections or meaning in life
Robert Merton
people share a common understanding of goals and legitimate means for achieving goals
Strain theory
when a gap exists between cultural goals for success and means available to achieve those goals, rates of deviance will be high
Conformists: Merton’s Strain Theory
accept the goals of the society and the means of achieving those goals
Innovators: Merton’s Strain Theory
accept the goals of the society, but they look for new, or innovative, ways of achieving those goals, Bill Gates didn’t go to college, criminals
Ritualists: Merton’s Strain Theory
not interested in the goals of the society, but they do accept the means of achieving those goals, go to college but still live with parents
Retreatists: Merton’s Strain Theory
don’t accept the goals of the society or the means of achieving this goals, Into the Wild
Rebels: Merton’s Strain Theory
don’t accept the goals of the society or the means of achieving this goals, so they create their own goals using new means
Opportunity Theory
people differ not only in motivation to engage in deviant acts, but also in opportunity to do so (Cloward and Ohlin), can’t sell drugs if you don’t have access to drugs
Control Theory
deviance arises from (lack of) social bonds, or connections to others, close bonds to people that would disapprove will stop you, people without close bonds have nothing to lose