Chapter 7: Deviance Flashcards
Deviance
The recognized violation of cultural norms.
Crime
The violation of a society’s formally enacted criminal law.
Social control
Attempts by society to regulate people’s thoughts and behavior
Criminal justice system
The organizations- police, courts, and prison officials- that respond to alleged violations of the law
Primary deviance
the violation of a norm or rule that does not result in the violator’s being stigmatized as deviant.
Secondary deviance
deviant behavior that results from a stigmatized sense of self that aligns with society’s concept of a deviant.
Stigma
A powerfully negative label that greatly changes a person’s self concept and social identity
Retrospective labeling
Interpreting someone’s past in light of some present deviance
White collar crime
Crime committed by people of high social position in the course of their occupations
Corporate crime
The illegal actions of a corporation or people acting on its behalf
Organized crime
A business supplying illegal goods or services
Hate crime
A criminal act against a person or a person’s property by an offender motivated by racial or other bias
Due process
The criminal justice system must operate according to law
Retribution
An act of moral vengeance by which society makes the offender suffer as much as the suffering caused by the crime
Deterrence
The attempt to discourage criminality through the use of punishment
Rehabilitation
A program for reforming the offender to prevent later offenses
Criminal recidivism
Later offenses by people previously convicted of crimes
Shock probation
is the policy by which a judge orders a convicted offender to prison for a short time then suspends the remainder of the sentence in favor of probation.
Community based corrections
Correctional programs operating within society at large rather than behind prison walls
What are the social functions of deviance?
- Deviance varies according to cultural norms
- People become deviant as others define them that way
- How society set norms and how they define rule breaking both involve social power
What is Durkheim’s explanation for deviance? According to Durkheim, what are the four functions of deviance? What is Robert Merton string theory of deviance? Explain the process of deviance Merton identifies
Durkheim’s explanation for deviance is there is nothing abnormal about deviance
4 Functions of Deviance:
1. Deviance affirms cultural values and norms
2. Respond to deviance clarifies moral boundaries
3. Responding to deviants brings people together
4. Deviance encourage social change
Robert Merton’s strain theory of Deviance: Society can be set up in a way that encourages too much deviance
The processes of deviance Martin identifies is they extend into deviance people engage and depend on whether a society provides the means to achieve cultural goals
What is the labeling theory of deviance (and what is the basic idea behind labeling theory)? What is Thomaz Szaz’s controversial view on deviance? What does the medicalization mean? Be able to give examples of the medicalization of deviance. How does transforming deviance from a moral and legal condition into a medical condition affect responses to deviance and perceptions of the “deviant” person? What is differential association theory? What is control theory?
Labeling theory of deviance: The idea that deviance and conformity result not so much from what people do as from how others respond to those actions; Thomas Szaz’s controversial view on deviance is that people are to quick to apply the label of mental illness to conditions that simply amount difference we don’t like.;
Medicalization of deviance: is the transformation of moral and legal deviance into a medical condition.
Examples: Moral terms: good or bad
Scientific objectives: sick or well; Transforming deviance from a moral and legal condition affects responses to deviance and perceptions of the “deviant” person is a moral issue defines deviants as offenders subject to punishment. Legal issues affects who responds to deviance.; Differential association theory is a process that takes place in groups;
According to the social conflict approach what is the labeling of deviance based on? According to Alexander Liazos, what behaviors and which people are most likely to be labeled deviant and why? According to Spitzer who tends to be the prime targets for deviant labeling and why? According to Edwin Sutherland, how is white-collar crime usually resolved and how was this time a social conflict approach?
The social conflict approach links deviance a social inequality; Alexander Liazos the people that are more likely to be labeled deviant is the people who threaten the wealthy are likely to be labeled deviant; The behaviors are for taking people’s property or getting advocating a more egalitarian society; Spitzer says the people who are the prime targets for being deviant labeled is people who interfere with the operation of capitalism; Sutherland says white-collar crime is usually resolved by use their powerful offices to literally enrich themselves and others often cause insignificant public harm in the process
According to the feminist theory how does gender figure into the study of deviance? Who commits more crime men or women?
Gender figures into the study of deviance by it defines cultural goals in terms of financial success; The gender who commits more crimes is men
