Lecture 1 Flashcards
(23 cards)
What is the difference between negative and positive deviance
Negative deviance
->violates situational expectations
Positive deviance
- > intentional behaviors that depart from norms of a referent group in a honorable way
- > it surpasses expectations
What is the difference between proscriptive and prescriptive social norms
Proscriptive
->what not to do
Prescriptive
->what to do
What is the definition of a social role
-collection of norms that together convey the expectation or appropriate conduct of a persons in a particular position
What is the difference between an objective and subjective stance on deviance
Objective
- > a common characteristic
- > it defines deviance
- > “absolute moral order”
Subjective
- > there is no common characteristic to deviance
- > someone must tell us what is deviant
- > “radical constructionism”
What are the problems with the objective stance on deviance(name three)
1) deviance labels are never purely objective
2) Deviance carries a negative moral evaluation
3)Label is applied to people on a flimsy basis
What are the four ways to determine deviance in the objectivism stance
1)Statistical rarity
2) Harm
- >harm to the functioning of society
- >harm to understandings of the world
3) Negative social reaction
4) Normative violation
What are the limitations of statistical rarity
1) What is the criteria for rare?
2) Common rare things such as cheating can be unacceptable
3) Rare things such as skydiving may be acceptable
4) Hidden but is it rare
What happened to Giordano Bruno
- basically claimed that the Earth was not the center of the universe
- > he undermined the church so the church burned him at the stake
-basically bruno is classified as deviant as he harmed the functioning of society
What are the limitations of harm
- perceptions of harm vary over time
- perceptions of harm are very subjective
- some types of deviance are less harmful than non-deviant behaviors
- > like is weed really worse than alcohol
-perceptions of harm are largely exaggerated
What are the four types of societal reactions to deviance
1) negative
- >when a behavior elicits punishment or criticism
2) tolerant
- >when deviancy is considered tolerable
3) Denial
- >attempts to deny the deviance we see
4)Romanticization or demonization
What are absolutist view of norms
- behaviour or characteristics is inherently and universally deviant
- some norms should be followed in all cultures at all times
- ABSOLUTE MORAL ORDER
What are culturally specific view of norms
- norms are culturally specific
- not an ABSOLUTE MORAL ORDER
What are folkways, mores and laws
-note they are all norms
Folkways
- > norms that govern everyday behavior
- > eg; holding the door open
Mores
- > foundation of morality
- > how do you feel about
Law
->norms represented through the legal system
What is the consensus view on crime
Consensus crimes
->widespread agreement that there are crimes which are inherently wrong, harmful and mandate severe responses
Conflict crimes
- > these are illegal acts
- > but there is vast disagreement about whether they should be illegal, how serious they are and how we should respond
What is the subjectivism view on crime
-it focuses on the processes by which people, behavior and or characteristics are labelled as deviant
Describe the three questions in determining the importance of dominant moral codes when it comes to subjectivism?(note subjectivism says that moral codes are socially constrcuted)
1) How many people condemn an act
2) How much power do they have
3) How strong is their disapproval
What is the sociological significance of deviance
- its place in the social order
- roles assigned to individuals who exhibit it
- .the meanings attached to it
What are the levels of social construction starting from individual
1) Individual
2) Interactional
3) Institutional
4) Sociocultural
How do moral entrepreneurs manufacture public morality(describe the two ways)
1) They bring a problem to the public
2) Facilitate “moral conversion”
What is the social typing process
-the process by which a person, behavior or characteristic is deviantized
What are the three components of social typing process
1) Description
- >label or category
2) Evaluation
- >judgement or assumption
3) Prescription
- >the social control
What is meant by the term social control
-it is the regulation of others or self regulation
What are the four types of social control
1) Formal
- >emerges from organizations or institutions
2) Informal
- >emerges from everyday social interactions
3) Retroactive
- >intended to punish, fix or cure
4) Preventative
- >intended to prevent
