Theories And Theorists

Question 1

Group think

Answer 1

Effects of collective pressure on the decision making abilities of individual group members
Eg. Length of a line

Question 2

Rational decision theory

Answer 2

People are acting rationally and decide to participate in collective actions only when it passes a threshold of people
Only act when your peers act

Question 3

Convergence theory

Answer 3

Assumes when a large group of like minded people form, their collective behaviour mimics the groups behaviour

Question 4

Conflict perspectives

Answer 4

Upper class creates laws to benefit themselves, which are to the detriment of the working class

Question 5

Labelling theory

Answer 5

Howard Becker

Deviants are those that have been labelled as such by others

Question 6

Control theory

Answer 6

Deviance occurs when members of society lack strong social bonds with society (anomie) - have little incentive to follow norms

Question 7

Functionalist perspective on deviance

Answer 7

Strain (anomie) theory (Merton)
Anomie - social condition where norms are weak/conflicting - people feel socially lost when no direction is given
Merton said that people will share common cultural goals and means to achieve them, thus confirming identity/social control

Question 8

Anomie

Answer 8

Social condition where norms are weak or conflicting - people feel socially lost when no direction is given