Defining Deviancy Down By Daniel Patrick Moynihan Summary

Since the early studies of sociology, crime has been considered normal. It was though to be impossible for any society free of it to exist. In his essay title "Defining Deviancy Down", Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan states that "By defining what is deviant, we are enabled to know what is not, and hence to live by shared standards."(Moynihan, p.17) The complication with deviancy in this case comes when societies choose to overlook or not notice behavior that would usually be controlled, disapproved or punished. According to Moynihan, this is what the United States has been doing as of late.
The deviant behavior recognized in today's society has increased beyond levels of normality based on earlier standards. Because communities cannot afford
to be recognized at this abnormal level, deviancy in such areas have been and continue to be re-defined in order to exempt such conduct. Moynihan presents us with three categories of redefinition in these regards; they are the altruistic, the opportunistic, and the normalizing. The altruistic category can be illustrated by the deinstitutionalization movement within the mental health profession that appeared in the 1950's. The opportunistic category "is seen in the interest group rewards derived from the acceptance of "alternative" family structures" (Moynihan, p.19) and the normalizing category is to be observed in the growing acceptance of unprecedented levels of violent crime.
The deinstitutionalization movement began in 1955, when Averell Harriman, was governor of New York, the commissioner of mental hygiene was, Dr.
Paul Hoch. Dr. Hock described of a development of tranquilizers in one of the state mental hospitals. It appeared to be an effective treatment for many psychotic patients and increased the number of patient discharges. In that same year the Joint Commission on Mental Health and Illness was formed to "formulate "comprehensive and realistic recommendations" in this area, which was then a matter of considerable public concern." (Moynihan, p.20) The problem faced was that the population if mental institutions continued to grow and more and more facilities were being built. With the discovery of tranquilizers the amount of mental patients, "confined against their will and awareness", was
reduced.
In 1961, The Congressional Commission submitted its report, proposing a nationwide program of deinstitutionalization. President Kennedy stated "If we apply our medical knowledge fully, all but a small portion of the mentally ill can eventually achieve a wholesome and constructive social adjustment." (Moynihan, p.20) Senator Moynihan writes that "There is no reason to believe that any real increase in mental illness at the time deinstitutionalization began. Yet there is such a perception, and this enabled good people to try to do good, however unavailing in the end." (Moynihan, p.20)
The opportunistic mode of re-definition reveals a nominal intent to do good; really to do well, which is a long established motivation among people. Moynihan writes that "a growth in deviancy makes possible a transfer of resources, including prestige, to those who control the deviant population." (Moynihan, p.21) The control would be put at risk if there was an effort to reduce the deviancy in question. In 1991, Moynihan and Paul Offner published data showing that children born between the years 1967 and 1969 were dependent on welfare. There was not much evidence that these facts are regarded as a calamity in municipal government, it was considered normal. Even though there is a demand to change this matter, there is "none of the marshaling of resources that is associated with significant social action." (Moynihan, p.22) Also in 1991, Deborah A. Dawson examined the thesis that the psychological effects of divorce and single-parent children, was shame and feeling ‘different' from the norm. Moynihan believes that if this were true, the effect would have decreased in the 1980's, when that became more common, but it didn't.
The normalizing category pertains to Erikson's proposition that "the number of deviant offenders a community can afford to recognize is likely to remain stable over time." (Moynihan, p.26) This category describes how we becaume "used to" crime or expect it as a normal aspect of society.
In 1965, Moynihan reached the conclusion that crime would have a dramatic increase because of the dramatic increase in single-parent families. In an article titled America he spoke that communities that allow men to grow up in broken families, with no male figures in their lives "asks for and gets chaos". He goes on to say "Crime, violence, unrest, unrestrained lashing out at the whole social structure-that is not only to be expected; it is very near to inevitable." (Moynihan, p.26) I support this statement made by Moynihan, although I wouldn't apply to the entire "broken family" population. I feel that it is important to grow up with a male figure in your life, to teach you by example, and show you right from wrong. The absence of this male figure makes the crime and violent common, because the population of young men without their parents will not now what is right or why something is
wrong