A sociological approach introduced by Howard Becker that attempts to explain why certain people are viewed as deviants and others engaging in the same behavior are not refers to…
Focusing on interactionist approaches such as Becker (1963); labelling theory suggests that deviancy is a social process usually related to power differences but it doesn't explain the causes of crime. It does however explain why some people or actions are described as deviant, and can help in understanding crime and deviance. Becker argues deviance is a behaviour which has been labelled deviant by the reaction of others. This suggests that there is really no such thing as a deviant act. An act only becomes deviant when others perceive it as such. The application of a label to someone has significant consequences for how that person is treated by others and perceives him or herself.…
Functionalist explanations of deviance begin with society as a whole looking for the origins of deviance in the nature of society, not the biological or psychological make up of an individual. Functionalists favour quantative methods to look at society, using statistics to see society as a whole, rather than looking at the individual's effect on society.…
bathroom. I decided to choose this norm because I witness this revolting act almost every day at…
Opportunity structures can be described as a factor, situation or pathway which can lead towards or away from deviant or criminal behaviour, for example if someone does not gain access to the legitimate opportunity structure of education to achieve goals they may look to other, illegitimate opportunities and which can lead to them committing crime or engaging in deviant behaviour. One theory that supports the role of access to opportunity structures in causing crime and deviance is, arguing that unequal access to legitimate opportunity structures is the cause of this behaviour is Merton’s Strain Theory. Merton’s ‘Strain theory and anomie’ argues that deviance arises from the structure of society. He has developed the functionalist theory of deviance to attempt to explain why deviance occurs in the first place. He argues that people engage in deviant behaviour because they are unable to achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means. Most people share goals – for example, financial success, having their own home and possessing consumer goods – and most conform to the approved means of achieving them, like working in paid employment. However, in an unequal society, Merton argues that not all individuals have the same opportunity of realising these goals by approved means. This means they face a sense of strain and anomie (normlessness), as the dominant rules about how to achieve success don’t meet their needs, and therefore deviance results from unequal access to legitimate opportunities (such as education and careers which can be seen as opportunity structures). Merton argues that there are different ‘modes of adaptation’, or responses to situations, that range from conformity that most people to display, to one of four forms of deviance, which he calls Innovation, Ritualism, Retreatism and Rebellion. A non-deviant, non-criminal conformist citizen would take the conformity…
4. Clinard, B., M., & Meier, F., R. (2011). Sociology: Sociology of Deviant Behavior, (Edition 14). Cengage Learning, Belmont, CA.…
Situational deviance is relative to a particular setting as well as dependent upon who is doing the defining. There are different degrees of deviance, there’s individual and system blame. The individual blame theory states that the normative social belief systems of society are functionally correct and contribute to a smooth and harmonious society. The theory of system blame states that deviant behavior as either a manifestation of inequality, or the attempts of the powerful to force their views of right and wrong on those with different views who are powerless to resist.…
One explanation of crime and deviance from the functionalist perspective was Merton’s strain theory. He said crime is a response to failing to achieve society’s cultural goals. According to Merton’s explanation, all society set their members certain goals and provides socially approved ways of achieving these goals. When majority of the population were unable to achieve the socially set goals by the socially approved ways, they became disenchanted with society and find alternative ways of behaving. Additionally, Merton described 5 forms of behavior which is a response to failing to achieve society’s goals. Conformity and innovation are both accept the goals of society. Conformity also accepts the means of society and is non-deviant and non-criminal conformist citizen, while innovation means that the person will achieve those goals by using different ways (including deviance and crime). Ritualism and retreatism both reject their goals. Retreatism also rejects their means, depending upon drugs and alcohol and drugs. Ritualism accepts their means but has a negative attitude toward life. They may also rebel against society, and engage in protest and revolution to try and change society.…
This theory meshes some aspects from both the social disorganization theory and the strain theory. The main premise of the cultural deviance theory is that conformity to the prevailing cultural norms of lower class society causes crime. The lower class subculture has its own set of values, rules, and beliefs that clash with the mainstream values of the middle-class and wealthy. Criminality is a manifestation of conformity to lower class subculture values. Members of the working and lower class commit crimes of different variations as they respond to the cultural norms of their own class in an effort to deal with adjustments of the socioeconomic classes.…
Deviance, social sanctions, and the control theory are other sociological concepts observed in the film. Deviance depicts an action that disobeys social norms. Every character in the film is seen as deviant by either their actions that forced them into detention, or executed actions during the detention. For example, Claire is deviant because she skips class so she can go shopping, and during detention, she instigates a relationship with John. Allison appears in detention because she was bored on a Saturday, and during detention, she steals Brian’s wallet. Andrew is deviant when he smokes since he is a varsity-lettered wrestler. John is incessantly deviant because he challenges and argues with Principal Vernon, does not partake in school clubs…
In sociology, the term deviance depicts a social judgment and not a moral judgment and since a deviant behavior is one that defies the expectations of a particular community, but not necessarily immoral. As such, one community might perceive a certain behavior as a crime while other communities perceive the behavior a norm. For example, the popular culture resonates closely with deviant characters such as sociopaths and psychopaths with Hannibal and Sherlock Holmes being ideal examples, in spite of the fact that such individuals have inherent social control and manipulative skills which enable them to blend with the rest of the society, making them that much more dangerous (Hare,…
a) According to Howard Becker, central fact about deviance is that “it is created by society. Becker does not mean that the causes of deviance can be derived from the social environment of the deviant or the “social factors” that causes an individual to engage in deviant behavior. Rather, Becker means that social groups create deviance by creating the rules or norms that must be adhered to and if they are violated—the violation will result in what the group deems as being deviance. Thus, the individuals who go against the norms or rules of a social group will be labeled as being an “outsider”.…
The relativist perspective maintains that the definition of deviance vary to suite the people who hold them. According to this theory, social groups generate deviance by creating rules that define deviance and relating them to a particular group or society of people. This methodology to outlining deviance rests on the postulation that deviance is socially created. Similar acts committed at different times, or under different conditions may or may not be measured as deviant. What is considered deviant changes based on the time and place, and athwart history and cultures. There are four positive functions from deviance that the relativist perspective points out. Retorts against deviance can bring people together. Think back to the Columbine Massacre, many people were united in sorrow and grief, not only in Colorado, but…
Many sociologists have said that the sociology of deviance is dead, such as Colin Sumner in 1975. It was said that behaviors are not deviant but rather just seen as not normal in society, but the term ‘normal’ cannot exactly be defined. Deviance is a discipline in Sociology that many claim is now ‘dead’. Deviance is an act with refers to ‘norm-breaking’ in our society. A social norm is appropriate behavior for a social group and an appropriate behavior for the environment an individual is in. Deviance is the act of breaking these social norms whether it be your behavior or something you do. Once you break…
Deviance is part of every culture and society, it is the border line between acceptable and intolerable behavior. Each micro society holds it's own definition as to what deviant behavior actually is. The deviant is one to whom that label has successfully been applied, deviant behavior is behavior that people label. Through out history, there is no doubt in my mind that deviant citizens have been a contributing part to each generation. It is all relative, a label of deviance remains a label of deviance; the question that remains really is "what is deviance?". Being labeled as an outside is not foreign for some people. Matter of fact it is acceptable and a norm to be labeled as deviant for some people. No matter what group of people you deal with through out history or life today, there are social rules written and sometimes unwritten, nonetheless meant to be broken.…