Social Deviance

&
Theories on social deviance
Tan, Leticia
Salao, Clarice
Panlilio, Kathleen
L22

Ms. Paulene I.
Ronquillo

Social deviance
behaviorthat:
violatessocialnorms
EXAMPLES
Alcoholics
Gamblers
Mentally ill
Cheaters
Homeless
close talkers

Differentiation
Social Stigma - is the extreme disapproval
of an individual based on social characteristics
that are perceived to distinguish them from
other members of a society

Social deviance violation of social norms

Crime forms of deviance which formal
penalties are imposed by society.

Social deviance; etymology

First acknowledge: during 1950s
Study was first conducted by: Edwin Lemert during
1951.
there are many different norms to be violated, there
are many different kinds or examples of deviance.
In some instances, deviants may believe that their
behavior constitutes an act of justified
deviance.Eg. International terrorists.

Social norms
expectations of conduct in particular
situations
Varies from culture to culture and setting to
setting.
Example 1, laughing out loud during a comedic show and laughing out loud
during a funeral
Example 2, organ selling

Types of social deviance

1. Good
2. Odd
3. Bad

Good or admired
An example of deviance that might be
considered "good" or "admirable"
behaviour (while also breaking social
norms) might be something like
heroism - saving the life of another
person while putting your own life in great
danger.

Odd
are frequently considered to be somehow
"odd" or "different" to normal behaviour.
These forms of deviance range from such
things as outlandish or inappropriate
modes of dress, through mildly eccentric
forms of behaviour (the person who shares
their house with 50 cats, for example), to
outright madness.
Behaviors that are not criminal, but still
differ from acceptable behavior

Bad
Deviant behaviour in this category tends
to feature law-breaking or criminal
behaviour - behaviour that in some way
is seen as being something more than
simply outlandish or eccentric. Depending
on the time and place, forms of
behaviour in this category might include
crimes of violence, crimes against
property and so forth.

Theories on Social
Deviances:
1. Anomie Theory
2. Conflict Theory
3. Labeling Theory
4. Control Theory
5. Learning or socialization Theory

Anomie Theory
The theorys perspective explains
deviance in a way related to the
principles of social disorganization. It
offers a general explanation of a number
of forms of deviance, including crime,
alcoholism, drug addiction, suicide, and
mental disorders.

Continuation
Sociologist Robert Merton (1968: 185
248) originally proposed this view as a
general theory in the 1950s.
Modern industrial societies create strains
by emphasizing status goals like
material success, in the form of wealth
and education, while simultaneously
limiting institutional access to certain
segments of society

Example:
Important status goals remain
inaccessible to many groups,
including the poor, the lower class,
and certain racial and ethnic groups
who suffer discrimination, such as
blacks.

Continuation
Anomie is the social condition that
results from emphasizing success goals
much more strongly than the acceptable
means by which people might achieve
them. Consequently, some persons feel
compelled to achieve them through
illegitimate means, including forms of
deviance such as crime, prostitution,
and illicit drug selling.

Continuation
Others turn to alcoholism or
addiction, and some fall victim to
mental disorders when they fail to
achieve general social goals.
o Social goals: a big family house, a successful business, a white
collar career, a car etc.

Continuation
In attempting to explain these forms of
deviant behavior, anomie theory has pointed
out that official rates of deviance peak among
poor people and members of the lower class,
who encounter the greatest pressure for
deviation and only limited opportunities to
acquire material goods and higher education
(Clinard, 1964).

Policy
The policy implications of anomie include
nothing less than drastic social change. In
this sense, anomie theory resembles Marxist
theories, which also call for social change to
solve deviance problems.
Altering values or norms will balance the
societys goals and opportunities, reducing
deviance by freeing individuals from adapting
to the new conditions.

video

Conflict Theory
Some groups wield social power, according to
this body of theory, so they can create rules,
particularly laws that serve their own
interests. In the process, they often exclude
the interests of others from consideration.
In this respect, the conflict perspective conceives
of society as a collection of groups with
competing interests in conflict with one another;
those with sufficient power create laws and rules
that protect and promote their interests
(Quinney, 1979: 115160).

Continuation
Some groups promote their own ideas
by trying to persuade other groups of
the special importance of certain norms,
advocating strong sanctions for
violations in these areas (Becker, 1973).

Example:
Religious groups, driven by abhorrence for
acts they regard as immoral, have
successfully established norms expressing
their strong negative attitudes toward
suicide, prostitution, homosexuality,
drunkenness, and other behavior (Davies,
1982; Greenberg, 1988; McWilliams, 1993).

Policy
If correct, the basic problem is capitalism. The
most dramatic policy would be a fundamental
shift in the nature of society away from free
market economy to a socialistic or
communistic one. While there would be great
opposition, a revolution by the lower classes
(proletariat) to overthrow the upper classes
(bourgeoisie) and their power would be
necessary.

video

Labeling Theory
The labeling perspective devotes little effort to
explain why certain individuals begin to
engage in deviance. Rather, it stresses the
importance of the process through which
society defines acts as deviant and the role of
negative social sanctions in influencing
individuals to engage in subsequent deviant
acts.

Continuation
The theorys emphasis on the developmental process
leading to deviance seeks to detail a sequence with
Major Theories of Deviance stages of initiation,
acceptance, commitment, and imprisonment in a
deviant role are primarily due to the actions of others
(Traub and Little, 1999: 376).
This analysis of the process highlights the reactions to
individuals or their actions by others (termed definers or
labelers) or on acts perceived negatively by those
evaluating others.

Continuation
In emphasizing the label society places on
deviants, these theorists shift their interest
from the origin of the deviant behavior to:
(1) characteristics of the societal reactions
experienced by labeled individuals and
(2) consequences of this label for further
deviation by those individuals.
***

An official label that tags a person as delinquent, criminal, homosexual, drug

addict, prostitute, or insane may have serious consequences for further deviation.

Example:
Anne cheated during a quiz and is called
out by the teacher in front of the class.
After being punished for the cheating
incident her classmates started calling
her a cheater. Even schoolmates she
doesnt know. She felt less welcome to
in groups to school.

Policy
Not all deviants are appropriate candidates for such
handsoff treatment, but labeling theorists argue
that such policies would represent effective reactions
to many. Both deviants and society would benefit by
limiting sanctions and avoiding labels.

video

Control Theory
This theory bases its arguments on the central principle
that deviance results from an absence of social control
or restraint. Control theorists propose different causes
for this lack of control, but they agree that a reduction
in controlfor whatever reasonwill generate more
deviance by freeing people to follow their natural
inclinations.

Continuation

Reckless (1973) calls his version a containment

theory. He argues that controls over behavior can
come from interpersonal, political, and legal
sources. Two basic types of containment are inner
containmentrestraints that act within the person
and outer containmentrestraints that arise from
forces in the individuals environment. These
sources of controls combine to keep most people
from deviating from social norms most of the time

Continuation
A recent application of control theory to juvenile
delinquency explicitly states two of these
assumptions:
(1)That human nature is on the bad side of a neutral
position; that is, humans are naturally egocentric and
seek to satisfy their wants and needs by the easiest
means available, even if those means are illegal.
(2) That decreases in prolegal controls (internal and
external) allow delinquent behavior. (Arnold and
Brungardt, 1983: 398)

Example:
Many drug addicts reject treatment, even if
they wish to escape their addictions, because
they feel they can make the change
themselves or that treatment will not help
them But that rejection of deviant behavior
does not lead automatically to recovery unless
the addict also removes himself or herself
from the drug-using world and reestablishes
ties with conventional society.

Policy
If control theory is correct, society should
respond to deviance by trying to strengthen
peoples social relationships and bonds.
Improvement comes from programs and
activities that promote conventional activities
(e.g., staying in school, getting conventional
jobs) and development of conventional career
activities, such as employment, typical
relationships (e.g., marriage), and promotion
of the benefits of staying out of trouble

Learning or Socialization
Theory
This perspective treats deviant actions as
learned behaviors developed according to the
same basic processes through which
nondeviants learn conformity (Akers, 1998).
Deviance results from learned acquisition of
deviant norms and values, particularly those
learned within subcultures and among peers
(Warr, 2002).

Continuation
The theory explains variations in
behavior between individuals and groups
with equal clarity. In particular, it helps
analysts to account for the differences
among groups in rates of deviance

Example:
Forcible rape, for example, may result from the
separate and unequal socialization processes for men
and women that translate traditional masculine
qualities (e.g., aggressiveness, power, strength,
dominance, and competitiveness) into aggressive
sexual behavior over women (Randall and Rose,
1984). Similarly, peers and drinking companions
provide important socialization that helps to define
situations as appropriate for drinking and to influence
attitudes toward and behavior with alcohol (Downs,
1987; Orcutt, 1991).

Policy
Learning theories suggest that deviants can
learn conforming behavior instead of
deviance. This possibility highlights the
importance of programs to bring offenders
into contact with law-abiding people (so that
the offenders can learn law-abiding norms,
rather than allowing criminal norms to corrupt
the law-abiding people). Drug and sex
education programs in schools and suicideprevention efforts are examples.

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/social+deviance

Source: Boundless. Deviance and Social Stigma.Boundless Sociology.

Boundless, 27 Jun. 2016. Retrieved 15 Aug. 2016
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