Sociological Perspectives on Deviance

Key Points

• Deviance: Behavior that violates social norms. Includes a wide range of behaviors, not necessarily negative (e.g., armed robbery vs. pacifism).

Major Sociological Paradigms

1. Structural Functionalism (Emile Durkheim)

   • Deviance is found in every society and serves important functions.
   • Four Functions of Deviance:
     1. Defines Cultural Values and Norms: Understanding what is good by knowing what is not.
     2. Clarifies Moral Boundaries: Society draws a line with reactions to deviance (e.g., sanctions).
     3. Brings Society Together: Shared reactions to deviance create social unity.
     4. Encourages Social Change: Example: Rosa Parks’ civil disobedience leading to the Civil Rights Movement.

2. Strain Theory (Robert Merton)

   • Deviance arises when society fails to provide means to achieve culturally defined goals.
   • Types of Responses to Strain:
     1. Conformity: Following socially approved means (e.g., education).
     2. Innovation: Using deviant means to achieve goals (e.g., theft).
     3. Ritualism: Strictly adhering to rules despite unattainable goals.
     4. Retreatism: Rejecting both goals and means (e.g., drug addiction).
     5. Rebellion: Replacing societal goals and means with new ones (e.g., artists seeking peer recognition).

3. Symbolic Interactionism

   • Labeling Theory: Deviance is more about how society labels behavior rather than the behavior itself.
   • Primary Deviance: Minor deviance that doesn’t affect self-concept.
   • Secondary Deviance: Strong reactions by society that lead to self-labeling as deviant.
   • Stigma: A negative label affecting a person’s self-concept and social interactions.
     • Retrospective Labeling: Reinterpreting a person’s past behavior based on current deviance.
     • Prospective Labeling: Predicting future behavior based on current deviance.
   • Differential Association: Deviance likelihood is influenced by who one associates with.
   • Control Theory: Self-control and anticipation of consequences can prevent deviance.

4. Conflict Theory

   • Defines deviance in terms of power and social inequality.
   • Key Ideas:
     • Norms and laws serve the interests of the powerful.
     • Powerful groups can resist being labeled as deviant.
     • Different standards: petty thieves penalized more harshly than corporate criminals.
     • Norms inherently political but often perceived as just and fair.
   • Applies across gender, race, and socioeconomic status, showing how power influences definitions and reactions to deviance.

Conclusion

• Each paradigm (Structural Functionalism, Symbolic Interactionism, Conflict Theory) provides unique tools to understand deviance.
• These paradigms will be used to explore crime in further detail next week.