Class Up-date• 3 more “instructional” classes:

July 12th

July 14th - NO CLASS! WORK ON PROJECTS Email me project proposal & article. Google Docs & Blog still due.July 19th – We will have class.July 21st

----------------------------------------------------------------July 26th – We present projects in class.July 28th - Final Exam (Critical Issues on Wiki)

Extra Credit

• 1st opportunity: – Trying it: .25 added to final average– “B”: .50 added to final average– “A”: 1 pt. added to final average.

• 2nd opportunity:– Scientific terms activity

Chapter Six

Deviance and Crime

Batman

• Think about these questions:• What is deviant in this scenario? Why?• Are we truly individuals?

• See wiki – critical points in sociology

Quick Write

Draw a picture of a “deviant” person.List 3 adjectives.

Share your drawing with a partner.

Deviance

Behavior or characteristics that violate important social norms and result in societal sanctions.

But sociological definition: - more complicated and situational– relative to a particular setting – dependent upon who is defining

What is Deviance?– breaking a social rule– refusing to follow one

• example: nudists– deviance by association

– Why do people break rules?– Why don’ t most of us do it all the time?– What makes a deviant or criminal?– What can be done about it?

Crime: deviance “bad enough” to warrant formal sanctions

Pair and Share

• Work with a partner.

• Make a list of potential deviant acts.

• Circle your favorite three that you intend to share.

Choosing Group Membership• Anomie – feeling of confusion or loss = rapid change and

breakdown of social norms and values.

• Resocialization

• Argot (slang)

• Type of initiation

• Group think – If membership is important to us, we may allow the group to pressure us into pushing our own values aside.

Resocialization

• Not always negative

• Deviant group may adopt normative group (ie… finding religion)

• Maco level: Apartheid to create a more tolerant and social order

• Micro level: 6 year old kissing a classmate• Is this deviant? Have we gone too far? Is this a sign of the times?

Moral Panics• Exaggerated fears of a particular group• 911 moral panic?• Criteria:

– Volatile (erupts quickly)– Great concern regarding behavior & consequences for society– Society defines the group an “enemy” and increases hostility

toward them.– Widespread consensus that the threat is real– Perception that a disproportionate number of people are

engaged in the behavior with a large number of innocent members are being harmed.

Understanding Deviance

• Absolutist: the nature of the act is deviant. Wrong at all times in every situation (abortion)

• Normative: What is deviant in one place at a particular time may not be deviant in another. (abortion)

• Reactive – Not deviant until it is defined deviant by society (truancy)

Relative Viewpoints of Deviance

• Japanese Culture (respect) vs. American (dishonesty)

• Defining and interpreting is open for interpretation.

Theories of Deviance

• Individual Blame: functionalist (Individual is responsible and must change)– Freud (underdeveloped superego)– Interpersonal conflict with intimate groups growing up

(serial killers – trauma)

• System Blame: Social Conflict (Manifestation of inequality or attempts of the powerful to force their views)

The Biological Context

• Caesare Lombroso proposed that criminals could be identified by physical traits. (Hairy, long arms, protruding ears due to failure to evolve)

• Learning disabilities, Schizophrenia, homosexuals, ADHD (autism example)

• There is no conclusive evidence linking genetics to criminality.

Biological Theory

• Social structure and social interaction do play a role

• Ie.. Predisposition toward alcoholism (correlation not causality)

• Genetically predisposed

Deviance and Social Coherence• Explaining Deviance– Differential Association (Sutherland)

• associate /socialize with people who are deviants• deviant behavior is learned• rewarded for deviant behavior (gangs)

– Control Theory (Hirschi)• decisions through cost-benefit analysis• determine punishment/reward/risks• Attachment; commitment; involvement; belief

– Culture of Poverty (Banfield)• Lower socioeconomic groups have different values

system than dominant class

Deviance and Crime• Strain Theory (Merton) *The gap between what “ought to be” and “what is” leaves a person “strained.”

– Conformists – agree to societal norms (education, employment, investing….)• Conventional goals through normal means.

– Innovators – People with less access to (education) but believe in idea of material success • Adjust goals, extend length of time, find ways outside the norm to achieve goal• Unconventional means to achieve approved goals

– Ritualists – Believe in values of society and try to achieve goals when there is no hope of success• Accepts institutional means; reject goals

– Rebels – reject values of society (Rosa Parks)• Define new goals and means to achieve the goals

– Retreatists - Refuse to follow socially approved means for reaching goals (alcoholism)

Deviance and Social Coherence

– Labeling Theory • Powerful determine what is deviant

– primary deviance (most people take part in – but does little harm to self-concept): If caught – behavior would be excused. Behavior is not part of repertoire of behaviors

– secondary devianceDeviant behavior becomes a part of lifestyle

– tertiary devianceOnce defined by label placed upon us

Deviance and Social Coherence• deviance is useful to society (Durkheim)

• It affirms cultural norms and values• It clarifies moral boundaries• It heightens group solidarity• It encourages social change

Society and Social Deviance

• Positive:– Self-evaluation and Change: (tethering of horses)

– Clarification and Change: (groups come together for a common cause)

– Pressure Valve: Measuring our own behavior against others (obscene gesture vs. shooting driver)

Society and Social Deviance• Negative:

– Costly $554 billion in the country to combat crime

– Disrupts social order

– Lack of trust

– Structural functionalists: Due to accommodating a changing world (single parent households, teen pregnancy, working parents)

– Social Conflict: Opposition has been lawful and peaceful against the dominant group but failed. Caused moral panic and radical groups.

Criminal Behavior

• Gender based crime• Rape• Juvenile Crime• White collar crimes• Government Crime• Mental Illness• Hate Crimes

Sociology, Tenth Edition

Crime• The violation of criminal laws enacted by a

locality state, or the federal government• Two elements– The act itself – Criminal intent

• Crimes against the person– Direct violence, or threat of it

• Crimes against property– Involves theft of property

• Criminal statistics– Victimization surveys state crime rate is two to four

times higher than official reports

Crime in the United States But only 50% of all crime is even reported.

1. Fear of perpetrator

2. Certain crimes likely to be victimized again

3. Victims of crimes are usually engaged in their own illegal activity.

Sociology, Tenth Edition

National Map 8-1 The Risk of Violent Crime across the United States

Sociology, Tenth Edition

The Street Criminal: a Profile• Age-persons between the ages of 15 and 24

• 14% of population• 39% of arrests for violent crime• 46.8% of property crimes

• Gender– 70.1% of property crimes and 82.6% of all violent crimes are

committed by males• Social class

– Violent crimes committed by a few in poor neighborhoods– White collar and corporate crime committed by more

affluent• Race and ethnicity

– 69.7% of arrests involve white people– People of color are over criminalized

Sociology, Tenth Edition

Figure 8-2 Crime Rates in the United States 1960-2000

Sociology, Tenth Edition

Justice System• Police: primary point of contact between

population and criminal justice system– Lots of discretion

• How serious is the crime?• What is the victim’s preference?• Is the suspect cooperative or not?• Have they arrested the suspect before?• Are bystanders present?• What is the suspect’s race?

• Courts: plea bargaining often results in pressure to plead guilty

– Reduced charge– Reduced sentence– Compromises the adversarial process

The Criminal Justice System • Police• Courts• Punishment and Corrections

– Prisons Justification• RetributionMoral vengeance inflicted• DeterrenceDiscourage future criminality• ProtectionTemporary removal of offender (incarceration)Permanent (execution)• Rehabilitation

– The Death Penalty

What Does America Think?

Rosenhan’s Experiment@ 18 seconds