Sociocultural Model Of Abnormality

In the 1998 film American History X, Derek Vineyard is paroled after serving 3 years in prison for brutally murdering two black men who were breaking into his truck. Through his Brother Danny’s narration of a paper he is writing, it is learned that Derek was the leader of a large Neo-Nazi group known as D.O.C., or Disciples of Christ, that committed many acts of racial crime throughout Los Angeles. During his time in prison Derek decides that hate is a waste of time after being violently raped by fellow white supremacists, and his only friend being a black man, who was only in prison for a misunderstanding. After getting out on parole, Derek learns that Danny is headed down the same racist path as him, and decided that he must put a stop to it. Throughout this film there are many examples of the five theories of deviance; Functional, Conflict, Labeling, Broken Windows, and Differential Association. From Derek’s initial exposure to racism, all the way to him deciding to change, all five theories are exemplified through Derek, Danny, their Father, Cameron, or the D.O.C. as a whole.

According to the sociocultural model, abnormal behavior is best understood in light of the broad forces that influence an individual (Comer, 2015), examining the

“Abnormality is very difficult to define. It can be hard to decide where normal behaviour ends and abnormal behaviour begins”

Abnormality can be hard to define as different people see it in a variety of ways. In this essay, we are going to be focusing on 2 main aspects of the definition towards the topic, “Failure to function adequately” and “Deviation from social norms”.

The six models of psychological abnormality detailed in this chapter each present a different set of assumptions and explanations for abnormal functioning. These models all interrupt a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and examine them as being caused or initiated by various and ranging factors. Although each model has its strengths, none can claim a full explanation of abnormal functioning and therefore, no one model can be deemed best or more correct than another. The model of psychological abnormality that appeals to me the most is the psychodynamic model, founded by Sigmund Freud at the turn on the twentieth century. Freud and his colleagues developed a revolutionary model for explaining psychological abnormality that would

Deviance is a term used to describe behavior that goes against the established social and cultural norms. The concept of deviance is complex because norms vary considerably across groups, times, and places. Essentially, individuals commit deviant behavior when society defines it as such. Within the field of criminology, a number of theories exist that attempt to explain why some people engage in deviant behavior, while others abstain from it. One of these theories is Travis Hirschi’s, social bond theory, which eventually becomes the blueprint for subsequent control theories. This paper will analyze aspects of social control theory and social bonds, for the purpose of seeing if they can deter deviant behavior.

The way individuals learn to interact with society as children tends to predict how they will interact with society and respond to its environments as adults. There are social theories that help the understanding of why individuals choose deviant behaviors and how they progress through life. Social process theories view criminal and deviant criminal behaviors as evolving mechanisms learned through societal interaction. Social development theories view deviant and criminal behaviors as part of a maturation process. Social theories are conclusions that have come about based on the response of individuals to

What is social deviance? Social deviance is acting against the norms of a society. There are a few things that can can be caused from the act of deviance. The social norm in our society here is to talk in the first person, not the third person. On Wednesday, my act of deviance was talking in the third person, a subtle approach to this assignment, but everyone knew I was being different. My goal in this essay is to inform on the different sociology ideas I thought of while I was being deviant. The five ideas I first thought of were: privilege of ignorance, social-self, agents of socialization, sanctions, and memory.

The Three Main Theories of Deviance and Their Strengths and Weaknesses A functionalist analysis of deviance looks for the source of deviance in the nature of society rather than in the biological or psychological nature of the individual. Although functionalists agree that social control mechanisms such as the police and the courts are necessary to keep deviance in check, many argue that a certain amount of deviance can contribute to the well-being of society. Durkhiem (1895) believed that: * Crime is an 'integral part of all healthy societies'.

“Deviance is broad concept with encompassing all types of beliefs and behaviors that violate established and social norms” (GGG P.10). It is anything bad that violates the norms and rules of the society. It is kind of behaving different ways from others. It is ranging from murder to shoplifting. However, it depends how it serious and breaking the social law. There are more debates about what is considered to be deviant behavior or what is not. For example, if young man drinks in a party while rest of the people are not drinking he might violate the norm. So, what is deviant behavior in one culture may be a norm for other culture. At the same time, Durkheim was a functionalist who favor that breaking the rule is part of social structure that serve to set boundaries what are socially acceptable and what is not acceptable. Durkheim argued that anyone who across the acceptable boundaries can be punishable. According to Durkheim “In addition to Anomie, these included the notions that societies needed crime to mark and affirm their boundaries “(DCC P. 2). When it comes to function he mentioned that community needs to each other for example, Instructor needs student to teach, and we need police for our safety, driver’s needs community. It means all community are interdependent. The main idea is that if some people violate the norms and break the law there are other people who support and keep the law and not violate the norms.

Have you ever wondered why do we do things that we do? Why do we act in a certain way? What compels us to follow a path or formulate habits? One perspective among many others is the sociocultural perspective. A sociocultural perspective is an approach to understand why humans behave the way they do. It seeks to understand human behavior and personality development by examining the influence of rules of social groups on individuals who are members of those social groups. Sociocultural approach is an emerging topic that looks at the important contributions that society makes to an individual. The sociocultural approach is based on the assumption that our personalities, beliefs, attitudes and skills are learned from others. It refers to a point of view that is built upon the idea that society and culture are major factors that influence personalities. This approach believes that people are heavily influenced by their social environment. What makes and defines us as individuals is the application of sociocultural approach. For example, if you look outside the window and see a man talking to a tree, what conclusions will you draw? You may think the man is a lunatic and needs some kind of medication. But would your opinion change if you knew that the man was Native American and Native Americans believe in a spiritual philosophy that trees can speak if you listen to them. So you see, the context of culture makes a huge difference in how you ascertain someone’s behavior and that’s

Over the past twenty years, gang related activity in the Caribbean has increased steadily. This increase in gang related activity has been a result of the formation and migration of new gangs in the Caribbean as well as, the extension of existing gangs. The recruitment of members for these gangs usually targets young persons as they are more susceptible to joining. Juvenile gang involvement is a growing problem in the region and especially in Trinidad and Tobago. This paper will look at the Cultural Deviance Theory of crime to explain this growing phenomenon. This theory will include Albert Cohen’s Delinquent Sub Cultural theory as well as Cloward and Ohlin’s Theory of Differential Opportunity. A plan to divert juveniles away from becoming involved in these gangs will also be given at the end of this paper along with the perceived problems of its operationalization.

Theories of Deviance are limited in their ability to explain deviant acts if one adopts the view that these theories are universal. There is no universal, right or wrong theory, rather each theory provides a different perspective which only "fully makes sense when set within an appropriate societal context and values framework" .

Lifestyle theory shows victims’ exposure to their own lifestyle choices. This exposure can lead them to the criminal attacker and situations with their own choices. Examples of such actions are as follows: going out at night alone, living in a bad part of town, associate with known felons, promiscuous, excessive alcohol use, doing drugs, going down a dark alley, etc. Crimes taken place are not random, but a part of the lifestyle choices the victim has portrayed. This impulsive behavior or low self-control comes at a high risk for victimization. (2006) This style of life offers more opportunities for the crime to occur.

The sociocultural model suggests that abnormal behavior is the result of broad forces influencing an individual (Comer, 2015). By using this approach, the therapist is equipped to help Sara understand her irrational thoughts, atypical behaviors, and overall degree of abnormal functioning. Whilst, emphasizing the family-social and multicultural perspectives; a main tenet in facilitating individual experiences in sociocultural therapy. Taking into account, Sara’s traditional Japanese customs and values, coupled with cultural sensitivities and the norm within her respective society (Comer, 2015). Thus, in understanding Sara, the therapist should first focus on her awareness of familial hardships or stress since moving to the United States, helping Sara to identify and express any degree of unhappiness or discomfort.