Theories Of Deviance

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'.

According to sociologist Edwin Lemert, the majority of sociological theories for deviance fall under the concept of primary deviance. However, Lemert considered secondary deviance to be more important. Everyone is guilty of primary deviance. However, this does not mean that they perceive themselves to be a bad person. This is perception is where secondary deviance comes in. With secondary deviance, the individual, is labeled by the act of deviance that they committed, whether it is by themselves or by others. Eventually, this label is accepted by the individual, as a part of their identity. While primary deviance consists of an act that takes up a small amount of time in a person’s existence, secondary deviance is something that sticks with the individual for the long term. Potentially, this type of deviance can stick with an individual for the rest of their lives. There are two different theories that can compare and contrast how a concept such as secondary deviance can gain a foothold in an individual’s life. These two theories are the differential association theory and the control theory.

ravis Hirschi has dominated control theory for four decades. His influence today is undiminished and likely will continue for years, if not decades, to come (see, e.g., Britt & Gottfredson, 2003; Gottfredson, 2006; Kempf, 1993; Pratt & Cullen, 2000). Beyond the sheer scholarly talent manifested in his writings, what accounts for Hirschi’s enduring influence on criminological theory? Three interrelated considerations appear to nourish the appeal of his thinking. First, Hirschi’s theories are stated parsimoniously. This means that his theory’s core propositions are easily understood (e.g., the lack of

Control theory, Anomie theory and Strain theory provide very different explanations of why people commit crimes based upon assumptions about how humans function. Control theory suggests that humans are naturally drawn to breaking the law. Humans are driven to fulfill their needs and desires. Crime provides one method by which humans can reach their goals. Control theorists would thus ask why everyone does not turn to crime to meet their wants and needs. The question shifts from the typical why do people commit crime to why do people not commit crime (Cullen and Agnew, 2011). Hirschi suggest that crime and social bonds are linked, such that crime occurs in absence of a strong social bond. The four elements of the social bonds are

This essay will explore the concept of deviance as a social construct, and how it has been used to justify the subjugation of certain communities. It will also show that the construction of deviant bodies, bodies that do not fit the mold of the normative body (white, middle-class, able-bodied, heterosexual, ‘properly gendered’), is maintained and shaped by other categories of social identity such as race, gender, sexuality, (dis)ability, class, and nationality.

Physical beauty is constructed by the society that we live in. We are socialized from a very young age to aspire to become what our culture deems ideal. Living in the United States, as in many other Western cultures, we are expected to be well-educated, maintain middle-class or upper-class status, be employed as well as maintain a physical standard of beauty. Although beauty is relative to each culture, it is obvious that we as Americans, especially women, are expected to be maintain a youthful appearance, wear cosmetics and fashionable clothes, but most importantly: not to be overweight. Our society is socially constructed to expect certain physical features to be the norm, anything outside this is considered deviant. Obesity is defined

Deviance is a violation of a social norm in a society. In the sociological perspective, it is not one’s individual characteristics that lead to deviant behavior but rather the social interactions, structures, and processes that lead to one’s deviant behavior. In turn, deviance is socially constructed by a society or group itself. A group dictates what is the norm in their community and what is abnormal, or deviant, in their eyes. Deviance is functional in a society.

The proponents of the control theory state that people engage in deviant behavior because they do not have a bond or connection with our social institutions (Goode, 2014). In this case, Goode (2014) remarks

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.

All people exhibit some forms of hypocrisy, often times we believe one thing yet do the opposite. We love to hate cheaters, liars, and thieves yet most people have cheated, lied, or stolen to an extent. A popular show on TV called Dexter portrays a "good" murder who kills "bad" people, yet the viewer feels sympathy for Dexter because he's a likable citizen (when he's not killing people). Most people would see murder as a horrific doing yet the act of taking someone's life is respected when talking about the U.S. Armed Forces. The reason some bad behaviors are deviant and others are not is because deviance varies among places, cultures, and contexts. Deviance is created. In learning about deviances, I have become interested in the development of the deviant identity through the Labeling Theory, the concept of social control agencies creating deviance, and the hypocrisy around drugs and deviance.

Additionally, the social control theory tells us social factors such as religion, family, financial status and school have in reference to the choices and behavior of an individual. Most of us have the potential to develop as a criminal, however, most of us have a connection to the community. Usually crime happens when circumstances tied to people with weakened or broken paths. People born evil, need controlling in order to be good. Hirsch’s perspectives listed below.

Why are some people 's behaviors more apt to be negatively labeled by the criminal justice system? Labeling theorists point to the role of moral entrepreneurs or social movements, but what about the forces that underlie a particular moral crusade? Why, for example, would American society want to criminalize the production, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages in the 1920s? Why the increased penalties for domestic violence in the 1970s, or the War on Drugs in the 1980s? For the conflict theorists, the answer has to do with the balance of power and privilege in society. Everything from material goods to quality education to religious freedom is in short supply, and therefore the typical

“Drugs were not acceptable for cool girls. Drugs however, were acceptable and even encouraged for boys. I know one female who smoked pot, all the other cool females ostracized her, called her a ‘druggie’. I know one guy who refused to try pot, and the cool guys called him a ‘wuss’ (that means wimp), and didn’t ask him out to party anymore” (pg 145).

For all we think we know about crime there is still much we do not. Where we find crime, we find motives and this leads to the action of committing the crime. An area that we can look at in sociology that helps explain this idea is the knowledge of control theory. This theory helps uncover what processes or environments lead to a life of criminal acts while at the same time it allows for a chance to learn about our world from a social perspective. It will be important to investigate what in fact control theory is, how it applies to the world in a sociological manner and to explore the implication of the theory in real-time crime.

An important social issue found in our society is the way deviant acts are “resolved” within society and different factors that influence deviance (behavior that violates social norms and arouses negative reactions). There are quite a few theories that can be applied to more than one individual or situation, behind why people commit deviant acts. This is considered a social issue due to the occurrence of crime in society with a “one-size-fits-all” approach to dealing with crime. This issue leads to controversy because different groups of people have different beliefs on how to resolve the continued perpetuation of crime. One of the groups forming an outlook are sociologists, who believe that people commit deviant acts because they grow up in socially disorganized conditions; because they are experiencing anomie, or social strain; as well as others believing that deviance is a learned behavior. Among the range of believers are biologists, who believe that people commit deviant acts because their bodies and bodily processes are different from those of conventional people, including their genes, inherited traits from parents, their improperly functioning brain receptors and/or their low resting heart rate. Along with sociologists and biologists are psychologists who have their own beliefs, which include the idea that people commit deviant acts because they are not fully mature in their cognition or moral development, they do not form healthy attachments to others, or because