Theoretical Study of Deviance
- Max Weber Theory Max Weber, an early sociologist, defined three types of authority. ...
- Strain Theory Robert K. Merton developed this theory. ...
- Symbolic Interactionism Theory George Herbert Mead developed this theory. ...
- Symbolic interaction and deviant behavior ...
- Conflict Theory ...
- Differential Association Theory ...
- The Neutralization Theory ...
- The Labelling Theory ...
What are the three theories of deviance?
Theories and Examples of Deviance. Deviance, like conformity, is shaped by society. In general, there are three social foundations of deviance: structural functionalism, symbolic interaction and social conflict.
How do sociologists use conflict theory to explain deviance?
The protesters were deviating from social norms of coherence in order to articulate grievances against the extremely wealthy. Their actions and perspectives demonstrate the use of conflict theory to explain social deviance. The fourth main sociological theory of deviance is labeling theory.
What are the functionalist perspectives on deviance?
They view deviance as a key component of a functioning society. Social disorganization theory, strain theory, and social control theory represent the main functionalist perspectives on deviance in society.
What is a deviant behavior in sociology?
Deviance is any behavior that violates social norms, and is usually of sufficient severity to warrant disapproval from the majority of society. Deviance can be criminal or non‐criminal. ... This theory holds that behaviors are deviant only when society labels them as deviant.
What are 4 sociological theories?
The four main theoretical perspectives in the field of sociology are symbolic interactionism theory, social conflict theory, structural-functional theory, and feminist theory.
What are the 4 functions of deviance?
Deviance has several functions: (a) it clarifies norms and increases conformity, (b) it strengthens social bonds among the people reacting to the deviant, and (c) it can help lead to positive social change. Certain social and physical characteristics of urban neighborhoods contribute to high crime rates.
WHO identified four different types of deviant behavior?
TypesThe violation of norms can be categorized as two forms, formal deviance and informal deviance. ... Taboo is a strong social form of behavior considered deviant by a majority. ... Howard Becker, a labeling theorist, identified four different types of deviant behavior labels which are given as:
What are the major theories used for sociological analysis?
These three theoretical orientations are: Structural Functionalism, Symbolic Interactionism, and Conflict Perspective.
What are the 4 types of deviance?
Key PointsSocial strain typology, developed by Robert K. ... According to Merton, there are five types of deviance based upon these criteria: conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism and rebellion.More items...•
What is Durkheim's 4 functions of deviance?
You'll review how Durkheim emphasized the way that deviance has its purpose in society; it helps define cultural norms, clarify moral boundaries, bring people together, and encourage social change.
What are the three theories of deviance?
Strain theory, social disorganization theory, and cultural deviance theory represent three functionalist perspectives on deviance in society.
Which theories help explain deviance quizlet?
Terms in this set (5)Cultural transmission theory. Views deviance as a learned behavior through interaction with others.Structural strain theory. Proposed by sociologist Robert K. ... Conflict theory. Believing that competition and social inequality lead to deviance.Control theory. ... Labeling theory.
What major factors leads to deviant behavior?
Causes of Deviant Behavior In reality, there are likely many factors that play a role in deviant behavior. These include genetics, personality, upbringing, environment, and societal influences. It is also important to note that what is considered deviant can vary from one culture to the next.
What are the 5 sociological theories?
Definitions of key terms for the five basic sociological perspectives – Functionalism, Marxism, Feminism, Social Action Theory and Postmodernism.
What are sociological theories of crime?
While there are many different sociological theories about crime, there are four primary perspectives about deviance: Structural Functionalism, Social Strain Typology, Conflict Theory, and Labeling Theory.
What is sociological theory in sociology?
A sociological theory is a supposition that intends to consider, analyze, and/or explain objects of social reality from a sociological perspective, drawing connections between individual concepts in order to organize and substantiate sociological knowledge.
What are the 5 social functions of deviance?
Terms in this set (5)Deviance affirms cultural values and norms.Responding to deviance clarifies moral boundaries.Responding to deviance promotes social unity.Deviance encourages social change.Deviance provides a safety valve for discontented people.
What are examples of deviance?
Adult content consumption, drug use, excessive drinking, illegal hunting, eating disorders, or any self-harming or addictive practice are all examples of deviant behaviors.
What are the three elements of deviance?
Main Elements of Deviance:Deviation is relative, not absolute:Deviance refers to norm violation:Deviance is also viewed as a 'stigma construct':
What are the negative functions of deviance?
What are some of the negative effects of deviance? Deviance erodes trust. Deviance can cause nonconforming behavior in others. Deviant behavior is expensive.
What are the three theories of deviance?
The three theories of deviance include Emile Durkheim's deviance theory, Merton's strain theory of deviance and the functionalist theory of deviance.
What is an example of social deviance?
Social deviance can be as serious as crimes like murder, rape and robbery (fomral deviance) to actions such as belching loudly in public, peeping t...
What are the main causes of social deviance?
The causes of social deviance can be linked to societal issues. These issues can influence social behavior. The following are causes of social devi...
What is meant by social deviance?
Social deviance can be defined as any behavior that a society finds offensive. Such behavior can cause condemnation, disapproval, hostility and pun...
What is deviant behavior?
People who engage in deviant behavior are referred to as deviants . The concept of deviance is complex because norms vary considerably across groups, times, and places. In other words, what one group may consider acceptable, another may consider deviant. For example, in some parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Muslim Africa, women are circumcised.
What are deviants?
Today, Americans consider such activities as alcoholism, excessive gambling, being nude in public places, playing with fire, stealing, lying, refusing to bathe, purchasing the services of prostitutes, and cross‐dressing—to name only a few—as deviant. People who engage in deviant behavior are referred to as deviants .
Why is labeling theory important?
Proponents of labeling theory support the theory's emphasis on the role that the attitudes and reactions of others, not deviant acts per se, have on the development of deviance. Critics of labeling theory indicate that the theory only applies to a small number of deviants, because such people are actually caught and labeled as deviants. Critics also argue that the concepts in the theory are unclear and thus difficult to test scientifically.
What is anomie in social studies?
Anomie refers to the confusion that arises when social norms conflict or don't even exist. In the 1960s, Robert Merton used the term to describe the differences between socially accepted goals and the availability of means to achieve those goals.
What are the inner and outer controls?
According to Walter Reckless's control theory, both inner and outer controls work against deviant tendencies. People may want—at least some of the time—to act in deviant ways, but most do not. They have various restraints: internal controls, such as conscience, values, integrity, morality, and the desire to be a “good person”; and outer controls, such as police, family, friends, and religious authorities. Travis Hirschi noted that these inner and outer restraints form a person's self‐control, which prevents acting against social norms. The key to developing self‐control is proper socialization, especially early in childhood. Children who lack this self‐control, then, may grow up to commit crimes and other deviant behaviors.
Why were the roughnecks perceived as bad?
In other words, while both groups committed crimes, the Saints were perceived to be “good” because of their polite behavior (which was attributed to their upper‐class backgrounds) and the Roughnecks were seen as “bad” because of their insolent behavior (which was attributed to their lower‐class backgrounds).
What is the primary contribution of anomie theory?
The primary contribution of anomie theory is its ability to explain many forms of deviance.
Social Deviance: Definition and Explanation
Social deviance refers to a behavior that is found offensive and unacceptable in a social group. Social deviance can be formal, where individuals break laws and guidelines of land or informal, where an individual is just deviant from unwritten norms.
Types of Deviance
As aforementioned, there are two types of deviance, formal and informal deviances.
Sociological Theories of Deviance
There are different theories of deviance that are present. These theories use social conditions, situations, and pressures to explain social deviance. Emile Durkheim and Robert Merton are major theorists known for their contribution to social deviance.
Activities for Social Deviance
In the lesson, you read that deviance is not a term that only applies to criminal behavior, but also a term that applies to behavior outside of the norm. Think of an instance in your own life where you might be considered to have engaged in deviant behavior. For example, a teenage boy may be in a ballet class full of girls.
Introduction
Sociology sets out to explain individual and collective human behaviour through analysis of society and its structures. This includes social rules and processes that bind and separate people not only as individuals but as members of associations, groups, and institutions.
Analysis
It is a widely accepted sociological belief that deviance is a relative concept, and social rules vary across cultures, time, and places (Caron & Brym, 2014).A crime is referred to as an unlawful act that is punishable with fines or jail terms and other sanctions.
Discussion and Conclusion
After discussing the policy implications and potential consequences of each deviance theory, I have discovered labelling theory to be preferable in the current North American society. Strain theory, even with its strengths, fails to address a lot of relevant issues in the age of social media and the internet.
What is sociological deviance?
In the sociological perspective on deviance, there is a subtlety that distinguishes it from our commonsense understanding of the same behavior. Sociologists stress social context, not just individual behavior. That is, deviance is looked at in terms of group processes, definitions, and judgments, and not just as unusual individual acts.
What is deviance in sociology?
Sociologists define deviance as behavior that is recognized as violating expected rules and norms. It is simply more than nonconformity, however; it is behavior that departs significantly from social expectations.
What is the role of deviance in crime?
Some sociologists approach the study of deviance and crime from a structural functionalist standpoint. They would argue that deviance is a necessary part of the process by which social order is achieved and maintained. From this standpoint, deviant behavior serves to remind the majority of the socially agreed upon rules, norms, and taboos, which reinforces their value and thus social order.
What is sociology in crime?
Sociologists who study deviance and crime examine cultural norms, how they change over time, how they are enforced, and what happens to individuals and societies when norms are broken. Deviance and social norms vary among societies, communities, and times, and often sociologists are interested in why these differences exist ...
What is conflict theory?
Conflict theory is also used as a theoretical foundation for the sociological study of deviance and crime. This approach frames deviant behavior and crime as the result of social, political, economic, and material conflicts in society.
Who developed structural strain theory?
Structural strain theory was developed by American sociologist Robert K. Merton and suggests that deviant behavior is the result of strain an individual may experience when the community or society in which they live does not provide the necessary means to achieve culturally valued goals. Merton reasoned that when society fails people in this way, they engage in deviant or criminal acts in order to achieve those goals (like economic success, for example).
Is deviance morally decided?
Further, sociologists recognize that established rules and norms are socially created, not just morally decided or individually imposed. That is, deviance lies not just in the behavior itself, but in the social responses of groups to behavior by others.
What are theoretical approaches for understanding deviance from a sociological perspective?
Structural-functionalism, symbolic interaction, and the creation of social conflict are theoretical approaches for understanding deviance from a sociological perspective. Learn the definition of deviance in sociology, explore theories about its origin, and discover examples of deviant behavior in society. Updated: 09/16/2021
Why are many actions considered deviant?
A social conflict theorist would argue that many actions are considered deviant because people in power have the resources to make those actions deviant. Furthermore, the norms of any society generally reflect the interests of the rich and powerful, and the powerful people have the resources to resist deviant labeling.
What does "deviant" mean?
Definition of Deviance. When most of us think of deviant behavior, we think of someone who is breaking the law or acting out in a negative manner. 'Different' or 'unexpected' are words often used to describe deviance from a sociological perspective. For our purposes, deviant means departing from the norm, and to a sociologist, ...
What is the difference between deviant act and social conflict?
The deviant act is the same - the difference is that one of them got caught and someone else made something out of her deviant behavior (secondary deviance). The social-conflict approach links deviance to social inequality: who or what is labeled 'deviant' depends on which categories of people hold power in a society.
What is secondary deviance?
Secondary deviance is when someone makes something out of that deviant behavior and is given a negative social label that changes a person's self-concept and social identity. We call this negative label a stigma.
How to look at deviance?
There are three main ways to look at deviance from a sociological perspective. The key insight of the structural-functional approach is that deviance is a necessary element of social organization. The symbolic-interaction approach explains how people define deviance in everyday situations.
What are the three social foundations of deviance?
In general, there are three social foundations of deviance: structural functionalism, symbolic interaction and social conflict.
What is the definition of deviance?
In sociology, Deviance describes actions or behaviors that violate cultural norms. Deviance also goes against the social norms by which a particular society lives.
What Do Primary and Secondary Deviations mean?
Primary deviance usually refers to the first time one is committing a deviant act, and they may not be labelled for it.
What is informal deviation?
Informal Deviance refers to a behavior that is defined as deviant by the standards or norms of society. Examples include speeding, drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, and cheating on exams.
What is conformity in psychology?
Conformity can be thought of as a behavior that is typical and expected.
Why is conflict theory so good?
The conflict theory is excellent because it explains how the rich and powerful get what they want and the poor receive fewer resources.
Who developed the strain theory?
Robert K. Merton developed this theory. The strain theory is a sociological response to Max Weber’s definition of Deviance. Merton said that there are four categories of deviant behavior that he called strain.
Is the mass media a source of differential association?
The mass media (especially TV) are also a source of differential association. Many crimes are reported on TV, in newspapers, magazines, and on the radio. Therefore, watching the mass media may encourage an individual to engage in these acts.