Measuring and Labeling Deviance
March 5, 2008
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~soc.134
© 2008 David Schweingruber
Defining deviance
 Deviance: behavior, belief or condition that violates social norms
• By defining what is normal, society defines what is deviant (relativist
approach to deviance)
 Origin of term is in statistics—“deviation” is the difference between the
value of a given case and the group average
 Sociologists began using “deviance” in 1950s to encompass four major
topics—crime and delinquency, mental illness, drug use/addiction, sexual
misbehavior
 Different approaches to studying deviance:
• Why do people commit deviant acts? (causation approach)
• Why are some people labeled as deviant and what are effects of label?
(labeling theory)
• Why do rules and punishments benefit some groups more than others?
(conflict theory)
• Why are some forms of deviance considered problems and others are not?
(social problems approach)
©©2008
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
Key points about crime trends
People most fear “random crime” (Joel Best)
• Patternless: It can happen to anyone
• Increasing: Crime is getting worse
• Pointless: Criminal motives make no sense
But none of these claims are true
• Crime is not random: it is stratified by gender, race, class
and age
• Official crime has been declining over the past decade or
longer (but may have risen slightly in recent years)
• Criminals have reasons for committing crimes
©©2008
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
Violent crime rates, 1973-2005 (NCVS)
50 47.7
40
52.3
51.2
42.0
30
20
21.0
10
0
19
73
19
75
19
77
19
79
19
81
19
83
19
85
19
87
19
89
19
91
19
93
19
95
19
97
19
99
20
01
20
03
20
05
Victimization per 1,000 population
60
©©2008
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
600.0
500.0
553.6
519.9
496.1
400.0
300.0
348.9
200.0
100.0
154.0
0.0
19
73
19
75
19
77
19
79
19
81
19
83
19
85
19
87
19
89
19
91
19
93
19
95
19
97
19
99
20
01
20
03
20
05
Victimization per 1,000 households
Property crime rates, 1973-2005 (NCVS)
©©2008
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
Homicide rates for 20th Century
10.2
9.7
10
8
5.6
6
5.5
4
4.0
2
2002
1996
1990
1984
1978
1972
1966
1960
1954
1948
1942
1936
1930
1924
1918
1912
1.2
1906
0
1900
Victimization per 100,000
12
©©2008
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
Homicide victimization by gender & race, 2002 (UCR)
Victimization per 100,000
25.0
20.8
20.0
15.0
8.8
10.0
5.6
3.3
2.6
5.0
0.0
Total
Male
Female
White
Black
©©2008
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
Victimization per 100,000
Homicide victimization by age, 2002 (UCR)
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
15.3
11
5.7
4.5
2.5
1.5
Under 14
14-17
18-24
25-34
35–49
50+
Age
©©2008
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
Homicides by gender & race of victim & offender, 2002
Male on
male
65.1%
Female
on
female
2.4%
Black on
black
41.6%
White
on white
45.7%
Female
on male
9.9%
Male on
female
22.6%
Other
1.4%
White
on black
3.2%
Black on
white
8.1%
©©2008
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
Labeling theory
 Labeling theory: theory which states that deviance is the consequence
of the application of rules and sanctions to an offender; a deviant is an
individual to whom the identity “deviant” has been successfully applied
 Two types of deviance
• Primary deviance: routine instances of norm violation that may or
may not result in labeling
• Secondary deviance: deviance following and resulting from the label
 Reasons why label may lead to deviance
1. Cut off from participation in conventional groups
2. Treatment may produce increasing deviance
3. Labeled person may believe the label
©©2008
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
Deviance by sociology 134 students
1.1%
0.0%
22.7%
18.8%
76.2%
81.2%
50.5%
59.7%
60.8%
Driving
without
license
38.2%
Drag racing
39.8%
1.1%
DUI
46.2%
5.0%
Smoked
marijuana
Arrested
Not arrested
Never
3.2%
Underage
alcohol
purchase
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
©©2008
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
Deviance by sociology 134 students
0.5%
17.2%
2.2%
5.9%
30.6%
1.1%
32.8%
0.0%
43.2%
91.9%
Vadalized
property
66.1%
56.8%
Stole from
hotel room
68.8%
Shoplifting
over $20
82.8%
Shoplifting
under $20
Arrested
Not arrested
Never
0.0%
Fake ID
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
©©2008
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber