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DEVIANCE AND
CRIME
2022-10-19
Learning Objectives
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
Define deviance and crime

Explore socio-biological and
sociological theories of deviance

Explain Structural Functionalist,
Symbolic Interaction and Social
Conflict approaches to deviance
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What is deviance?
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
Deviance:
 Recognized violation of a cultural norm
 Violation of norms that may/ not be
formalized into law
 Crime:
Violation
of a formally enacted law
State penalty
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What is deviance?
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


Deviance: Does not mean “bad”
 Does not always involve
action/choice
Element of social difference
 “outsider”
A form of social control:
 regulates & controls society
through norms
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Contested Nature of Crime &
Deviance
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Because culture and norms change,
norms and deviance are also
contested.
 Seldom total agreement on deviance
Deviance is contested:
disagreement about whether something
is deviant/not
 E.g.?

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Contested Nature of Crime &
Deviance
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Deviance and crime vary in terms of three
criteria:
1. Severity of the social response
2. Perceived harmfulness
3. Degree of public agreement
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Types of Deviance and
Crime
(i)Social diversions:
 Minor acts of deviance considered harmless
 Evoke mild reaction or amusement
 E.g.?
(ii)Social deviations:
Noncriminal departures from norms that are
nonetheless subject to official control.
Some regard them as being in some ways
harmful, while others do not.
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Types of Deviance and
Crime
(iii) Conflict crimes: Illegal acts many believe to be harmful
and punishable by the state.
 However, others believe the acts to be not so harmful/
controversial
 E.g.?
 Driving over speed limit
(iv) Consensus crimes: Seen to be bad & serious
 Consensus on severity of crime/agrmt on punishment
 State inflicts severe punishment
 E.g.?
 Manslaughter
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Types of Deviance and Crime
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Crime and deviance
are socially
constructed
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Biological Theories of
Deviance

19th C theories of human behaviour:
 Biological factors determined person’s behaviour

Cesare Lambroso (1835-1909) : criminals were
distinguishable by physical features

Physiognomy & Social Darwinism
shape of head
prominent jaws, cheekbones
-
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Biological Theories of Deviance
(ctnd)
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



20th C: William
Sheldon
General body structure
predicted criminality
Theory linked physique,
personality and
delinquency
Correlation b/w body type
& criminal history of boys
with muscular builds
 Delinquent
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Biological Theories of Deviance
(ctnd)
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


1950: Glueck & Glueck
Powerful build do not
cause criminality:
 Parents show less
sensitivity to muscular
boys
 Self-fulfilling
prophesies
Physical traits do not
distinguish criminals
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Biology attempts to connect
genetics with
deviant/criminal behaviour
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Biological Theories of Deviance
(ctnd)
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MAOA and CDH13 genes linked t
o violent crime, but can they expl
ain criminal behavior? - Genetic L
iteracy Project
https://www.bbc.com/news/sci
ence-environment-29760212
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Biological Theories of
Deviance

Biological theories largely
debunked
Limitations of biological theories of
deviance.


No causal evidence
Absolves of responsibility
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Socio-Biological: Containment Theory
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
Personality is shaped by social experience
 “unsuccessful socialization” can explain
abnormality in personality

Containment theory
Walter Reckless and Simon Dinitz
(1976)
 Studied delinquent & non delinquent boys
in “high delinquent” environment

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“Good boys”

Self concept: Image of
themselves as adhering to law

Goal orientation- Boys had
a sense of direction

Handle frustration – Strong
conscience/ superego

Norm retention - Identified
with conventional values &
norms
“Bad boys”

Negative self-concept

Not goal oriented

Little tolerance

Norm erosion
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Containment Theory(Ctnd’)
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

Containment theory:
Inner qualities and outer control systems of
containment controlled boys motivations
toward criminality



Inner qualities: moral beliefs, sense of right &
wrong
Outer forces: socialization
Inner/outer forces of containment
was a large factor in good boys
resistance to delinquency
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Containment Theory(Ctnd’)
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
Inner/outer containment controlled behavior regardless of
high rate of delinquency in society
 Delinquency attributed to
personality controlling deviant
behaviour

Focus is on abnormality in
individual personality
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Sociological Foundations of Deviance
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1. Deviance varies according to cultural
norms
 No thought/action is inherently deviant
 Becomes deviant only in respect to
social norms
2. People become deviant as others
define them that way
 Behaviours are criminal depending on
social response
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 how others define and respond to it
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Sociological Foundations of
Deviance
3. Norms and deviance involve
social power
Karl Marx: the law is the means by
which the powerful protect their
interests
 Power is key to determining
norms
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Structural Functional Analysis:
Functions of Deviance
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
Emile Durkheim: Deviance is
necessary to social organization:
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Structural Functional Analysis:
Functions of Deviance: Durkheim
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1. Deviance clarifies moral
boundaries and affirms cultural
values:
- defining some as deviant clarifies
boundaries b/w right/wrong
-Definition of virtue rests on opposing
ideas of vice
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Functions of Deviance: Structural
Functional Analysis (ctnd)
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

2. Deviance unites people
People react to serious deviance with shared
outrage



E.g. Lucia Vega Jimenez – CBSA’s holding cell (NOII)
?
3. Deviance can encourage social change



Pushes society’s moral boundaries suggesting
alternative social changes that maintain stability
E.g., rock n roll
Hip hop
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Structural Functional
Analysis


Robert Merton expanded Durkheim’s
theory
 Strain theory:
Deviance is necessary for functioning
of society but discrepancy b/w
culturally defined goals & means to
achieve them causes strain, dysfunction
 E.g.: “American/Canadian Dream”
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Accept
RITUALISM
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INNOVATION
Strain/conform
RETREATISM
New Means
New Goals
Cultural Goals
CONFORMITY
Reject
Conventional Means/Structure
Accept
Reject
REBELLION
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Symbolic Interaction
Analysis



Labelling theory:
Deviance (conformity) is not so much
what people do, but how others
respond
The response is what leads to labelling
persons deviant


Social construction of reality a highly variable
process
Deviance is relative
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Retrospective and Projective
labelling
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Retrospective labelling: Interpreting
someone’s past in light of present
deviance
 Projective labelling: using deviant
identity to project a person’s future
actions



Affects individuals self concept
Self-fulfilling prophesies
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Symbolic Interaction
Analysis

Medicalization of deviance, resulting
from labelling:
 Thomas Szasz and Ervin Goffman: shift
in understanding deviance
 Growth of psychiatry and medicine led
to the medicalization of deviance
 E.g. alcoholism: moral weakness
disease
Obesity
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Symbolic Interaction
Analysis
Edwin Sutherland (1940)
 Differential Association Theory
 The tendency to conform or deviate
depends on contact with others who
encourage or reject deviant
behaviour

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Symbolic Interaction
Analysis




Travis Hirschi (1969)
Control Theory
Social control and deviant behavior
depend on people anticipating
consequences of behaviour
Conformity and social control linked to:




Attachment
Opportunity
Involvement
Belief
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Social Conflict Analysis
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Who is labelled deviant depends on
power
 Norms reflect the interests of the rich
and powerful
 The powerful have resources to resist
deviant labels
 Belief that norms and laws are
natural and good masks their political
character

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Social Conflict Analysis
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
People labelled deviant within
capitalism:
 Those who threaten private
property
 Those who cannot or will not work
 People who resist authority
 People who challenge the status
quo
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Social-Conflict Analysis
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• White-Collar Crime
• Corporate Crime
 Financial
 Safety
 Environmental
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