Deviant Behavior
Soc 100
March 29, 2004
Deviance - Defined
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Behavior, beliefs, or conditions viewed by relatively powerful
segments of society as serious violations of important norms
(mores).
Examples: heroin users; atheism; cancer patient
Note that:
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The behaviors may not always be freely chosen
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But choice in the arena of deviance tends to be considered
very important
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Deviance is relative: linked to how serious a violation
something is in relation to various social norms.
Deviance
 Deviance exists that is not criminal: mental illness, ideological
deviance; cross-dressing
 Criminal activities exist that are not violations of major social norms
(not deviant): jaywalking; minor tax evasion; status offenses
 Other acts are both deviant and criminal: violence & other major
law violations
Deviance is Relative
 Deviance concerns judgments made by individuals
 Deviance varies by time period; culture; group
 What is important is who controls the definition of deviance!
William Chambliss – Saints & Roughnecks
 A study of the impact of social group labeling
 “Saints” – middle-class boys who engaged in a variety of deviant
and criminal acts
 “Roughnecks”– lower-class boys who also engaged in a variety of
such acts
 Saints manipulated the system in ways that hid their major
delinquency.
 Roughnecks were often an obvious deviant “target” by the
community & policy.
Saints & Roughnecks (cont.)
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Saints perceived as “good boys” who were “sowing their wild oats”
before settling down – had bright futures
Roughnecks perceived as delinquents & troublemakers – had poor
futures.
In the eyes of the community, the roughnecks were more deviant,
even though their behaviors were very similar to those of the
saints.
In the final analysis, the boys who were saints grew into more
successful adults – while most of the roughnecks continued to do
poorly.
Chambliss’ study shows:
 The link between social structure and perception of deviance.
 The effect of labeling as a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Quinney & deviance definition
 Laws and norms are established to serve the interests of the social
elite
 As a result, some behaviors are penalized more heavily than others
 Those acts that are penalized more heavily or more frequently are
generally those associated with the non-elite (Exceptions: serious,
violent crime)
 The laws that affect the elite are less enforced (environmental
protection laws)
Why do people deviate?
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Biological explanations
Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909)
Criminals are “evolutionary throwbacks”
Criminals are born, not made
 William Sheldon (1898-1977)
Linked personality type to body type
Body type is related to behavior (focus on criminal types –
mesomorphs more likely to be criminal)
Psychological explanations
 Freud – criminals have weak or damaged egos or poor superego
control. Driven by the “id”
 Other psychological factors: cognition; learning; personality
traits.
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Why do people deviate? (Cont.)
 Social learning theory
Deviant behavior that is positively reinforced may be repeated or
imitated
 Deviant behavior is learned in group context
 Sociological Explanations
 Strain theory
 Lower-class focal value theory
 Differential association theory
 Control theory
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Strain Theory
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Robert Merton (1910-2003)
 Deviance is the product of a gap between the culturally
prescribed goals of a society and the legitimate means for their
achievement
 Deviant behavior is an ordinary response to prevailing structural
conditions: blocked opportunities
 When there is a cultural emphasis on achievement there is
pressure to succeed at any cost
Strain Theory: How people adapt to strain given a blocked
opportunity structure. (see Table 6.1, p. 164)
Walter Miller: Focal Concerns Approach (1958)
 Delinquency linked to “value system” of the lower class
 Delinquent youth are socialized in an environment where unlawful
behavior is viewed favorably
 Focal concerns linked to delinquency among lower-class youth:
trouble; excitement; smartness; fate; autonomy; toughness
Differential Association Theory: Edwin Sutherland (1885-1950)
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Deviance learned through interactions with intimates
Deviance arises from an exposure to an excess of definitions
favorable to the violation of norms (laws)
Degree of deviance has to do with characteristics of the exposure
to these “pro-deviant” attitudes & behaviors:
 Frequency
 Duration
 Priority
 Intensity
Social Control Theory (Travis Hirschi)
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Social Control: Measures taken to ensure conformity to norms
(internal & external)
Deviance is the product of weak or broken social bonds.
Everyone is potentially deviant.
Focus is on:
 Attachment: relationships with others that shape acceptance of
social norms
 Commitment: how much time, energy and effort placed on
conventional activities and goals?
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Involvement: Doing conventional things leaves less time to
engage in deviant acts
Beliefs: How much respect is present for conventional values?
Societal Reaction Theory
 Labeling theory
Focuses on people’s reaction to deviancy
 Deviance is created by the existence of rules
 “Rule breakers” are labeled outsiders – not as worthy as “we”
are
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Labeling’s Consequences
 Primary deviance
 Secondary deviance
 Self-fulfilling prophecy