Glossary
Deviance is a violation of established contextual, cultural, or social norms, whether folkways,
mores, or codified law
Society - a group of people whose members interact, reside in a definable area, and share a
culture
Culture – a group’s shared practices, values, and beliefs
Norms - informal understandings that govern society’s behaviors
Morals - Rules or habits of conduct, especially of sexual conduct, with reference to standards of
right and wrong
Mores - norms that are widely observed and have great moral significance
Folkways - norms for routine or casual interaction
social control – the regulation and enforcement of norms
social order – an arrangement of practices and behaviors on which society member’s base their
daily lives
Positive sanctions – rewards given for conforming to norms
Negative sanctions – punishments for violating norms
Informal sanctions – emerge in face to face interactions
Formal sanctions - ways to officially recognize and enforce norm violations
Strain theory - access to socially acceptable goals plays a part in determining whether a person
conforms or deviates
Social disorganization theory - a crime is most likely to occur in communities with weak social
ties and the absence of social control
Cultural deviance theory - conformity to the prevailing cultural norms of lower-class society
causes crime
Conflict theory - looks to social and economic factors as the causes of crime and deviance
Power elite - a small group of wealthy and influential people at the top of society who hold the
power and resources
Labeling theory - examines the ascribing of a deviant behavior to another person by members of
society.
Primary deviance - a violation of norms that does not result in any long-term effects on the
individual's self-image or interactions with others
Secondary deviance - occurs when a person's self-concept and behavior begin to change after
his or her actions are labeled as deviant by members of society
Master status - a label that describes the chief characteristic of an individual
Differential association theory - individuals learn deviant behavior from those close to them
who provide models of and opportunities for deviance
Control theory - social control is directly affected by the strength of social bonds and that
deviance results from a feeling of disconnection from society
Crime - a behavior that violates official law and is punishable through formal sanctions
Legal codes - maintain formal social control through laws
Laws - rules adopted and enforced by a political authority
Violent crimes (also known crimes against a person) - based on the use of force or the threat of
force. Rape, murder, and armed robbery fall under this category
Nonviolent crimes (also known as property crimes) - involve the destruction or theft of
property, but do not use force or the threat of force. Larceny, car theft, and vandalism are all
types of nonviolent crimes.
Street crime/offenses - committed by ordinary people against other people or organizations,
usually in public spaces
Corporate crime (also known as white collar crime) – committed by white-collar workers in a
business environment. Embezzlement, insider trading, and identity theft are all types of corporate
crime
Victimless crime - called victimless because the perpetrator is not explicitly harming another
person. As opposed to battery or theft, which clearly have a victim, a crime underage drinking or
selling/buying a sexual act
Hate crimes - attacks based on a person's race, religion, or other characteristics
Self-report study - a collection of data acquired using voluntary response methods, such as
questionnaires or telephone interviews
Criminal justice system - an organization that exists to enforce a legal code. There are three
branches of the United States criminal justice system: the police, the courts, and the corrections
system.
Police - a civil force in charge of enforcing laws and public order at a federal, state, or
community level
Court - a system that has the authority to make decisions based on law
Corrections system (also known as the prison system) - tasked with supervising individuals
who have been arrested, convicted, and sentenced for a criminal offense