Prof. P. Marina
Week Eight Assignment: Study for Exam
Social Deviance: Week Eight
Week Eight Readings:
Goode: Social Deviance: Forms of Deviance
The Social Construction of Drug Scares , Craig Reinarman
The Cycle of Abstinence and Relapse Among heroin Addicts , Marsh Ray
Clarke: Deviant Behavior: Control Theory
A Control Theory of Delinquency , Travis Herschi
Heavy Episodic Drinking Among Adolescents: A Test Hypothesis Derived from
Control Theory , Costello, Anderson, and Stein
The Interactionist, Societal Reactions, or Labeling Perspective
Career Deviance , Howard Becker
Definition and the Dramatization of Evil , Frank Tannenbaum
Select Weekly Notes:
Definition and the Dramatization of Evil , Frank Tannenbaum
I. CONFLICT BETWEEN DELINQUENT AND COMMUNITY
 WHEN AN ACT IS COMMITTED THERE EXIST DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS OF THE SITUATION
 VALUES MAY NOT BE THE SAME, DIFFERENT EMPHASIS, ETC.
 COMMUNITY DEFINES THE ACT ONE WAY, THE JUVENILE DEFINES IT ANOTHER
 SHIFT OF LABEL FROM ACT TO ACTOR
"THE YOUNG DELINQUENT BECOMES BAD BECAUSE HE [SHE] IS DEFINED AS BAD
AND BECAUSE HE [SHE] IS NOT BELIEVED IF HE [SHE] IS GOOD."
 EVERYTHING SEEMS TO WORK TO DEFINE THE YOUTH IN NEGATIVE TERMS
 THIS DEFINITION IS BUILT UP OVER TIME AND REINFORCES THROUGH INTERACTIONS WITH
OTHERS
 WHAT MAY HAVE STARTED AS A SIMPLE PROBLEM HAS TURNED SOUR, BR> TANNENBAUM
BELIEVES THAT IT IS OFTEN SOCIETY OR THE INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE THE PROBLEM,
TRYING TO MAKE EVERYONE FIT
 THE YOUTH TURNS TO A GROUP THAT OFFERS ALTERATIVE VALUES, HABITS, INTERESTS, AND
ATTITUDES - THE GANG
II. GANGS BECOME THE IMPORTANT SOCIETAL REFERENCE POINT FOR THE YOUTH NOW; ATTEMPTS TO
MESS WITH IT ONLY CREATES MORE PROBLEMS
 ONLY ONE OR A FEW YOUTH ARE CAUGHT WHEN A GANG DOES SOMETHING WRONG
 THIS SINGLES OUT ONE FOR ATTENTION
THE YOUTH ENTERS A WHOLE NEW WORLD THAT OTHERS DON'T EXPERIENCE, THE C.J. SYSTEM

"THE BOY, NO DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF HIS GANG, SUDDENLY BECOMES THE
CENTER OF A MAJOR DRAMA..."
 WHAT USE TO BE JUST FUN, THINGS EVERYBODY YOU HUNG WITH DID, ARE NOW PRESENTED
TO YOU IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT, YOU ARE BAD
III. THE DRAMATIZATION OF EVIL
 THIS FIRST LABEL IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY OTHER EXPERIENCE IN MAKING THE
CRIMINAL
"THE PROCESS OF MAKING THE CRIMINAL, THEREFORE, IS A PROCESS OF
TAGGING, DEFINING, IDENTIFYING, SEGREGATING, DESCRIBING, EMPHASIZING,
MAKING CONSCIOUS AND SELF-CONSCIOUS; IT BECOMES A WAY OF STIMULATING,
SUGGESTING, EMPHASIZING, AND EVOKING THE VERY TRAITS THAT ARE
COMPLAINED OF."
 THE YOUTH BECOMES WHAT HE/SHE IS DESCRIBED AS BEING
 IT DOES NOT MATTER THE INTENTION OF THE LABEL, PUNISHMENT OR HELP
IV. WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
 "THE WAY OUT IS THROUGH A REFUSAL TO DRAMATIZE THE EVIL. THE LESS SAID
ABOUT IT THE BETTER. THE MORE SAID ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE, STILL
BETTER."
 FOCUS ON THE GROUP; MUST CHANGE ATTITUDES; PUNISHMENT DOES NOT CHANGE CHARACTER
V. IN SUM
1.
THE SOCIAL AUDIENCE CREATES DEVIANCE AND DEVIANTS BY SO DEFINING THE ACTS AND
THE ACTORS THAT WAY
2.
A PROCESS OF TRANSFERENCE TAKES PLACE, THE LABEL IS EASILY TRANSFERRED FROM ACT
TO ACTOR
3.
THE LABEL RELATES TO THE CONDUCT NORMS AND THE BEHAVIOR BUT THE CONNECTION IS A
VERY LOSEONE
A Control Theory of Delinquency, Travis Herschi
DELINQUENCY IS THE RESULT OF A WEAK OR BROKEN BOND TO SOCIETY
1. WHAT IN PARTICULAR ARE INDIVIDUALS BONDED TO?
OPEN TO INVESTIGATION

2. WHAT MOTIVATES PEOPLE TO ACT?
THAT IS ALSO AN OPEN QUESTION
THE QUESTION IS NOT;
"WHY DO THEY DO IT?"
THE QUESTION REMAINS;
"WHY DON'T WE DO IT?"
THE FOUR ELEMENTS OF THE BOND
1.
ATTACHMENT
ATTACHMENT TO SIGNIFICANT OTHERS
INTERNALIZE NORMS AND VALUES
RESPECT FOR THOSE YOU CARE FOR (INDIRECT CONTROL)
2.
COMMITMENT
COMMITMENT TO A PARTICULAR LINE OF ACTION
A. UNDERSTANDS THE RAMIFICATIONS FOR PURSUING OTHER INTERESTS
B. THIS PROVIDES ONE A STAKE IN CONFORMITY
3.
INVOLVEMENT
LEGITIMATE USE OF TIME AND ENERGY
A. OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES
B. TOO MUCH LEISURE TIME LEADS TO PROBLEMS
4.
BELIEF
BELIEF IN COMMON VALUE SYSTEM
WHAT MOTIVATES SOMEONE TO DEVIANCE?
"WE ASSUME, IN CONTRAST, THAT THERE IS VARIATION IN THE EXTENT TO WHICH
PEOPLE BELIEVE THEY SHOULD OBEY THE RULES OF SOCIETY, AND, FURTHERMORE, THAT
THE LESS A PERSON BELIEVES HE [OR SHE] SHOULD OBEY THE RULES, THE MORE
LIKELY HE [OR SHE] IS TO VIOLATE THEM."
Howard Becker: CAREER DEVIANCE
1.
NOT CONCERNED WITH PRIMARY DEVIANCE BUT WITH SECONDARY DEVIANCE

HOW DOES ONE DEVELOP DEVIANT MOTIVES AND INTERESTS?
ONE LEARNS TO PARTAKE IN THE SUBCULTURE, E.G. SMOKING AND ENJOYING
MARIJUANA,
1.
LABELING THAT EFFECTS THE CHANGE TO SECONDARY DEVIANCE MAY BE BROUGHT ON
BY OTHERS IN A PROCESS, BY SELF DEFINITION, OR BY PSYCHOLOGICAL DESIRES TO
BE CAUGHT, DOES NOT MATTER AT THIS POINT
2.
MASTER AND AUXILIARY STATUS
 MASTER STATUS IS THE KEY TRAIT THAT IDENTITIES US,
 EACH MASTER STATUS HAS AUXILIARY ONES THE WE EXPECT TO FIND,
 WE ALSO HAVE OTHER SUBORDINATE STATUSES
 SOMETIMES THEY DON'T FIT
 SAME HOLDS TRUE FOR A DEVIANT MASTER STATUS AND ASSUMED AUXILIARY
ONES
"THUS, APPREHENSION FOR ONE DEVIANT ACT EXPOSES A PERSON TO THE
LIKELIHOOD THAT HE WILL BE REGARDED AS DEVIANT OR UNDESIRABLE IN
OTHER RESPECTS."
 SUBORDINATING ALL OTHER STATUSES TO THE MASTER STATUS IS A PROBLEM
"TREATING A PERSON AS THOUGH HE WERE GENERALLY RATHER THAN
SPECIFICALLY DEVIANT PRODUCES AS SELF-FULLING PROPHECY."
 SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY IS A PROCESS SET IN MOTION
1.
CUT OFF FROM OTHERS IN CONVENTIONAL GROUPS
2.
TREATED IN APPROPRIATE WAY FOR THE TYPE OF DEVIANCE, THIS WILL
FURTHER PRODUCE DEVIANCE
"THE BEHAVIOR IS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE PUBLIC REACTION TO THE
DEVIANCE RATHER THAN A CONSEQUENCE OF THE INHERENT QUALITIES
OF THE DEVIANT ACT."
WHAT IS A CONVICTED DRUNK DRIVER SUPPOSE TO DO WHEN THEIR
LICENSE IS REVOKED?
3.
MOVEMENT INTO AN ORGANIZED DEVIANT GROUP
GROUP MEMBERSHIP PROVIDES A BASE FOR AND SOLIDIFIES A DEVIANT
IDENTITY
DEVELOP a "COMPLICATED HISTORICAL, LEGAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL
JUSTIFICATION FOR THEIR DEVIANT ACTIVITY." ALSO LEARNS HOW TO
CONTINUE WITH THEIR DEVIANT BEHAVIOR WITH A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF
TROUBLE
HOW TO DO WHATEVER IT IS BETTER, WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF
DETECTION
 NOT EVERYONE HAS POWER TO LABEL, SOME ARE MORE LIKELY TO APPLY A

Weekly Questions:
LABEL AND HAVE IT STICK,
THESE PEOPLE BECKER CALLS MORAL ENTREPRENEURS.
One: According to Herschi's control theory, DELINQUENCY IS THE RESULT OF A WEAK OR
BROKEN BOND TO SOCIETY. Thinking about the literature and your own personal experiences, respond to the following:
A. What IN PARTICULAR ARE INDIVIDUALS BONDED TO? What are you bonded to?
B. What MOTIVATES PEOPLE TO ACT? What motivates you to act?
C. The QUESTION IS NOT why do people/you do it but rather, why we/you don't do it?
So, Why?
Two: Discuss the basic assumptions of control theory. In your discussion, e xplain
Herschi's four elements of the bond. a. Attachment: b. commitment: c. Involvement: d. Belief:
Four: According to Tannenbaum, what is the conflict between the delinquent and the community?
Five: Tannenbaum explains that GANGS BECOME THE IMPORTANT SOCIETAL REFERENCE POINT FOR
THE YOUTH in conflict with his community. What does he mean in his statement: The
ATTEMPT TO break up the gang by force merely strengthens it?
Six: Tannenbaum Quote: "THE BOY, NO DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF HIS GANG, SUDDENLY
BECOMES THE CENTER OF A MAJOR DRAMA..." Explain this drama.
Seven: How does the following Tannenbaum quote “THE PROCESS OF MAKING THE CRIMINAL,
THEREFORE, IS A PROCESS OF TAGGING, DEFINING, IDENTIFYING, SEGREGATING, DESCRIBING,
EMPHASIZING, MAKING CONSCIOUS AND SELF-CONSCIOUS; IT BECOMES A WAY OF STIMULATING,
SUGGESTING, EMPHASIZING, AND EVOKING THE VERY TRAITS THAT ARE COMPLAINED OF” compare with Becker's process of becoming a deviant. Use his master and auxiliary status traits in your discussion.

Eight: Explain why Tannenbaum makes the following argument: "The WAY OUT IS THROUGH A
REFUSAL TO DRAMATIZE THE EVIL. THE LESS SAID ABOUT IT THE BETTER. THE MORE SAID ABOUT
SOMETHING ELSE, STILL BETTER."
Nine: Costello, Anderson, and Stein's study supports control theory in explaining heavy episodic drinking among teenagers. Thinking of your past (or present) explain if this theory, and the findings of the above scholars, fit well with your own experiences. Explain.
Ten: Explain the conflicting views on the effect of social integration held by control theory and normative explanations of heavy episodic drinking. Do students who drink heavily seek out groups that drink heavy? Does peer pressure and increased invitations to drink lead to heavier drinking. Which approach, from your perspective works best, social learning theory or control theory? Explain.