DEVIANCE
8.1
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
 What are the nature and social functions of deviance?
 How do the theories that have been proposed to explain deviance
compare?
KEY TERMS
 Deviance
 Labeling Theory
 Stigma
 Primary Deviance
 Criminologists
 Secondary Deviance
 Strain Theory
 Degradation Ceremony
 Anomie
 Control Theory
 Cultural Transmission Theory
DEVIANCE
 Behavior that violates significant social norms.
•
•
•
•
•
Continuously talking to oneself in public
Drag racing on a street or highway
Using illegal drugs
A man wearing women’s clothing
Attacking another person with a weapon
VALUES
 Collecticve Idea of what is right/wrong, good/bad
desirable/undiserable in a particular culture
• Core American values
NORMS
 Established rules of behavior or conduct.
• Formal and informal norms (those written vs. unwritten)
• Folkways
• Mores
• Laws
NATURE OF DEVIANCE
 Every society has countless norms which govern behavior., these
are called values
 Because there are so many norms, violations are inevitable and
unavoidable.
 NOT all norm violations are considered deviant.

What is considered deviant can vary from society to society.
•
•

Divorce is legal in the US
Divorce is illegal in the Phillipines
Typically repeating an offense can label you as deviant.
•
Two components required to label you as deviant.
1. You must be committing a deviant act
2. You must be stigmatized by society.
STIGMA
 The mark of social disgrace that sets the deviant apart from the
rest of society.
 Stigmas have been used as a form of social control throughout
history.
• Example: Ancient Greeks would burn symbols into the bodies of
criminals to warn others.
• Example: Prison inmates wear uniformed clothing and are assigned a
number. (Visual Stigma)
 When sociologists talk about stigmas they are usually referring to
the negative social reactions that result from being labeled deviant.
 That person is no longer seen as being normal or whole by society.
THE SOCIAL FUNCTIONS
OF DEVIANCE
 Emile Durkheim observed that deviance has some uses in social
life.
 Deviance helps to clarify norms, unify the group, diffuse tension,
and promote social change.
 Deviance also helps to create jobs, such as law enforcement.
THE SOCIAL FUNCTIONS OF DEVIANCE:
CLARIFYING NORMS
 Deviance serves to define the boundaries of acceptable behavior.
 When rules are broken we are reminded of the norms that guide
social life.
 Punishment serves as a reminder that certain behaviors will not be
tolerated by society.
THE SOCIAL FUNCTIONS OF
DEVIANCE:
UNIFYING THE GROUP
 Deviance also serves to draw the line between conforming
members of society and “outsiders”, or the non-conforming
members.
 Reinforces the sense of community and the belief in shared values.
THE SOCIAL FUNCTIONS OF DEVIANCE:
DIFFUSING TENSION
 When people are unhappy with their lives or social conditions, they
may want to strike out against society.
 Minor acts of deviance serve as a safety valve.
 These acts relieve tension without disrupting the basic fabric of
society.
THE SOCIAL FUNCTIONS OF
DEVIANCE:
P RO M OT I N G S O C I A L C H A N G E
 Deviance can help prompt social change by identifying problem
areas.
 When large numbers of people violate a particular norm it is often
an indication that something in society needs to be changed.
THE SOCIAL FUNCTIONS
OF DEVIANCE:
PROVIDING JOBS
Deviance provides jobs for many people.
• Lawyers, Judges, Police Officers, Prison
Personnel, Parole Officers, Criminologists,
etc…
FUNCTIONALIST
PERSPECTIVE
The major functionalist explanation, strain theory
was developed by sociologist Robert K. Merton.
Strain Theory – views deviance as the natural
outgrowth of the values, norms, and structure of society.
[Individuals may be prevented from finding a job b/c
of social conditions or b/c of lack of education. They
are expected, however, to meet the goal of finding a jobsociety judges them according to how well they do so]
Mer ton’s Str uctural Strain
T heor y
Four Deviant Responses [Mode of Adaptation]
•
•
•
•
Innovation
Ritualism
Retreatism
Rebellion
ANOMIE
 Under the strain of incompatible goals and means, these
individuals fall victim to anomie.
 Anomie – the situation that arises when the norms of society are
unclear and no longer applicable.
CONFLICT PERSPECTIVE
 Competition and social inequality lead to deviance.
 There are those with power (Ruling Class) and those without
(Lower Classes)
 Ruling Class commits acts of deviance to maintain their power.
 Lower Class commits acts of deviance to gain economic means or
b/c of feelings of powerlessness.
INTERACTIONIST
PERSPECTIVE
 Interactionists offer three major explanations of deviance:
• Control Theory
• Cultural Transmission Theory
• Labeling Theory
 Remember Interactionists are more interested in the individual and
the thoughts and feelings of that individual.
CONTROL THEORY
 Control Theorists are more interested in why the person conforms
rather than the causes of deviance.
 Looks at the social ties that are integrated into a community.
• Strong Communities have less acts of deviance.
• Weaker Communities have more acts of deviance.
CULTURAL TRANSMISSION
THEORY
 This theory explains that deviance is a learned behavior through
socialization.
 The interaction of deviant individuals and others is more likely to
cause deviant behavior.
 The norms being taught are deviant.
LABELING THEORY
 Instead of focusing on why people perform deviant acts, labeling
theory focuses on how individuals come to be identified as deviant.
 Deviance is labeled in two ways
•
Primary Deviance
•
•
Nonconformity – goes undetected in society. Not Deviant.
Secondary Deviance
•
Results in the individual being labeled as Deviant…and accepting the label
as true.
DEGRADATION CEREMONY
 The process of labeling an individual as deviant.
 Public Setting – The individual is denounced, found guilty, and
given the new identity of deviant.
 People begin to judge practically all of his or her actions in light of
the deviant label.
 Deviant becomes the persons master status.
EXPLAINING DEVIANCE
Perspective
Theory
Questions
Functionalist
Strain
How do individuals respond to culturally approved goals and the
legitimate means of achieving them?
Conflict
Conflict
What is the result of competition and social inequality?
(Deviance) Who decides what is deviant. (Ruling Classes)
Interactionist
Control
Why do people conform to norms? (The strength of social ties
determines conformity.)
Cultural Transmission
How do people learn conformity or deviance? (Through
socialization, or interaction with others) Where does this
learning mainly occur? (Primary Groups)
Labeling
How do people become identified as deviant? (Through
secondary deviance, or being labeled as deviant)
The End.