Deviant Behavior
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)
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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?
 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
Defense Mechanisms
Next to each of the statements below indicate with the appropriate letter the defense
mechanism that is illustrated. Use the following code.
A. Repression
Rationalization
E. Displacement
B. Regression
C. Reaction Formation
G. Projection
F. Sublimation
D.
1. Even a top baseball player will sometimes strike out on an easy pitch. When this
happens, his next action may be to throw his bat or kick the water cooler with all his
might.
2. Soldiers exposed to traumatic experiences in concentration camps during wartime
sometimes had amnesia and were unable to recall any part of their ordeal.
3. The mother of an unwanted child may feel guilty about not welcoming her child. As a
result, she may try to prove her love by becoming overindulgent and overprotective of the
child.
4. Mrs. Brown often accuses other women of talking too much and spreading rumors. It is
rather obvious to those who know her that she is revealing her own inclinations in that
area.
5. Paul, an aggressive child, had problems in elementary school, as he would frequently
fight with other children. Paul found when he entered high school that he could channel
this hostility into sports such as football and soccer.
6. The habitual drinker may insist that he really doesn’t care much for the taste of alcohol
but feels that he is obliged to drink with friends “just to be sociable.”
7. Mrs. James can’t understand why her husband has been so grumpy and irritable for the
past week. It certainly isn’t her fault that he didn’t receive the anticipated promotion at
the factory.
8. Parents might be reassured to know that children who pull wings off flies and jab pins
in the dog may eventually find their niche in the areas of dentistry or surgery.
9. Mike is always trying to impress his pals with how strong and independent he has
become. However, when Mike has social or emotional problems, he still wants his dad to
figure out the solution.
10. A student forgot that his dreaded final exam in geometry was scheduled for Friday.
This seemed unusual as the date of the exam had been marked on his calendar for several
weeks.
11. A boy will sometimes react against the strong sexual attraction that he feels toward
girls by becoming a confirmed “woman hater.”
12. The majority group of a culture may blame all the various ills of society on a small
minority group. This is a process termed “scapegoating” and is a factor in racial and
religious prejudice.
13. The individual who actually likes to have others do things for him may be quick to
criticize other people for being dependent and lazy.
14. James Riley has suffered heavy financial losses recently while playing the stock
market. Upon trading his big luxury car for an old small car, Jim informed his associates
that he bought the cheaper car to do his part in the battle against air pollution.
15. David Walters recently lost his executive position in a large corporation. Rather than
seek a new job, David finds comfort and escape through drinking, as alcohol helps him
forget the details of being fired.
16. Tory is apt to become annoyed when he recalls his earlier conviction as a Peeping
Tom. Tory has left his sordid past behind and now is a busy photographer for Playboy
magazine.
17. Joan has discovered an amazing coincidence in relation to her attendance at school.
Every time a test in Spanish is scheduled, she oversleeps and arrives at school too late for
the class.
18. Reformers may conduct campaigns against pornographic literature in order to fight
their own erotic interest in such material. They campaign to convince others of their own
purity and goodness.
19. Margaret is convinced that she received a “C” in her chemistry class instead of an
“A” because of widespread cheating by her fellow students. She is sure that she must be
as capable in the chemistry course as in her other subjects.
20. The young wife, after a bitter conflict with her husband, gives up her marriage as a
failure and returns to the home of her parents. She again takes on the role of the
dependent child who expects unlimited love and indulgence.
21. The high school teacher was criticized by the principal for having a disruptive class.
When the teacher got home that night, he argued with his wife and kicked the dog.
22. Adults who were sexually molested during childhood often report that all the details
of the painful episode have been forgotten.
23. It is possible that smokers have graduated from earlier stages of thumb-sucking and
pencil-chewing, neither of which would be acceptable behavior in adult society. Smoking
is a socially acceptable outlet for the oral need.
24. The woman with a strong sexual drive may feel that most other women exhibit
flirtatious behavior or wear revealing clothes.
25. After John was rejected by the admissions office at Yale, he claimed that he wouldn’t
enjoy attending such a large school anyway. Besides, he might receive higher grades at a
smaller local college.
26. Mary has secretly disliked her mother since she was a young child. As these feelings
arouse anxiety, Mary usually tells friends that she loves her mother very much.
27. Roger is a heavy drinker but has managed to keep this behavior a secret from his
friends. He is sure that most people actually drink as much as he does.
28. One psychological theory holds that the desire for sexual gratification, if frustrated or
blocked, may eventually find expression in painting or the writing of poetry.
29. A number of psychologists believe that social crusaders who advocate various forms
of social control may in reality be struggling with their own unconscious desires.
30. A 6-year-old child, who gave up bed-wetting at the age of 3, moves with his parents
to a new neighborhood. During the stressful period of adjusting to his new home, he
again wets the bed for several nights.
31. The girl who was not invited to the school dance told her friends that she would not
have attended if asked. She said that her teachers had assigned more homework than
usual and that she was simply too busy for any unimportant social functions.
32. It is typical for the person who is most difficult to convince in an argument to say that
everyone else is stubborn.
33. When a new baby arrives in the family, the older child will sometimes cry more than
usual and be more insistent about receiving caresses from the parents.
34. Billy always teases and annoys his younger brother after he himself is disciplined by
his parents.
35. Mr. Martin carried around a letter in his coat pocket for weeks. The note, which he
somehow neglected mailing, was an invitation to his mother-in-law to visit the family for
several months.
Sigmund Freud's Psychoanalytic Approach Applied to the Grinch
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Freudian Concepts:
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Death Instincts -- the Grinch demonstrates a drive toward aggression
and destruction. His desire was to destroy the Whos and their love of
Christmas; perhaps indicative of an unconscious desire for his own death,
but turned against the Whos.
Projection -- the Grinch projected his own feelings of disappointment and
misery onto the Whos when he predicted that they would all cry "boo,
who" upon discovering that Christmas would not be coming.
Oral Aggressive or Sadistic -- the Grinch's tendency toward pessimism,
hostility, and aggressiveness typifies this personality. The Grinch can also
be seen biting his nails and eating on a toothpick.
Id -- the Grinch had an overactive id. He sought to reduce the tension,
created by the Whos' enthusiasm for Christmas, by trying to keep it from
coming. The Grinch wanted the Whos' merry-making to stop, and he had
no regard for their wants and wishes.
Possible Explanation for the Grinch's Personality Transformation:
The Grinch's unconscious motives became conscious. Freud would say that
the Grinch gained insight into his desire for destruction. Perhaps he also
developed a stronger superego that led him to rescue the sled before it toppled
off the mountain.
Alfred Adler's Individual Psychology Approach Applied to the Grinch
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Adlerian Concepts:
 Organic Source of Inferiority -- the Grinch's heart was two sizes too
small
 Superiority Complex -- characterized by an exaggerated opinion of
one's abilities and accomplishments. The Grinch's need to demonstrate
his dominance over the Whos by taking away Christmas is indicative of
this complex.
 Avoiding Style of life -- an avoiding type stays safe by not facing life's
problems so as to avoid possible failure. For years the Grinch lived alone
on Mount Crumpit and avoided contact with the Whos.
 Social Interest -- innate potential to cooperate with others and serve
society. Demonstrated by the Grinch at the end when the Grinch returned
all the presents and even carved the Roast Beast.
Possible Explanation for the Grinch's Personality Transformation:
Adler posited that we all have the innate potential to cooperate with others and
to work toward societal goals (social interest). Adler also believed that
environmental influences were stronger than biological influence; therefore,
only when the Grinch encountered the "socially useful" environmental
influences of the Whos did his potential for social interest become activated.
Conversely, it may have been that his heart grew three sizes that day, thus
compensating for his original source of organic inferiority.
Karen Horney's Neopsychoanalytic Approach Applied to the Grinch
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Horneyan Concepts:
 Basic Anxiety -- pervasive feeling of helplessness and loneliness. The
Grinch most likely experienced a great deal of basic anxiety as a result of
living alone (except for his dog Max) on Mount Crumpit for 50-some
years.
 Self-Protective Mechanism of Attaining Power -- this was the Grinch's
way of ensuring that no one would hurt him: "If I have power, no one can
hurt me."
 Aggressive Personality -- characterized by dominating and controlling
others. The Grinch demonstrates this personality trend by trying to control
the Whos by taking away their Christmas. He also tries to control Max by
making him into a reindeer.
 Neurotic Needs for Power and Exploitation -- The Grinch's need to feel
powerful and to exploit Max are efforts to lessen the discomfort of basic
anxiety.
 Need for a Dominant Partner -- neurotic need associated with the
compliant personality. This need fits Max and explains why Max fit the
Grinch like a hand in a glove.
Possible Explanation for the Grinch's Personality Transformation:
The Whos provided the Grinch with a feeling of safety and acceptance that he
had never known. His feeling of basic anxiety was alleviated, and as a result
his need to use the self-protective mechanisms to defend against the anxiety
was eliminated. In the absence of this need to defend against basic anxiety, the
Grinch was able to follow his intrinsic tendency toward self-realization.
Abraham Maslow's Humanistic Approach Applied to the Grinch
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Maslow's Humanistic Concepts:
 Deficiency Needs (physiological and safely needs) -- the Grinch had
food, water, shelter, order, and stability in his life on Mount Crumpit.
 Belongingness and Love Needs -- the Grinch had adequately satisfied
his physiological and safely needs, but he was lacking in the area of
belongingness and love. He lacked others with whom he could feel as
sense of affiliation, affection, and acceptance. Without fulfilling this level
of the hierarchy, the Grinch was unable to progress any farther up the
hierarchy.
 Peak Experience -- a moment of complete ecstasy when the self is
transcended. The Grinch may have had a peak experience when he
realized that the Whos did not need their decorations and presents, but
that "Christmas perhaps means a little bit more." When the Grinch saves
the sled from sliding off the mountain, his eyes change from red to blue,
perhaps signaling a peak experience.
 Jonah Complex -- our doubts about our own abilities and our fears that
we are not up to the task of becoming self-actualized. The Grinch spent
so many years hating the Whos because he was afraid to maximize his
innate tendencies and live in a different way.
Possible Explanation for the Grinch's Personality Transformation:
The Grinch experienced from the Whos a sense of belongingness and love that
he had never known. It allowed him to proceed up the hierarchy, possibly to
becoming self-actualized at the end when he gives back all the decorations and
presents and functions harmoniously with the Whos.
Carl Roger's Humanistic Approach Applied to the Grinch
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Rogerian Concepts:
 Positive Regard -- the Grinch most likely did not receive much approval,
acceptance, or love in his life. This deficiency led him to live a life of
withdrawal.
 Unconditional Positive Regard -- the Grinch experienced this
acceptance of him even though he had tried to stop the Whos' Christmas
from coming. They cared about him regardless of his behaviors.
 Incongruence -- discrepancy between one's self-concept and experience
or behavior. At the end, the Grinch experienced a discrepancy after his
heart grew; he found himself having just stolen the Whos' Christmas and
now desperately needed to return their belongings to establish
congruency within himself.
 Fully Functioning Person -- at the end, the Grinch exhibited many
characteristics of a fully functioning person (or Grinch). He lived fully and
richly in the moment. He had a more open awareness to all experience.
He became open to positive as well as negative feelings.
Possible Explanation for the Grinch's Personality Transformation:
The Whos provided the Grinch with a curative relationship. They were genuine
and empathic, and they provided the Grinch and his dog Max with
unconditional positive regard. Roger believed that experiencing such a
relationship could be curative and that it was not necessary to enter therapy to
experience this acceptance. The Whos' acceptance of the Grinch allowed him
to accept himself and become fully functioning.