Boundaries Readings in Deviance Crime and Criminal Justice Answers at End of Sections

Sociological Theories of Deviance

Sociological theories of deviance are those that use social context and social pressures to explain deviance.

Learning Objectives

Depict 4 dissimilar sociological approaches to deviance

Key Takeaways

Key Points

• Social strain typology, adult past Robert Thousand. Merton, is based upon two criteria: (1) a person'due south motivations or adherence to cultural goals; (2) a person's conventionalities in how to reach her goals.
• According to Merton, there are v types of deviance based upon these criteria: conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism and rebellion.
• Structural functionalism argues that deviant beliefs plays an active, effective function in society by ultimately helping cohere different populations within a order.
• Conflict theory suggests that deviant behaviors result from social, political, or material inequalities in a social group.
• Labeling theory argues that people go deviant as a result of people forcing that identity upon them and and so adopting the identity.

Key Terms

• conformity: the ideology of adhering to i standard or social uniformity
• typology: The systematic classification of the types of something co-ordinate to their common characteristics.
• Retrospective labeling: Occurs when a deviant recognizes her acts as deviant prior to the primary deviance, while prospective labeling is when the deviant recognizes time to come acts as deviant.

The report of social deviance is the study of the violation of cultural norms in either formal or breezy contexts. Social deviance is a phenomenon that has existed in all societies with norms. Sociological theories of deviance are those that use social context and social pressures to explain deviance.

Crime: The written report of social deviance is the written report of the violation of cultural norms in either formal or informal contexts. Social deviance is a phenomenon that has existed in all societies where there have been norms.

Social Strain Typology

Iv main sociological theories of deviance be. The first is the social strain typology developed by American sociologist Robert Yard. Merton. Merton proposed a typology of deviant beliefs, a classification scheme designed to facilitate understanding. Merton typology of deviance was based on 2 criteria: (1) a person'southward motivations or adherence to cultural goals; (2) a person'southward conventionalities in how to attain her goals. According to Merton, there are v types of deviance based upon these criteria: conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism and rebellion. Merton's typology is fascinating because it suggests that people tin can turn to deviance in the pursuit of widely accustomed social values and goals. For instance, individuals in the U.S. who sell illegal drugs have rejected the culturally acceptable means of making coin, but they still share the widely accepted cultural value of making money. Thus, deviance can exist the event of accepting ane norm, but breaking another in lodge to pursue the first.

Structural Functionalism

The 2nd primary sociological explanation of deviance comes from structural functionalism. This approach argues that deviant beliefs plays an active, constructive role in society by ultimately helping to cohere dissimilar populations within a particular social club. Deviance helps to distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. It draws lines and demarcates boundaries. This is an important role that affirms the cultural values and norms of a society for the members of that order. In improver to clarifying the moral boundaries of social club, deviant beliefs can also promote social unity by creating an "usa-versus-them" mentality in relation to deviant individuals. Finally, deviance is really seen equally ane ways for society to alter over fourth dimension. Deviant behavior tin imbalance the social equilibrium only—in the process of restoring residual—gild volition adjust norms. With changing norms in response to deviance, the deviant behavior tin contribute to long-term social stability.

Conflict Theory

Punks: Labeling theory argues that people, such as punks, become deviant as a result of people forcing that identity upon them and and then adopting the identity.

The 3rd main sociological theory of deviance is conflict theory. Conflict theory suggests that deviant behaviors result from social, political, or material inequalities of a social group. In response to these inequalities, certain groups will act deviantly in order to change their circumstances, modify the social structure that engendered their circumstances, or just to "act out" confronting their oppressors. An example of disharmonize theory would be the Occupy Wall Street motion that began in the fall of 2011. Angered at the extreme inequalities in wealth distribution in the United States, protesters began to organize more communal ways of living in Zucotti Park—near Wall Street in New York Metropolis—in club to protest the lavish means of life of those at the height of the socioeconomic ladder. The protesters were deviating from social norms of coherence in order to clear grievances confronting the extremely wealthy. Their actions and perspectives demonstrate the use of conflict theory to explicate social deviance.

Labeling Theory

The fourth master sociological theory of deviance is labeling theory. Labeling theory refers to the thought that individuals become deviant when a deviant label is practical to them; they adopt the label by exhibiting the behaviors, actions, and attitudes associated with the characterization. Labeling theory argues that people become deviant as a consequence of others forcing that identity upon them. This process works because of stigma; in applying a deviant label, one attaches a stigmatized identity to the labeled individual.

Labeling theory allows us to understand how past behaviors of a deviant-labeled individual are reinterpreted in accord with their label. This process of recasting past actions in calorie-free of a current deviant identity is referred to as "retrospective labeling. " A articulate example of retrospective labeling is seen in how the perpetrators of the Columbine Loftier Schoolhouse massacre were recast after the incident took place. Much of their beliefs leading up to the school shootings has been reinterpreted in light of the deviant identity with which they were labeled as a result of the shootings.

Biological Theories of Deviance

A biological theory of deviance proposes that an private deviates from social norms largely because of their biological makeup.

Learning Objectives

Outline the main assumptions of three biological theories of deviance

Cardinal Takeaways

Central Points

• A biological interpretation of formal deviance was first advanced past the Italian School of Criminology, a school of thought originating from Italian republic during the mid-nineteenth century.
• The school was headed by medical criminologist Cesare Lombroso, who argued that misdeed was a biological trait constitute in some human beings. The term Lombroso used to draw the appearance of organisms resembling ancestral forms of life is atavism.
• The idea of atavism drew a connection between an individual's advent and their biological propensity to deviate from social norms.
• Enrico Ferri took this idea further, arguing that anyone bedevilled of a offense should be detained for as long as possible. According to Ferri's line of idea, if individuals committed crimes because of their biological constitution, what was the signal of deterrence or rehabilitation?
• Garofalo is perhaps best known for his efforts to codify a "natural" definition of crime. According to his view, those who violate homo universal laws are themselves "unnatural".

Fundamental Terms

• penology: The processes devised and adopted for the penalization and prevention of crime.
• atavism: The reappearance of an ancestral feature in an organism after several generations of absence.
• Italian School of Criminology: The Italian school of criminology was founded at the end of the 19th century by Cesare Lombroso (1835–1909) and 2 of his Italian disciples, Enrico Ferri (1856–1929) and Raffaele Garofalo (1851–1934).

A biological theory of deviance proposes that an individual deviates from social norms largely because of their biological makeup. The theory primarily pertains to formal deviance, using biological reasons to explain criminality, though it can certainly extend to informal deviance.

Cesare Lombroso

A biological interpretation of formal deviance was first advanced by the Italian School of Criminology, a schoolhouse of thought originating from Italian republic during the mid-nineteenth century. The school was headed by medical criminologist Cesare Lombroso, who argued that criminality was a biological trait found in some human beings. Enrico Ferri and Raffaelo Garofalo continued the Italian Schoolhouse as Lombroso's predecessors. The Italian School was interested in why some individuals engaged in criminal behavior and others did non. Their explanation was that some individuals had a biological propensity for crime.

The term Lombroso used to describe the appearance of organisms resembling ancestral forms of life is atavism. He belived that atavism was a sign of inherent criminalities, and thus he viewed built-in criminals as a form of homo sub-species. Lombroso believed that atavism could be identified by a number of measurable physical stigmata—a protruding jaw, drooping eyes, big ears, twisted and flattish olfactory organ, long artillery relative to the lower limbs, sloping shoulders, and a coccyx that resembled "the stump of a tail. " The concept of atavism was glaringly incorrect, but similar so many others of his time, Lombroso sought to understand behavioral phenomena with reference to the principles of evolution as they were understood at the fourth dimension.

Enrico Ferri

Lombroso's work was continued past Erico Ferri's written report of penology, the department of criminology that is concerned with the philosophy and do of various societies in their endeavour to repress criminal activities. Ferri's work on penology was instrumental in developing the "social defense force" justification for the detention of individuals bedevilled of crimes. Ferri argued that anyone convicted of a crime should be detained for as long equally possible. According to Ferri's line of thought, if individuals committed crimes because of their biological constitution, what was the betoken of deterrence or rehabilitation? For Ferri, none of these therapeutic interventions could change the offender'southward biology, making them pointless. Afterwards an individual had been convicted of a crime, the state 'southward responsibleness was to protect the community and preclude the criminal from doing more harm—as his biology determined he would do.

Raffaelo Garofalo

Garofalo is perhaps best known for his efforts to formulate a "natural" definition of crime. Classical thinkers accepted the legal definition of crime uncritically; offense is what the law says it is. This appeared to be rather arbitrary and "unscientific" to Garofalo, who wanted to anchor the definition of criminal offence in something natural. Well-nigh significant was Garofalo's reformulation of classical notions of crime and his redefinition of crime as a violation of natural law, or a man universal.

A human universal is a trait, characteristic, or behavior that exists across cultures, regardless of the nuances of a given context. A famous example of a universal is the incest taboo. Exempting a very small number of small communities, all man cultures have a taboo confronting incest in some form. Garofalo's presentaion of criminal offense every bit a violation of a human being universal allows for one to narrate criminals as unnatural. As soon every bit criminals are marked as inhuman or unnatural, the public has license to think of an private convicted of a crime as completely unlike the balance of society; a whole new range of punishments are authorized, including serious social stigmatization.

Biological Theories Today

Italian School biological explanations have not resonated in criminal justice systems in America. However, some traces still be. Now, the conversation about offense and biological explanations focuses more than on the relationship between genetics and crime than the relationship between phenotypic features and crime. Because the modernistic emphasis is on bodily genetics rather than phenotypic expressions of genes, stereotyping of individuals with "criminal" traits or propensities is more difficult. For instance, when walking downwardly the street, yous can tell who has a protruding jaw, just you lot can't tell who has the genetic combination that increases ane's propensity for aggression. Though the contend has mutated, a biological caption for deviance and crime is still commonplace.

Cesare Lombroso: Cesare Lombroso argued that criminality was a biological trait found in some homo beings

Enrico Ferri: Lombroso'southward work was continued past Erico Ferri's study of penology, the section of criminology that is concerned with the philosophy and practice of various societies in their effort to repress criminal activities.

Psychological Theories of Deviance

Psychological theories of deviance use a deviant's psychology to explain his motivation or compulsion to violate social norms.

Learning Objectives

Discuss the problematic aspects of psychological theories of deviance

Central Takeaways

Key Points

• Acquit disorder is a psychological disorder diagnosed in childhood that presents itself through a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in which the basic rights of others of major age-appropriate norms are violated.
• Deviant behavior can also be explained by psychological trauma in ane'south by.
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychological condition in which a traumatic incident in one's past compels an individual to take abnormal reactions to stimuli.
• Though psychological theories are frequently employed to explicate deviant behavior, one should carry in mind that the stability of psychological categories is constantly in flux.

Key Terms

• carry disorder: Conduct disorder is a psychological disorder diagnosed in childhood that presents itself through a repetitive and persistent pattern of beliefs in which the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate norms are violated.
• Psychological theory of deviance: In many ways, psychological theories of deviance mirror biological explanations (run across department: Biological Theories of Deviance), simply with an emphasis on the brain.
• post-traumatic stress disorder: Whatever condition that develops following some stressful state of affairs or event, such equally sleep disturbance, recurrent dreams, withdrawal or lack of concentration.

Psychological theories of deviance use a deviant'southward psychology to explain his motivation and compulsion to violate social norms. In many ways, psychological theories of deviance mirror biological explanations, only with an added emphasis on brain function. Whereas historical biological explanations, such as those provided by the Italian School, used biological traits from the whole body (e.g., protruding jaws, large ears) every bit signifiers of a biological propensity for criminal behavior, today'southward psychological theories of deviance use the biological science of the encephalon (in terms of the structure of the brain, levels of neurotransmitters, and psychiatric diagnoses) to explain deviance.

Conduct Disorder

I case study of a psychological theory of deviance is the instance of conduct disorder. Conduct disorder is a psychological disorder diagnosed in childhood that presents itself through a repetitive and persistent design of behavior in which the bones rights of others and major age-appropriate norms are violated. This childhood disorder is often seen as the precursor to antisocial personality disorder. Co-ordinate the Diagnostic and Statistical Transmission of Mental Disorders–4 (the professional manual listing all medically recognized mental disorders and their symptoms), comport disorder presents as aggressive and disrespectful behavior. Compared to normal controls, youth with early and adolescent onset of conduct disorder displayed reduced responses in the brain regions associated with antisocial beliefs. In addition, youth with behave disorder demonstrated less responsiveness in the orbitofrontal regions of the brain during a stimulus-reinforcement and reward chore. These psychological symptoms of comport disorder, both in terms of neuroanatomy and neurotransmitter regulation, assistance to explicate the explanatory link between psychology and criminal offence. Moreover, they demonstrate the increasingly fluid boundary between psychological and biological theories of deviance.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – Iv: According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – IV, the professional person manual listing all medically recognized mental disorders and their symptoms, conduct disorder presents as aggressive and disrespectful behavior.

Psychological Trauma

Psychological theories of deviance do not necessarily have a biological chemical element. Deviant behavior can too be explained by psychological trauma in i's by. Have, for example, the example of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is a psychological condition in which a traumatic incident in one'due south past causes an private to have abnormal reactions to stimuli. PTSD is ofttimes invoked in cases of child abuse, in which the psychological trauma of having been abused as a child can contribute to deviant behavior in the future. PTSD is also discussed in cases of deviant, violent behavior on the part of individuals who have experienced trauma while in the war machine. Consider the case of Sergeant Robert Bales. Sgt. Bales is an American soldier who has served four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan over the by decade. Sgt. Bales is accused of getting drunkard and going into a town nearby his post in Transitional islamic state of afghanistan and murdering 16 Afghanis without provocation. Experts are already speculating that the psychological trauma of multiple redeployments contributed to Sgt. Bales'southward alleged deviance.

Problems with Psychological Theories of Deviance

While psychiatric diagnoses are commonly used to explain deviance, one must remember that what counts as a legitimate diagnosis is always in contention. The DSM, the transmission for what the psychological customs recognizes as a legitimate psychiatric diagnosis, is a revised transmission. One example of the importance of these revisions: homosexuality used to be included in the DSM as a psychiatric condition. Thus, until it was removed in 1986, homosexuality (the psychological condition) could have been a psychological explanation for deviant sexuality. Withal, since being removed from the DSM, homosexuality is no longer recognized equally a legitimate psychiatric status and, therefore, the now debunked homosexuality-as-psychiatric-status does not serve an explanatory office in regards to deviant sexuality. This goes to demonstrate the fluctuating nature of psychological theories of deviance.

PTSD Statistics: Cases of PTSD and Severe Depression Among U.S. Veterans Deployed to Republic of iraq and Transitional islamic state of afghanistan Between October 2001 and Oct 2007

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