DEVIANCE and SOCIAL CONTROL

1. DEVIANCE and SOCIAL CONTROL • Defined as an act that violates a social norm. • Refers to any action that is perceived as violating some widely shared moral values or norms of a society or group culture. • Prerequisite to deviance is the violation of standards of conduct or expectations of a group of society.

2. Kinds of deviance • Positive - develops, hones, and uplifts the personality of the person. Negative - destroys, injures, jeopardizes the personality of the person.

3. Some forms of deviance • Criminal and non-criminal deviance - involves violation of criminal law. • Social definition of deviance - involves violation of social norms.

4. Bio-Psychological Theories of Deviance • According to Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909), considered as the Italian father of criminology, “criminal deviants have low cranial capacity, retreating forehead, highly developed frontal sinuses, tufted hair, large ears, and relative insensibility to pain.”

5. 1. Somotypes - in 1940, William H. Sheldon conducted another study related to Lombroso’s claim that “crime is biologically determined.” He concluded that we could predict man’s likes and dislikes by measuring his body. (The Varieties of Human Physique)

6. The theory of SOMOTYPES stated that people’s behavior or temperament is determined by their physique.

7. According to this theory there are 3 somotypes: 1. endomorphs – people who are fat, and round, with short tapering limbs. 2. ectomorphs – people who are thin, delicate, and bony, with small faces, sharp noses, and fine hairs.

8. 3. mesomorphs – people who are big- boned and muscular with large trunks, heavy chests, and large wrists and hands.

9. Temperamentally, ENDOMORPHS are relaxed, outgoing people who like comfort and eating. • ECTOMORPHS shrink from big crowds, noise, and distractions and have numerous complaints, allergies, and skin troubles, and usually suffer from chronic, fatigue and insomnia.

10. Mesomorphs are usually the troublemakers and have the greatest chance of becoming delinquent. - they are active, walk and talk, and often behave aggressively.

11. 2. Genetics - this comprises one of the present day criminology theories that continue to offer a genetic explanation for the cause of violent crime.

12. The theory suggests that excessive aggression and hostility are the result of the presence of an extra Y chromosome. Proponents of this theory argue that there is a disproportionate number of criminal men with an XYY chromosomal make-up as compared to the remaining population.

13. 3. Pathology - another biological explanation of deviance today is evident in Alcoholics Anonymous programs which, according to Preston (1975), are based on the belief that alcoholism is both “a physical allergy and mental compulsion,” or simply a physical sickness as a form of social deviance.

14. According to Smith and Preston (1982), pathology has been popular and satisfying explanation for deviance because of two main reasons:

15. 1.Pathology-based theory is easily understood since everyone knows what disease is and this is easily given credibility. 2.Pathology removes the element of blame, i.e., no person or institution is responsible for deviant behavior since it is caused by physical or emotional problem of the individual.

16. 4. Socio-biological theories • In his book entitled Sociobiology:The New Synthesis, Edward O. Wilson (1978) conceives of sociobiology as a science with a broad scope: entire societies. His general assumption has been based on the works of those applying biology in explaining deviance behavior.

17. He (Wilson) assumes that human social behavior is genetically determined to the extent that biology defines human learning potential. • The human mind is not blank that simply records and assimilates experiences, but instead, it is biologically programmed to accept certain experiences while rejecting others.

18. There are many sociobiological approaches to explain deviant behavior. According to Charles H. McCaghy (1985), in his book Deviant Behavior: Crime, Conflict, and Interest Groups, the approaches fall into one of the following categories:

19. 1.) Evolutionary process - these theories are concerned with the long-term development of specific behaviors over the course of generations. The most that these studies contributed is that they sensitize us to the manner in which biological factors may affect behavior.

20. 2.) Genetic Differences - these theories are concerned with how behavior is influenced by hereditary factors that are mere immediate that those formed during evolution. - of particular interest here is the hypothesis that certain mental disorders often re-occur among generations of the same family.

21. 5. Neurophysiological differences - these theories concern a wide range of physiological factors that might influence human behavior. They include: 1) hormone imbalance 2) vitamin deficiency 3) brain malfunctioning 4) any organic aspects that might interfere with learning or behaving

22. It has to be noted that psychological, like biological explanation of deviance, tend to be individualistic, focusing on abnormalities in the individual personality. • Although some of these abnormalities are hereditary, psychologists view most of these as a result of socialization.

23. 6. Psychological Causes 6.1 Psychodynamic Perspective –refers to unfulfilled needs and unresolved conflicts. * Psychological deprivation – parental-rejection, deprivation of attention and affection due to strong need for affiliation and social status.

24. * displaced aggression – direct expression of antisocial impulses; difficulty in impulse control. 6.2 Behavioral Perspective – refers to the fact which states that “learning theorists believe that a deviant behavior is learned and reinforced;” or the individual is conditioned to doing it. Refers also to social learning theory.

25. 6.3 Cognitive Perspective – maintains that a deviant behavior is manifested as a result of some ideas or beliefs that the individual has about.

26. Under the psychological theories, it is held that since personality is shaped by social experiences throughout life, deviance is usually understood to be the result of “unsuccessful” socialization.

27. Psychological explanations of deviance downplay biological factors and emphasize instead the role of parents and early childhood experiences, or even behavioral conditioning, in producing deviant behavior.

28. Psychological explanation of deviance assumes that the seeds of deviance are planted in childhood and that adult behavior is manifestation of early experiences rather than an expression of on-going social or cultural factors.

29. Ergo, the deviant individual is viewed as a psychologically sick person who has experienced emotional deprivation or damage during childhood.

30. Anti-Social Personality Disorder Jethro was the leader of a teenage street gang that was reputed to be the most vicious in the neighborhood. He grew up in a chaotic home atmosphere, his mother having lived with a series of violent men who were heavily involved in drug dealing and prostitution. At the age of 18, Jethro was jailed for the brutal mugging and stabbing of an older adult woman. This was the first time in a long

31. series of arrests for offenses ranging from drug trafficking to car thefts to counterfeiting. At one point, between jail terms, he met a woman at a bar and married her the next day. Two weeks later, he beat her when she complained about his incessant drinking and involvement with shady characters. He left her when she became pregnant, and he refused to pay child support. From his vantage point now as a drug trafficker and leader of a child prostitution ring, Jethro

32. shows no regret what he has done, claiming that life has “sure given me a bum steer.”

33. Diagnostic Features • This diagnosis is assigned to adult who as children showed evidence of conduct disorder and who, from the age of 15, have shown a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of all the rights of others, as indicated by three or more of the following:

34. Repeated engagement in behaviors that are grounds for arrest. • Deceitfulness, such as lying, using false identities, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure. • Impulsivity, or failure to plan ahead. • Irritability and aggressiveness, such as repeated fights or assaults. • Reckless disregard for the safety of self or others.

35. 6.Consistent irresponsibility, such as repeated failure to keep a job or honor financial obligations. 7. Lack of remorse, such as being indifferent to or rationalizing one’s hurtful or dishonest behavior.

36. 7. Psychoanalytic theory - this is based on the work of Sigmund Freud and his followers. This theory holds that the unconscious (the part of individual consisting of irrational thoughts and feelings of which he/she is not aware) causes one to commit deviant acts.

37. According to Freud, our personality has three parts: 1) ID – our irrational drives and instincts. 2) SUPEREGO – our conscience and guide as internalized from our parents and other authority figures. 3) EGO – the balance among the impulsiveness of the ID, the restrictions and demands of the superego, and the requirements of the society.

38. According to psychoanalytic theory, all of us have deviant tendency because of the ID. But, we learn to control our behavior because of socialization. • Most of the people are able to function effectively according to society’s norms and values.

39. 8. Behavior theories - people adjust and modify their behavior in response to the rewards and punishments elicited by their actions. If an action leads to favorable outcome, one is likely to repeat the action. If a behavior leads to unfavorable outcomes, one is not likely to do the same action.

40. According to this approach, deviant behavior is learned by a series of trials and errors. • One learns to be a snatcher, or a thief in the same way the professionals learned their profession, or the artists learn their craft.

41. 9. Containment theory - Walter Reckless and Simon Dinitz (1967) explained juvenile delinquency as outcome of the children’s personality traits. - under this theory, the desire to engage in delinquent activities can be contained if the young individuals have developed strong moral values and a positive self-image in younger age.

42. It is held in this theory that the “good children” seem to have a strong conscience (or Sigmund Freud’s superego), generally coped well with frustration, and identified positively with cultural norms and values. Hence, they are far from becoming deviant. This is usually not the case among what is described as “bad children.”

43. Sociological Theories of Deviance 1. Functionalist Theory - Emile Durkheim said that there is nothing abnormal with deviance. He gave four major functions of deviance: 1) Deviance affirms cultural values and norms. 2) Responding to deviance clarifies moral boundary.

44. 3. Responding to deviance promotes social unity. 4. Deviance encourages social change.

45. 2. Strain theory - Robert Merton claimed that American society pushes individuals toward deviance by overemphasizing the importance of monetary success while failing to emphasize the importance of using legitimate means to achieve success.

46. Merton meant that those people occupying favorable positions in the social class structures have many legitimate means at their disposal to achieve success. On the other hand, those in unfavorable positions do not have such means.

47. In this case, the goal of financial success combined with unequal access to important environmental resources creates deviance.

48. Merton gave the following types of deviance that emerge from this strain: (pp. 218-219) 1) Conformity – involves accepting both the cultural goal of success and the use of legitimate means for achieving that goal. - conformists use positive success goal and legitimate means.

49. 2) Innovation – this response involves accepting the goal of success but rejecting the use of socially accepted means to achieve it, turning instead to unconventional illegitimate meas. - The innovator resorts to deviant ways of reaching a cultural validated goal.

50. 3) Ritualism – occurs when people no longer set high goals but continue to toil as conscientious, diligent workers. - The ritualists are people who deemphasize or reject the importance of success once they realize they will never achieve it and instead concentrate on following or enforcing these rules than ever was intended.