Deviance, Social Class, Race, and Gender

Sexuality

Sexual behavior, desires, and fantasies

Ethnicity

Shared cultural heritage

Race

Socially defined category based on perceived biological differences between groups of people

Collective Goals

Societal definition of success in American society

Functionalism

Sociological theory that views deviance as a factor that can help society progress, challenge current views, reaffirm social norms, and promote societal cohesiveness

Techniques of Neutralization

Strategies used to deny or justify deviant behavior: Denial of Responsibility, Denial of Injury, Denial of the Victim, Condemnation of the Condemners, and Appeal to a Higher Authority

Prison Industrial Complex

System of privately run prisons focused on making profit, leading to a growing market for prison-based commodities

Social Class

System of social stratification based on access to wealth, property, power, and prestige

Stigma

Any physical or social attribute that devalues a person or group's identity

Rehabilitation

Approach to punishment that attempts to reform criminals

Retribution

Approach to punishment that emphasizes retaliation or revenge for crimes

Deterrence

Approach to punishment that relies on the threat of harsh penalties to discourage people from committing crimes

Max Weber

Argued that social class includes cultural factors and prestige, in addition to wealth and power

Heteronormativity

Assumption that heterosexuality is the only acceptable sexual orientation

Discredited

Attribute that has already been labeled as stigmatizing

Discreditable

Attribute that potentially stigmatizes a person or group's identity

Contextual Deviance

Behavior considered deviant in one culture, time, or context but not in another

Deviance

Behavior, trait, or belief that departs from a norm and typically generates a negative reaction

Gender

Behaviors, personal traits, and social positions attributed to being female or male

Racism

Belief in the claimed superiority of one racial or ethnic group, perpetuated at individual, institutional, and structural levels

Nurture over Nature

Belief that criminal behavior is learned through interactions with others

Karl Marx

Believed in two main social classes in capitalistic societies: Capitalists (bourgeoisie) who own the means of production, and Workers (proletariat) who sell labor for wages

Merton's Typology

Classification of individuals based on their acceptance or rejection of societal goals and means: Conformists, Innovators, Ritualists, Retreatists, and Rebels

Criminal Justice System

Collection of social institutions that create and enforce laws of society

Means

Culturally defined methods to achieve collectively defined goals, such as acquiring skills, hard work, and attention to detail

Prejudice

Idea about the characteristics of a group, applied to all members of that group

Cisgender

Indicates that sex and gender correspond

Gender Expression

Individual's behavioral manifestations of gender

Gender Identity

Individual's self-definition or sense of gender

Cultural Capital

Internalized tastes, habits, expectations, skills, and knowledge common among members of a social class

Social Mobility

Movement of individuals or groups within the hierarchical system of social classes

Primary Deviance

One-time occurrence of deviant behavior

Life Chances

Opportunities each individual has to improve/control their quality of life

Systemic Racism

Patterns of unjust impoverishment and enrichment for some groups over others, perpetuated over time

Sexual Orientation

Person's physical, mental, emotional, and sexual attraction

Sex

Physical or physiological differences between male and females

Passing

Presenting oneself as a member of a different group other than the stigmatized group

Gender Role Socialization

Process of learning what constitutes masculinity and femininity through family, school, peers, and media

White Identity

Resistance to conversations about race, reliance on race-based myths, and unearned advantages accorded to members of dominant social groups

2nd Shift

Responsibility of women to work outside the home and then come home to cook, clean, and take care of kids

Social Disorganization

Theory that asserts crime occurs in communities with weak social ties and the absence of social control

Labeling Theory

Theory that deviance is a consequence of the external judgments (labels) of others

Strain Theory

Theory that individuals commit crime when there is a mismatch between collective goals and acceptable means to accomplish those goals

Disparity

Unequal distribution of resources, opportunities, and social privileges based on socioeconomic status

Discrimination

Unequal treatment of individuals because of their social group

Crime

Violation of a norm that has been codified into law

Secondary Deviance

When a person's self-concept and behavior begin to change after their actions are labeled as deviant by society, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy

Transgender

When gender identity or expression is different from sex assigned at birth

3rd Shift

Additional layer of responsibility that tends to fall on women, such as taking care of family members