Chapter 6: Deviance

positive deviance

actions considered deviant within a given context but later reinterpreted as appropriate or even heroic Example: Rosa Parks

in-group orientation

among stigmatized individuals, the rejection of prevailing judgments and the development of new standards that value their group identity

retribution

an approach to punishment that emphasizes retaliation or revenge for the crime as the appropriate goal

physical stigma

include physical or mental impairments

stereotype promise

type of self-fulfilling prophecy in which positive stereotypes, such as the "model minority' label applied to Asian American students, leads to positive outcomes

tertiary deviance

in labeling theory, redefining the stigma associated with a deviant label as a positive phenomenon

secondary deviance

in labeling theory, the subsequent deviant identity or career that develops as a result of being labeled deviant

primary deviance

in labeling theory, what gets a person labeled as deviant in the first place

tribal stigma

membership in a discredited or oppressed group

uniform crime report (UCR)

an official measure of crime in the US produced by the FBI's official tabulation of every crime reported by more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies

differential association theory (Edwin Sutherland)

approach in symbolic interactionism that asserts we need to learn to be deviant through our interactions with others who break the rules

rehabilitation

approach to punishment that attempts to reform criminals as part of their penalty

deterrence

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

incapacitation

approach to punishment that seeks to protect society from criminals by imprisoning or executing them

deviance

behavior, trait, or belief that departs from a norm and generates a negative reaction in a particular group

crime

particular type of deviance; violation of a norm that has been codified into law for which you can be imprisoned or arrested

Stigma (Erving Goffman)

physical or social attribute that devalues a person or group's identity and may exclude those who are devalued from normal social interaction

passing

presenting yourself as a member of a different group than the stigmatized group to which you belong

deviance avowal

process by which an individual self-identifies as deviant and initiates their own labeling process

labeling theory (Howard Beckner)

proposes that devience is not inherent in any act, belief or condition; instead it is determined by the social context (man killing an intruder vs man killing an innocent civilian)

retreatists

renounce the culture's goals and means entirely and live outside conventional norms altogether

social control theory (Travis Hirschi)

the stronger one's social bonds to family and religious, civic groups, etc. the less likely one is to commit a crime. Such bonds tend to increase one's investment in the community and increase one's commitment to that community's shared values and norms

Merton's typology of deviance

bridge between functionalist and conflict theories of deviance; acknowledged that some deviance is inevitable in society, but that an individual's position in the social structure will affect his experience of deviance and conformity. Social inequality can create tension between goals society says they should be working on and the means they have to reach those goals

Criminal justice system

collection of social institutions such as legislatures, police, courts and prisons that creates and enforces laws

ritualists

go through conventional motions while abandoning all hope of success

stereotype threat

kind of self-fulfilling prophecy in which he fear of performing badly- and confirming stereotypes about social group- causes students to perform badly

rebels

reject the cultural definitions of success and the normative means of achieving it; advocate radical alternatives to the existing social order

Innovators (Merton's Typology of Deviance)

seek financial success via unconventional means (drug dealing, embezzlement)

moral stigma

signs of a flawed character

criminology

systematic study of crime, criminals and criminal justice