Perspectives on Deviance

For this part of the lectures we are going to use each of the four perspectives we have learned to look at the issue of deviance.

Functionalist Perspective

Now remember, the Functionalist perspective looks at group behavior as leading to or contributing to the stability of a society…it is sometimes difficult to think of deviance as a contributor to stability, but it can be viewed as playing this role.

Deviance occurs in all societies…consider the following FUNCTIONS of Deviance:

• Deviance clarifies the rules (sometimes you don't know what the "rule" is until it is broken)
• Deviance unites a group (people who share a particular deviant behavior have a connection to one another, as do those who may act against deviance)
• Deviance promotes social change (from the early founding settles of our country to today, it is deviance that has brought issues to public awareness and brought about significant social change)

Now why does some deviance may occur, namely, Crime.

Merton provides us with a model for understanding why crime occurs from a Functional perspective. He termed his theory the Strain Theory.

Strain Theory claims that people experience strain when they are exposed to cultural goals that they are unable to obtain because they do not have access to culturally approved means of achieving those goals.

Consider research done on Prostitution.

Many carry the stereotype that prostitutes are often engaged in their profession to support drug habits. As true as this may be, the majority have chosen the profession simply to make money to pay the same bills and get the same goods and services that we all enjoy. Why prostitution and not other means of employment? Consider the education and employment opportunities in the area and you may find that it is the one profession that pays the best.

On p. 179 in your book there is a chart that discusses the different ways in which individuals respond to Merton's strain.

Another model for understanding the occurrence of crime is the Opportunity Theory.

This Functionalist model takes into consideration that there are structures in our society that encourage crime. Crime is often rewarded as well. According to these researchers, individuals must have access to a means of committing crime for them to consider it.

Finally, from a social structure point of view…does not the vast criminal justice system need crime in order to exist? If we came up with a pill to cure criminal deviance, would there not be a massive unemployment problem?

Interesting to consider it from this point of view! J