Perspectives on Deviance (Part III)

 

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.

 

Conflict Perspective

 

Deviance may be looked at as a difference in relative powerÉ

 

  1. People in power may maintain their advantage by using the law to protect their own interests
  2. Some feel that the law supports the capitalistic framework as it protect property of those above from being infringed upon from those below.
  3. The Feminist Approach would lay claim that deviance is a product of basic inequality between men and women.
    1. Women's deviance and crime is a rational response to gender discrimination
    2. Crime and deviance is related to patriarchal social order
    3. Women are exploited

 

The conflict perspective takes the viewpoint that deviance may simply be the logical result of a pluralistic society (many cultures living together). 

 

If you look at statistics and consider the biases in crime (and punishment) that are associated with race, ethnicity and genderÉyou will see that the problem is not a simple one.