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