Perspectives on 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

Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

Now remember, the symbolic interactionist point of view looks at what the behavior or situation means to us from a social perspective.  It has a lot to do with identity.

When we discussed groups before we looked at the importance groups have in forming our identity.  Consider that a group to which you belong engages in criminal or deviant behavior.  If your desire, or all you ever knew, was to be a part of the group lead you to engage in that behavior.

Researchers have called this the Differential Association Theory of deviance.  In essence, it means that if you hang out with individuals that engage in deviant behavior you are more likely to deviate yourself.

Social Control

I'm sure you can now make the connection to what we have said about Social Control.  The group provides input to the individual to engage in the behavior and if the person does so, he or she is rewarded by the group.  This creates a significant social bond between individuals.

There are some gangs in our country who have a requirement that a person kill someone in order to be a part of the gang.  Once someone has passed this test….they achieve status, role, support and reinforcement from the group.

Labeling Theory

Another trend that we see in our society is expressed in the effect that Labeling has on human behavior.

Consider that a  person may go through the following stages of deviant behavior:

1. Primary Deviance: the initial act of deviance
2. Secondary Deviance: occurs when a person who has been labeled a deviant accepts that new identity and continues the deviant behavior
3. Tertiary Deviance: occurs when a person who has been labeled a deviant seeks to normalize the behavior by labeling it as non-deviant

You can adapt this model to look at a number of deviant behaviors from smoking to schizophrenia.  Consider this:  Are there any behaviors that you possess that have been "normalized"?

Conflict Perspective

Deviance may be looked at as a difference in relative power…

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 gender…you will see that the problem is not a simple one.

Postmodernist Perspective

The postmodern perspective on deviance examines the intertwining nature of knowledge, power, and technology on social control and discipline.

Technology has certainly changed the face of crime (and the criminal justice system). 

Technology and the ability for those in power to "keep an eye on us" has been a concern to many lately.  Consider all the ways in which we engage with technology that can be tracked and tabulated…we use ATM's, we log into computer systems, we write checks, we scan our cards at the grocery store, etc. etc.

Personally, I'm not as concerned as some about the use of technology by the government…the amount of information they would have to weed through to find out which magazines I buy is insurmountable…for now!

The recent legislation of the Patriot Act has seen a relaxing in the laws that protect individual privacy in terms of electronic communication.  As states themselves begin to look at this law, I expect there will be a number of challenges to its unbridled access to our records, even for the investigation of terrorism.