Sociology and Deviance Essay - 2077 Words

â€Å"Becoming a deviant involves a social process of definition†. The purpose of this essay is to show how this sociological perspective can assist in understanding drug taking in society. In the essay I will discuss the notion of deviance and will demonstrate that people do not become deviants on the strength of their behaviour alone, but by the sanctions of a society whose norms that the offender has deemed to have violated. I will examine approaches to deviance through biological, psychological and sociological methodologies and while the examination of the theories is necessarily brief, it will interrogate some of the main theories related to deviant behaviour in society. The essay will employ Howard Becker’s labeling theory as the†¦show more content†¦Working from a functionalist perspective, Merton expands upon Durkheim’s work in using his notion of anomie as the basis for his theory on deviance. â€Å"Merton theorised anomie is directly re lated to culture (which includes goals) and social structure (which includes means) and observed deviance occurs when there exists a disconnect or disjunction between the two† (Franzese 2009, p. 36). For example, modern society places a great emphasis around consumerism, for some however, financial constraints exclude them from achieving socially desirable goals of consumption. Zygmunt Bauman describes such a situation during the London riots of 2011, which he argues was undertaken by defective and disqualified consumers who engaged in deviant behaviour in order to fulfil these otherwise unattainable goals (Roarmag 2011). Another way of understanding deviance is through Howard Becker’s labelling perspective, which holds that â€Å"Social groups create deviance by making the rules whose infraction constitutes deviance, and by applying those rules to particular people and labelling them as outsiders† (1963, p. 9). Essentially then, the sociology of deviance sp eaks to the processes that divide society into different types of people and the social effects of these processes. In all of this it is important to note that there is no suggestion that the act itselfShow MoreRelatedThe Sociology Of Crime And Deviance2467 Words   |  10 PagesThe sociology of crime and deviance is about rules, regulations and rule breakers. There are people that break rules and interest are shown to why they do so, while there are others that are seen and labelled rule breakers. The role of the media is to emphasise this ideas in hyperboles and install reactions to society. Societies today are media saturated and they are captivated with crime and it is the fundamental point of the news production. With less association with people’s lives and valuesRead MoreEssay on Sociology of Deviance Midterm1977 Words   |  8 PagesJennifer Nieto-Robinson Professor McBroom Sociology of Deviance Midterm 326 1) What do sociologists mean when they describe deviance as being relative? Provide an example of a deviant behavior and identify how it is relative. Deviance is behavior that a considerable number of people in a society view as reprehensible and beyond the limits of tolerance. In most cases it is both negatively valued and provokes hostile reactions. Deviance does not exist independently of norms. Without normsRead MoreLimitations of theories of sociology of deviance2475 Words   |  10 PagesTheories of Deviance are limited in their ability to explain deviant acts if one adopts the view that these theories are universal. There is no universal, right or wrong theory, rather each theory provides a different perspective which only fully makes sense when set within an appropriate societal context and values framework . The functionalist theories share a common structural explanation of causes of deviance . They assume that conformity in society is achieved through the existence of normsRead MoreThe Sociology Of Deviance, Kai T. Erikson1563 Words   |  7 Pagesdeviant. In his Study in the Sociology of Deviance, Kai T. Erikson defends the point that deviant forms of behavior are a natural and beneficial part of social life. One of his main arguments is that, in our modern society, â€Å"the agencies of control often seem to define their job as that of keeping deviance within bounds rather than obliterating it altogether† (Wayward Puritans 24:2). Now, what if society gave to its agencies of control the role of annihilating deviance? What if the set of boundariesRead MoreAcademic Reflection Paper : Sociology Of Deviance1184 Words   |  5 PagesAbdulrahman Alkhalaf Academic Reflection Paper 1 Sociology of Deviance What are the â€Å"ABCs† of deviance? Why are all three regarded as types of deviance? How can sociologists refer to traits or characteristics that are â€Å"not the person’s fault† as instances of deviance? Is this fair? Is it sociologically meaningful? What about belonging to a particular racial, national, or ethnic category--can this be regarded as a form of deviance? Why or why not? The society has devised certain set of norms and valuesRead MoreSociology - Crime and Deviance Essay1682 Words   |  7 PagesCrime and Deviance Crime is a set of rules and statutes that regulates the behaviours of a society, it is a behaviour or action that will put members of the public at risk of harm in one way or another be it a robbery or a violent attack. However, deviance is not necessarily breaking the law but it is in violation of the social norms. (Cliff Notes. 2009) But what is classed as criminal or deviant is dependent on certain factors. Crime, or what is perceived as criminal changes over time; what isRead Moresociology internationalist crime deviance1200 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom law-abiding people. The labelling theory suggests that most people commit deviant and criminal acts but only come are caught and stigmatised for it. It is for this reason that emphasis should be on understanding the reaction and definition of deviance rather than the causes of the initial act. Quote by Howard Becker 1963 â€Å"Deviancy is not a quality of the act a person commits but rather a consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an ‘offender’. Deviant behaviour isRead MoreThe Theoretical Approaches Of Sociology View Crime And Deviance1110 Words   |  5 Pages 17. Discuss the major differences in how the three theoretical approaches of Sociology view crime and deviance. Give examples of specific theories. The functionalist view in relation to deviance is a belief that anyone can be convicted of a crime. Everyone is treated equal in the eyes of law. For example, a celebrity and a homeless man could both be convicted for the same crime. Both would be tried the same, with equal consequences. The Social conflict view is a view in which the elites make theRead MoreEssay Deviance: Sociology and Strain Theory966 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Deviance in sociological context describes actions or behaviors that violate cultural norms including formally-enacted rules (e.g., crime) as well as informal violations of social norms.† People consider an act to be a deviance act because of the three sociological theories: control theory, labeling theory and strain theory. It deeply reflected in the movie called Menace II Society. Control theory. Portrayed in this movie, there are 2 control systems working against our motivations to deviateRead MoreSociology and Deviance: in a Society of Saints Crime Will Be Found Discuss2142 Words   |  9 Pagescultures since the beginning of time. There are many historical and modern perspectives, which help draw conclusions on the study of deviance and social control, two concepts that go hand in hand. In discussing the connection between social control and deviance, it will reveal why Durkheim’s notion, that in a ‘society of saints’, crime will be found, is very true. Deviance is a word that has instinctively bad connotations around it, to know someone that is deviant is to know someone who has acted in