Chapter 7 Assignment concepts. What, exactly, isdeviance? And what is the relationship between deviance and crime? According tosociologist William Graham Sumner,devianceis a violation ofestablished...



Chapter 7 Assignment concepts.














What, exactly, is
deviance? And what is the relationship between deviance and crime? According to
sociologist William Graham Sumner,devianceis a violation of
established contextual, cultural, or social norms, whether folkways, mores, or
codified law (1906). It can be as minor as picking your nose in public or as
major as committing murder. Although the word “deviance” has a negative
connotation in everyday language, sociologists recognize that deviance is not necessarily
bad (Schoepflin 2011). In fact, from a structural functionalist perspective,
one of the positive contributions of deviance is that it fosters social change.
For example, during the U.S. civil rights movement, Rosa Parks violated social
norms when she refused to move to the “Black section” of the bus, and the
Little Rock Nine broke customs of segregation to attend an Arkansas public
school.







“What is deviant
behavior?” cannot be answered in a straightforward manner. Whether an act is
labeled deviant or not depends on many factors, including location, audience,
and the individual committing the act (Becker 1963). Listening to music on your
phone on the way to class is considered acceptable behavior. Listening to music
during your 2 p.m. sociology lecture is considered rude. Listening to music
when on the witness stand before a judge may cause you to be held in contempt
of court and consequently fined or jailed.







As norms vary across
cultures and time, it also makes sense that notions of deviance change. Sixty
years ago, public schools in the United States had dress codes that often
banned women from wearing pants to class. Today, it’s socially acceptable for
women to wear pants, but less so for men to wear skirts. And more recently, the
act of wearing or not wearing a mask became a matter of deviance, and in some
cases, political affiliation and legality. Whether an act is deviant or not
depends on society’s response to that act.















Deviance, Crime, and Society







Deviance
is a more encompassing term than crime, meaning that it includes a range of
activities, some of which are crimes and some of which are not. Sociologists
may study both with equal interest, but, as a whole, society views crime as far
more significant. Crime preoccupies several levels of government, and it drives
concerns among families and communities.







Deviance
may be considered relative: Behaviors may be considered deviant based mostly on
the circumstances in which they occurred; those circumstances may drive the
perception of deviance more than the behavior itself. Relatively minor acts of
deviance can have long-term impacts on the person and the people around them.
For example, if an adult, who should “know better,” spoke loudly or told jokes
at a funeral, they may be chastised and forever marked as disrespectful or
unusual. But in many cultures, funerals are followed by social gatherings –
some taking on a party-like atmosphere – so those same jovial behaviors would
be perfectly acceptable, and even encouraged, just an hour later.







As
discussed earlier, we typically learn these social norms as children and evolve
them with experience. But the relativity of deviance can have significant
societal impacts, including perceptions and prosecutions of crime. They may
often be based on racial, ethnic, or related prejudices. When 15-year-old
Elizabeth Eckford of the Little Rock Nine attempted to enter her legally
desegregated high school, she was abiding by the law; but she was considered
deviant by the crowd of White people that harassed and insulted her.















Robert Merton: Strain Theory







Sociologist
Robert Merton agreed that deviance is an inherent part of a functioning
society, but he expanded on Durkheim’s ideas by developingstrain
theory
, which notes that access to socially acceptable goals plays a part
in determining whether a person conforms or deviates. From birth, we’re
encouraged to achieve the “American Dream” of financial success. A person who
attends business school, receives an MBA, and goes on to make a million-dollar
income as CEO of a company is said to be a success. However, not everyone in
our society stands on equal footing. That MBA-turned-CEO may have grown up in
the best school district and had means to hire tutors. Another person may grow
up in a neighborhood with lower-quality schools, and may not be able to pay for
extra help. A person may have the socially acceptable goal of financial success
but lack a socially acceptable way to reach that goal. According to Merton’s theory,
an entrepreneur who can’t afford to launch their own company may be tempted to
embezzle from their employer for start-up funds.



INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY



LEARNING JOURNAL GUIDE






SUBMIT
VIA THE DROPBOX ON OUR COURSE HOMEPAGE






PLEASE
INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING FOR EACH LEARNING JOURNAL:









YOUR NAME, DATE, INSTRUCTOR'S NAME, AND TITLE
OF THE LEARNING JOURNAL.






Each
learning journal should be at least two

to three
(2-3) typewritten pages (double-spaced). Please address each of the following
statements when writing your learning journal:






1.
State briefly the main idea of the
appropriate reading
.






·




This is fairly self-explanatory, but take a few concepts and topics (of your choosing), chapter 4,5,6 and/
or 7 from the reading to discuss in your journal. Since each unit contains
several chapters, you won’t be able to summarize everything. Just pick 3-5
terms or concepts to summarize and discuss. Review them briefly (1/2 - 3/4 of a
page), since the majority of your learning journal should address items 2 &
3.









2.





Describe an event in the social world (that pertains in some way to
what you discussed for #1) and relate that event to an event in your life.









·




The point of this item is for you to relate what you’re learning from
the reading to your own experience. (It can be an experience you’ve had or something
that you’re hearing about in the news.) The purpose of part 2 is so that you
can see how sociology relates to your own life.









3.
Conclude with your sociological
perspective on the situation.






What
I’m looking for here is for you to analyze the life experience you’ve described
using one of the three main theories (conflict, structural-functionalism,
symbolic interaction). To help you do that, answer these questions:




1. Which
theory best applies to the event you describe?




2. Why?
(Tell me how it applies)






·




If you choose S/F theory, you might talk about functions (manifest,
latent) and dysfunctions, consensus, harmony, etc.



·


If

you choose S/I theory, talk about symbols, meaning,
interaction, etc.



·


If you choose conflict theory, you might discuss
social class differences and struggles, inequality, exploitation, etc.









Here's a quick example:






You might first write about the concepts of material
and nonmaterial culture, ethnocentrism, cultural relativism. (You won't be able
to summarize a lot from the text; just pick a few key concepts/ideas that you
found interesting from the chapters.)






Then, you would relate this to your own experience or
something you're hearing about in the news. For example, if you've traveled to
another country, you might recount all of the cultural differences that you
observed.






Finally, you could apply symbolic interaction to this
experience by discussing how cultural symbols (gestures, etc.) mean different
things in different cultures. Those meanings then allow members of the culture
to make sense of, and participate in their world.






That's a sketchy example, but I hope it helps. If you
have any questions, please let me know.






This is the sociology book link just in case you need
to go to the chapter unit.




























































































































































































https://www.openstax.org/details/introduction-sociology-2e

Oct 28, 2022
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