Theories of Deviance and Social Control in the United States

P. O’Houlihan 1

Patches O’Houlihan

Ms. Boni

English 12

4 April 2008

Theories of Deviance and Social Control in the United States

Sociologists throughouttime have created theories on deviance and social control that allow us to better understand and control crime in our country today. Theories of deviance help us expose common assumptions about what is normal and acceptable and what is not. Social control enables us to regulate group and individual behavior, causing conformance to society (Appelbaum, 229). Deviance is defined as a violation of social rules (Gelles, 112). Deviance takes place when a person violates a group’s norms and values. Behavior is perceived as deviant when someone isshocked, annoyed, enraged, or threatened by violations of their norms. Many acts of deviance are widely seen as wrong. For example,child molesters in prisons are separated from others for their own safety. On the other hand, some violations of social codes are so common that no one really notices them. For instance, telling a white lie to get out of doing something by saying, “I’m sorry, I forgot I made previous arrangements”. But some behavior is seen as extreme. From an absolutist perspective, deviance is in the act alone, which can be seen as going against a natural law or transgression against God’s commandments (Appelbaum, 228). An absolutist would argue that abortion is wrong under any circumstance. For example, people against abortion may rationalize bombing an abortion clinic to save the lives of the unborn babies. They may feel that breaking the law is acceptable or necessary to enforce the laws they believe in. Social norms waiver throughout cultures (Appelbaum, 235). The absolutist view is not limited to groups regarded as extremist (Appelbaum, 236). Many Americans are ethnocentric and see totalitarian governments as absolutely wrong. What a person sees as deviant can be very different from another. For example , “Americans see drinking as a part of our culture” (Lender and Martin, 1987). Whereas the Islamic religion prohibits the drinking of any alcoholic substance. Each and every society creates rules and punishes those who violate them.

Social control is any and all attempts to prevent or correct behavior. Socialization is the mostinfluential means of social control which leads people to do what they are asked. Since socialization is not faultless, people rely on sanctions. Sanctions are rewards for conforming behavior and punishments for deviant behavior. A smile of approval is an example of a positive sanction. An informal social control is a pressure for people to conform to the norms and values of their culture. Gossip is a widely used and effective form of informal social control. When people gossip, they test, agree on, and share their norms and values. Formal controls are public ways to prevent deviance. Prohibition is an example of a formal social control. Many organizations use formal social controls. When a business rewards an employee that goes above and beyond by giving them a raise or a promotion and punishes those who do not by demoting or firing them they are using formal social controls. An individual is subject to social controls in many places at once – home, school, work, church, or on the street where police practice formal social control and spectators are using informal social controls. “One of the more powerful forms of social control is branding behavior and people who engage in such behavior “deviant.” A key question for sociologists is why some behavior and some individuals are labeled as “nuts,” “crooks,” and “perverts” and shunned by people who consider themselves respectable” (Liazos, 1972).

The labeling perspective focuses on how law enforcers and criminals interact to help us understand and explain deviance (Appelbaum, 236). Deviance and social control cannot exist without the other but social controls can make deviance (Appelbaum, 237). A rule has to be set before people who break it are seen as deviant. To make a rule ,a person needs to bring attention to a problem and show people it must be fixed. Making laws requires a form of social action, so does enforcing rules (Appelbaum, 237). Rules would not be followed if it wasn’t expected. Groups that make people recognize offenses and make sure offenders are seen as deviant are known as moral entrepreneurs (Appelbaum, 238). An example of a moral entrepreneur is Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Deviance is not the act a person commits but a consequence of rules and sanctions to an offender (Weitzer, 29).

There are two main types of deviance. Primary Deviance is the initial violation of a social rule and Secondary deviance results from other people’s reactions to initial violations (Appelbaum, 237). An example would be a drug user which is secondary deviance that breaks the law to support their habit, which is secondary deviance. The labeling perspective allows a society to determine who is an outsider and who is not. Erich Goode recognized ways society labels and stereotypes in a negative ways (Appelbaum, 237). The first is called exaggeration: people center on deviant behavior that is really bad and feel that anyone who falls into the category is just as bad (Appelbaum, 238). For example, if they hear the word robber they would think of someone who holds people at gunpoint to steal from a bank. The second way is called centrality: people think that deviance is all a person thinks and does (Appelbaum, 238). Thus a drug user issupposed to have no life except for their addiction. The third way is persistence: if a person does something wrong once they will always be that way (Appelbaum, 238). Even if the addict gets help people still do not trust them and stayskeptical. The fourth way is dichotomizing: people see others as being deviant or not being deviant (Appelbaum, 238). For instance, someone either has a drug addiction or they are drug free.