CHAPTER 7: DEVIANCE, CRIME, AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

1. CHAPTER 7: DEVIANCE, CRIME, AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

2. WHAT IS DEVIANCE? 1 • Deviance is behavior that violates expected rules or norms. • Positivedeviance overconforms. • Negativedeviance falls below social expectations.

3. Characteristics of Deviance 1 It can be a condition, belief, or behavior. It is accompanied by social stigmas. It varies across and within societies. It can be formal or informal. Perceptions change over time.

4. Discussion 1 What are some examples of behaviors or conditions that were considered deviant in the past but no longer are? What are some examples of behaviors or conditions that were not considered deviant in the past but are now?

5. WHAT IS CRIME? 2 Crime is a violation of societal norms and rules written into public laws that is subject to punishment.

6. Sources of Crime Statistics 2 Official Data—Uniform Crime Reports Victim Surveys—National Crime Victimization Survey

7. Prevalence of Crime 2 All crime statistics are estimates. There are more arrests for property crimes and drug abuse violations than for violent crimes. Victimless crimes are least likely to be reported.

8. Victims and Offenders 2 Most crime victims are men, African Americans, people under age 25, poor, and live in urban areas. Offenders are likely to be under age 30, male, white, and live in poor, inner-city areas.

9. Discussion Statistics do not always match popular impressions. What influences our image of victims and offenders?

10. CONTROLLING DEVIANCE AND CRIME 3 Social control—techniques and strategies that regulate behavior Social control can be informal or formal. It includes positive (rewards) and negative (punishments) sanctions.

11. Application • Is it formal or informal, negative or positive? • Capital punishment • A smile • Employee of the month designation • Mother spanking a child

12. FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVES ON DEVIANCE AND CRIME 4 Crime and deviance can be both functional and dysfunctional.

13. Dysfunctions 4 • Dysfunctions of crime and deviance: • Create tension and insecurity • Erode trust in relationships • Damage confidence in institutions • Are costly

14. Functions 4 • Functions of crime and deviance: • Affirm cultural norms and values • Provide temporary safety values • Create social unity • Improve the economy • Trigger social change

15. Anomie Theory 4 Anomie theory suggests that people become deviant when they are unsure of how to behave because of absent, conflicting, or confusing social norms. Periods of rapid social change produce anomie.

16. Discussion 4 • In what is the American society anomic about …? • Drugs and alcohol • Violence • Debt

17. Strain Theory 4 Strain theory suggests that people engage in deviance when there is a conflict between goals and means.

18. Strain Theory

19. 5 Modes of Adaptation to strain: 4 • Conformity—accept goals and means • Innovation—accept goals but reject means • Ritualism—reject goals but accept means • Retreatism—reject goals and means • Rebellion—replace goals and means

20. Application • What form of adaptation is it? • A man uses employer's equipment and supplies when starting his own business. • A woman becomes an alcoholic trying to forget an abusive childhood. • A student continues to go class after giving up on career plans.

21. CONFLICT PERSPECTIVES ON DEVIANCE AND CRIME 5 Why are some acts defined as criminal while others are not? • Powerful groups control the law and its application. • Behaviors that injure the economic interests or challenge the political power of the dominant class are punished.

22. Types of Crime 5 White collar crime—illegal activities committed by high-status people in the course of their occupation Occupational crimes—illegal activities committed by individuals in the course of their work Corporate crimes—illegal acts committed by executives to benefit themselves and their companies

23. Types of Crime 5 Cybercrime—illegal activities conducted online Organized crime—activities of individuals and groups that supply illegal goods and services for profit

24. Application • What kind of crime is it? • Amanda overcharges customers and keeps the extra money. • Ken obtains and uses others' credit card numbers. • A manufacturing firm knowingly installs dangerous equipment in order to save money.

25. Discussion 5 Why do people commit white collar crimes?

26. FEMINIST PERSPECTIVES ON DEVIANCE AND CRIME 6 Women and girls are commonly the victims of sexual assault, rape, intimate partner violence, and other crimes that degrade women.

27. Feminist Theories 6 • Explanations for women's victimization: • Men have historically dominated the government, judiciary, and the law. • Women have been socialized to be weaker.

28. 6 Men are still more likely to be offenders, but female arrest rates are rising.

29. SYMBOLIC INTERACTION PERSPECTIVES ON DEVIANCE AND CRIME 7 Differential association theory suggests that people learn deviance through interaction. People are most likely to engage in crime if they are exposed to deviant values early in life, frequently, over a long period of time, and from important people.

30. Discussion 7 Parents are likely to believe that their children are influenced by their peers. Are these parents correct?

31. Labeling 7 • Labeling theory holds that deviance depends on how others react. • Primary deviance is the initial violation of a norm or law. • Secondary deviance occurs when individuals have been labeled deviant.

32. Discussion 7 How might locker searches or drug tests increase the use of drugs? Do you think that is likely to happen?

33. THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND SOCIAL CONTROL 8 • The criminal justice system refers to government agencies that are charged with enforcing laws, passing judgment, and correcting behavior. • It includes police, courts, and prisons.

34. Crime Control Model 8 The crime control model emphasizes protecting society and a get tough attitude. Approximately 70 percent of Americans support the death penalty. There is no evidence that executions deter crime.

35. Rehabilitation 8 Rehabilitation is a view that appropriate treatment can change offenders into productive, law-abiding citizens. Rehabilitation programs are particularly successful when they provide employment after release.

36. Discussion 8 What should be the focus of social control—prevention, rehabilitation, or punishment? Why?

37. Internet Connections • The National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) is a federally funded resource "offering justice and substance abuse information to support research, policy, and program development worldwide." They have an ambitious mission and their sponsors include the Office on Violence Against Women, the National Institute of Corrections, and the Office of Community Oriented Policy Services. The NCJRS homepage is chock-full of helpful resources, including the Community Policing Newsletter, reports on improving responses in mental health court, and special thematic reports from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. For more information, visit http://www.ncjrs.gov.

38. Internet Connections • Comparative criminology is a branch of sociology in which cross-national analysis has increasingly become a major focus. At the Global Criminology Website, Crime and Society: A Comparative Criminology Tour of the World, sociology professors and students can research subjects in global criminology by accessing Interpol and United Nations datasets, as well as text information for all countries of the world. Published papers, works-in-progress, and articles pertaining to global criminology are all available on the site. For more information, visit: http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/faculty/rwinslow/