1

Recap

Deviance is: • Non-normative ascribed or achieved behavior that elicits

a value judgment with social, economic and/or legal consequences.

and/or• Behavior that causes harm through injustice,

oppression, injury or death.

Functionalism posits:• Deviance is universal so it must serve a purpose.• It informs a society about its values and norms.

Draws boundaries• Deviant acts can be consensual, and exist as social

exchange, each side can benefit.• There are positive and negative functions.• Figuring out who benefits is critical.

2

• Thomas & Znanicki– There’s social equilibrium with regard to norms

– Then a decrease in influence occurs (e.g., immigration)

– Society goes in and out of equilibrium

• Park– Delinquency is failure of communities to organize

– Old forms of social control are undermined – family, religion, neighborhood.

– Progress is disruptive

– Migration is a catalyst.

• Faris and Durham– Natural areas ‘just happen’

• CW Mills– How ethnocentric can you get?

– Whose norms?

– No interplay between structure and social norms. Seen by the ‘pathologists’.

Social Disorganization: The ‘Chicago School’

3

Differential Association

Criminality is learned through social interaction with intimates (that is, regular associates) and learned like any other trade includes techniques, norms, codes and must be rationalized benefits to be deviant > benefits of not and varies in intensity, duration, priority, frequency

(between individuals and over time for same individual)

“ Motivations for deviance are part and parcel of society, hence “deviants are hypocrites”.

4

Differential Association: Cressey’s Other People’s Money

When trust is violated• Trust violations occur in existing social contracts and

relationships • Rationalizations are required to violate trust• But these rationalizations are not an ‘avoidance of

legal liability’ (p. 247)

But key reason for violating law is thinking you won’t get caught. How would Cressey explain this?

What other examples besides embezzlement are trust violations?

5

Differential Association: Sykes & Matza’s Neutralizations

They expand on Sutherland:• Denial of responsibility• Denial of Injury• Denial of Victim• Condemnation of condemners• Appeal to higher loyalties (e.g., family instead of gov’t).

In other words:1. You learn your society’s norms and values2. You learn differential behavior3. You rationalize your behavior by neutralizing the moral

objections.

6

Differential Association: Howard Becker’s Outsiders

Marijuana users go through process of becoming a marijuana user, which is a differential association process. 1. Be around it. 2. Try it3. Recognize effect4. Enjoy effect5. Rationalize behavior6. Adopt

7. Get into subculture