Deviance is any behavior that violates social norms, and is usually of sufficient severity to Value conflict is a difference of opinion
nion created by differences in long-held beliefs and word
warrant disapproval from the majority of society. Deviance can be criminal or noncriminal.
The sociological discipline that deals with crime (behavior that violates laws)
is criminology (also known as criminal justice).
THEORIES ABOUT DEVIANT BEHAVIOR
Social pathology is a concept developed in modern social science to refer both to aspects
of social structures and to the behaviors and values attributed to particular
social categories. Definitions of social pathology are particular to specific times and reflect
the dominant moral concerns of the era.
Biological theories of deviance see crime and deviant behavior as a form of illness caused
by pathological factors specific to certain types of individuals. They assume that some
people are "born criminals" they're biologically different from non-criminals. The
underlying logic is that these individuals have a mental and physical inferiority which causes
an inability to learn and follow rules. This in turn leads to criminal behavior.
Psychological theories of deviance use a deviant's psychology to explain his motivation
and compulsion to violate social norms. In many ways, psychological theories of
deviance mirror biological explanations, only with an added emphasis on brain function.
Social disorganization theory pioneers Clifford X. Shaw and Henry W. McKay suggested
that disorganized communities characterized by poverty, ethnic heterogeneity, residential
mobility weakened social stability. social disorganization theory focuses on the effects of
location and location-specific characteristics as they relate to crime. Neighborhoods lacking
organization lack the necessary social controls and are unable to provide essential services.
This leads to an inability of the community to control its public, which is why one way to
define social disorganization is to view such places as unable to maintain public order
through informativeness. In fact, defined in terms of the absence or breakdown of certain
types of relationships among people, social disorganization theory is intimately tied to
conceptions of those properties of relationships that are indicative of social or communal
organization
Labeling theory holds that deviance is not inherent to an act, but instead focuses on the
tendency of majorities to negatively label minorities or those seen as deviant from
standard cultural norms.
Anomie theory. Anomie refers to the confusion that arises when social norms conflict or
don't even exist. In the 1960s, Robert Merton used the term to describe the differences
between socially accepted goals and the availability of means to achieve those goals.
views. The conflict cannot be easily resolved with facts because the differences are belief-
based and not fact-based.
Conflict theory is a theory propounded by Karl Marx that claims society is in a state of
perpetual conflict due to competition for limited resources. It holds that social order is
maintained by domination and power, rather than consensus and conformity.
Differential association is a theory developed by Edwin Sutherland proposing that through
interaction with others, individuals learn the values, attitudes, techniques, and motives for
criminal behavior. The differential association theory is the most talked about of the
learning theories of deviance.
The cultural transmission theory, also known as cultural learning, enculturation and
socialization, states that all behavior is learned from the society or culture that surrounds
a person. If a child is exposed to deviant behavior, especially at a young age, then that
behavior can become a learned trait.
TYPES OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR
There are basically two types of deviant behavior and these are:
Formal Deviance a deviant behavior of violating enacted laws such as homicide and theft.
This formal deviance can be violations of codified laws, rules, regulations and codes of
conduct.
Informal Deviance a type of deviant behavior that violates social norms which are not
codified by laws. Such examples may include picking of nose in public and belching loudly.
SANCTIONS
Sanctions can either be positive (rewards) or negative (punishment).
Sanctions can arise from either formal or informal control.
Informal sanctions emerge in face-to-face social interactions. For example, wearing flip-
flops to an opera or swearing loudly in church may draw disapproving looks or even verbal
reprimands, whereas behavior that is seen as positivesuch as helping an old man carry
grocery bags across the streetmay receive positive informal reactions, such as a smile or
pat on the back.
Formal sanctions, on the other hand, are ways to officially recognize and enforce norm
violations. If a student violates her colleges code of conduct, for example, she might be
expelled. Someone who speaks inappropriately to the boss could be fired. Someone who
commits a crime may be arrested or imprisoned. On the positive side, a soldier who saves
a life may receive an official commendation.