Deviance and Social Control

Fall 2006

Outline

I. Crime is normal & Deviance is relative

II. History of sociology of devianceA. From deviance to social control

III. 2 dimensions of social controlA. Style (penal, comp, etc.)

B. Arena (law, norms, etc.)

IV. Design as Social Control

Take-Aways

• Crime is normal• Deviance is relative• Conformity-Deviance as continuum with socially

designated cutoff point• Social control varies

– Law as small part of social control– Norms as the “social” in social control– Sociology seeks to understand distribution of control

• Terms/Concepts: deviance, conformity, norm, social control, label, detterence

Crime is Normal

• Durkheim: distinguish normal and pathological

• Present in every society

• Even a society of angels…

• SOCIALLY pathological if rate too high or low

Even in a society of angels

It does not offend the collective because it is a crime; it is a crime because it offends the collective…

All Behavior Varies and Groups Have a Collective Sense of “How we do it”

• Two possibilities

Under “Acceptable” Over

“Acceptable”

Different

All Behavior Varies and Groups Have a Collective Sense of “How we do it”

Another way to look at it…

US US

THEM THEM

THEM

Example: Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll

Prudes Normals Addicts

Example: Student Role

Slackers Normals Geeks,Nerds

Example: Reading Pages Per Week

Gut Course Normal Insanelyunreasonable

0 100250

Example: Abortion

When can pregnancies be ended?

Conception

BirthUS Law

Never! “Morning after” Pill only

Example: Premarital Sex

How “far” is OK?

Hold Hands Intercourse

Deviance is relative

• Changes from one society/group to another

• Changes over time

• Classic example of social construct

• But still very real to the group

Deviance is relative: Examples

• Date rape• Honor killings• Hate crime• Enron• Fashion• Smoking• Safe sex• Littering

Social Control Varies

• By Arena– State– Organization– Society

• By Style– Penal

Compensation– Conciliation– Therapy– Prevention– Reform

Black’s Styles of Social Control

Style Arenas Focus

Penal Criminal Law Conduct

Compensatory Contract Law Consequences

Therapeutic Juvenile justice, social work Person

ConciliatoryMediation, marital conflict, labor

conflictRelationship

Prevention Opportunity

Reform Causes

First-Party Control

Second-Party Control Third-Party Control

Controller ActorPerson

acted uponSocial Forces

Organiza-tion

Govern-ment

RulesPersonal

ethicsContracts Norms

Organiza-tional rules

Law

Social Control and Design

Natural Surveillance

Target Hardening

Spatial Hierarchy

Expressing Community Norms

Make Sharing Space Easier

Use Design to Facilitate Pro-pro-social Behavior

IDEO’s Social Mobiles

http://www.ideo.com/case_studies/Social_Mobiles/menu.html

The Electric Shock Mobile

http://www.ideo.com/case_studies/Social_Mobiles/SoMo1-3.html

The Electric Shock Mobile

The Electric Shock Mobile

The Catapult Mobile

http://www.ideo.com/case_studies/Social_Mobiles/SoMo1-5.html