Sociologists & Deviances

• Sociologists believe that deviance comes from people within

• Genetic Predispositions- inborn tendencies to commit deviant acts– 1. Intelligence (low leads to crime)– 2. “XYY” Theory (extra Y chromosome leads to crime)– 3. Body Type (people with muscular bodies)

Psychologists & Deviances

• Personality Disorders- personality disturbance causes an individual to violate social norms

• Subconscious motives drive people to deviance• Not always true• Both Psychologists, sociologists and

sociobiologists search for outside factors• Why people commit crimes

Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

• Differential Assoc. Theory- We learn to deviate or to conform to society’s norms mostly by different groups we associate with.

• Families play a role in our deviance

• Neighborhoods, Friends and Subcultures– Most parents don’t want their children to grow up

in bad areas

Prisoners of Socialization

• We produce our own orientations to life– We choose our own path in life

Control Theory

• Why do we have strong desires to do things to get us in trouble?

• Inner drives• Temptations• Urges• Hostilities

Control Theory

• The idea that two control systems-inner controls and outer controls- work against our tendencies to deviate

• Inner controls: morality, conscience, religious, principles, ideas of right and wrong and fears of punishment

• Stronger bonds with society, the more effective are inner controls are

Bonds• Based on our attachments– Affection & respect for people

• Based on our commitments– Stake in society you don’t

want to risk

• Based on our involvements– Putting time & energy into

approved activities

• Based on our beliefs– Believe some actions are

wrong

Labeling Theory

• Labels that people are given affect their own and other’s perception of them

• Most people reject negative labels

• Slobs• Whore• Pervert• Cheat

Labeling Theory

• Some people are able to deflect the labels and consider themselves conforming members of society (Techniques of Neutralization)

1.Denial of Responsibility2.Denial of Injury3.Denial of a Victim4.Condemnation of the Condemners5.Appeal to Higher Loyalties

Labels

• Embrace Labels: Biker Gangs in which they view themselves as losers which supports their deviance

• Labels give people