Deviance and Social Control

1733 Words4 Pages

The concepts 'Social Control' and 'Deviance' have more than one definition to me, my understandings of these terms are that they try to group, control and define different kinds of anti-social behaviour. In this essay I will be reflecting on how certain topics have deviant labels attached to them as a result of social control. I will be explaining my initial understanding and views of these topics, going on to explain how they may have been changed, challenged or reinforced after attending lectures and using the sources available to me to expand my knowledge. Also, I will be using evidence from texts I have read to support these views and considering how these contribute to the inner-relationship between 'deviance' and social control. The key topics I will be demonstrating this with are Teenage Mothers, Eugenics, Deviant Bodies and The Cultural Degeneration of Travellers. These topics highlight key areas in which deviant labels are attached to groups of people by social control and how society has tried to control people's views in order to separate class and be in command of what should be seen as acceptable behaviour. My understanding of social control before this module was that it encompassed the way in which a society is governed, policed, and dictated. I thought the definition of social control was about how we live our lives, and make decisions in accordance to a set of guidelines, rules and regulations that have been set out by a group of much more powerful, influential figures in society. I think that social control is not universal, all countries have completely different ways in which their society is controlled, and I also think that all societies need to be controlled in some way shape or form, although most like the... ... middle of paper ... ...ociety tries to control what should be seen as normal, but as humans we are all individual and there is no 'norm' there is only an ideal self, how society would like everyone to be and conform. Works Cited Ferrell, J. (2004) 'Boredom, Crime and Criminology, Theoretical Criminology, 8 (3) pp287-302 Garland, D. (2008) 'On the Concept of Moral Panic' in Crime, Media and Culture 4(1) pp.9-30 Hayward, K. and Young, J.(2004) 'Cultural Criminology: Some notes on the script' in International Journal of Theoretical Criminology, 8 (3) pp.259-285 Jones, O (2011). : The demonization of the Working Class. London: Verso. p1-10. Kennedy, Angie, C. (2008) 'Eugenics, "Degenerate Girls" and Social Workers During the Progressive Era' Journal of Women and Social Work Vol 23 (1) pp 22-37 Presdee, M (2000). Cultural Criminology and the Carnival of Crime. London: Routledge. 245.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Mary Louise Adams's Article 'Excerpts From The Trouble With Normal'

    1423 Words  | 3 Pages

    As highlighted by the author, Mary Louise Adams in her article, “Excerpts from The Trouble with Normal”, ‘a norm’ “can be defined as something that is usual, typical or standardized” (Hacking, Adams, 2003). Norms are often already so established that most individuals do not realize how much they have shaped society and the people who live in it. Audrey Lord tells us that being a “White, thin, young, heterosexual, Christian, male” defines the characteristics of being “normal” and “privileged,” in which she calls “the mythical norm” (Perry, 2011). We use our sexuality, race and class as a way of giving ourselves an identity for the world to see. This identity will ultimately allow us to understand our place in the world and give

    Read More

  • The Boondock Saints’ Positive Deviance

    1358 Words  | 3 Pages

    Adler, Patricia A., and Adler Peter. Constructions of Deviance: Social Power, Context, and Interaction. 6th ed. Belmont: Thomas/Wadsworth, 2009.

    Read More

  • Cultural Criminology: A New Perspective to Understanding Crime and Deviance

    2353 Words  | 5 Pages

    Cultural criminology is a relatively new perspective and approach to understanding crime and deviance. Cultural criminology first began to develop in the 1990s and rapidly progressed in to a new field of criminology that is both influential and informative. The core concept of cultural criminology is built upon by using traditional approaches from different disciplines such as sociological studies, cultural studies, symbolic interactionism and many other disciplines, theories and methods. (Oxford bibliography Keith Hayward) Although it would seem that cultural criminology is nothing more than an interdisciplinary field, using only the studies and theories of some of the disciplines mentioned above - it actually does offer a new line of thought and individuality that other fields of criminology in the past did not. This is because instead of viewing crime objectively, it instead looks at crime subjectively by analysing the idiosyncrasies of the modern sociocultural environment. It offers an explanation of crime and deviance as a constructed result from either political, social or cultural actors and groups who commit crime, because of a shared sense of meaning, emotions, symbols, styles and even fashion within different subcultures. (Oxford bibliography Keith Hayward) Cultural Criminologists hope to explain and examine how the meaning of certain aspects of a subculture can play an active role in society and the construction of crime, not only by explaining why crime is committed, but also how crime is controlled. This essay will explain what cultural criminology is by using The 1989 Hillsborough disaster as an example in illustrating some of the research findings by cultural criminologists. There have been many different topic area...

    Read More

  • Routine Activities Theory

    1788 Words  | 4 Pages

    Akers, R, & Sellers, C. (2009). Criminological theories: introduction, evaluation, and application. New York: Oxford University Press, USA.

    Read More

  • Crime, Moral Panics and the Media

    1722 Words  | 4 Pages

    Some of the governing models of moral panics include Jock Young (1971) and Stanley Cohen (1972). Stanley Cohen fabricated the idea of moral panics in his book Folk Devils and Moral Panics (1972), whilst Jock Young concentrated more on the correlation of deviance amplification and drug taking. The main feature of a moral panic is deviance amplification; this was looked at in more detail by Stanley Cohen (1972) in what he called the deviancy amplification spiral. Some examples of media moral panics include; internet pornography, violence in video games, immigration, single parents etc… Moral panics can affect the public’s perceptions of crime in many ways, making the ext... ... middle of paper ... ...

    Read More

  • Criminal Justice Myths and Facts

    1352 Words  | 3 Pages

    Blumberg, M, Kappeler, V, and Potter, G. 1993, The Mythology and Crime and Criminal Justice, Prospect Heights, I11.: Waveland Press.

    Read More

  • Societies and Moral Panic

    3409 Words  | 7 Pages

    Societies can sometimes be exposed to periods of moral panic. A condition, episode, person or group of people appears as a threat to certain societal standards and interests. This phenomenon is depicted in a stylized and stereotypical fashion and presented to the public through the moral perspective of editors, bishops, politicians, and other influential people, whose principles define the societal values. These people pronounce their diagnoses and resort to certain ways of coping (although, sometimes, the parties can come to an agreement and a way of coping could evolve). After the condition disappears, submerges or deteriorates, it becomes even more visible. Every now and then the object of the panic is quite unusual, although mostly it is something that has been debated for a long time, but that suddenly appears in the spotlight. Occasionally, the episode is overlooked and forgotten, except in folk-lore and collective memory, but at other times it manages to create a serious impact, producing changes in legal and social policy or even in the way society conceives itself (Cohen, 2002).

    Read More

  • Terrorism and Moral Panic in America

    1644 Words  | 4 Pages

    Goode, E. & Yehuda, N. B.1994. Moral Panics: The Social Construction of Deviance. Oxford: Blackwell.

    Read More

  • What Is Differential Association Theory

    1373 Words  | 3 Pages

    Deviance is defined as the violation of norms —or rules or expectations. (Henslin, Essentials of Sociology) Social Control is then defined as a group’s formal and informal means of enforcing the norms. (Henslin, Essentials of Sociology) These two concepts become very important when discussing societal behaviors and guidelines. The film entitled Boys N’ the Hood is a notable example that clearly shows deviance and social control put into action.

    Read More

  • Criminological Theories Explaining Behaviors of The Cocaine Kids

    1362 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lilly, Robert J., Francis T. Cullen, and Richard A. Ball. 2011. Criminological Theory: Context And Consequences. 5th ed. California: SAGE.

    Read More

  • Corrections & the Criminal Justice System: Recidivism & Re-Entry

    778 Words  | 2 Pages

    Pollock, J. M. (2012). Crime & justice in America: An introduction to criminal justice (2nd ed.). Waltham, MA, USA: Anderson Publishing (Elsevier).

    Read More

  • Which Trait Theory Most Explains Criminal Behavior

    1238 Words  | 3 Pages

    Winslow, R. W., & Zhang, S. (2008). Contemporary Theories of Crime. Criminology: a global perspective (). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

    Read More

  • Strain Theories of Criminal Behaviour

    2001 Words  | 5 Pages

    Williams, F., & McShane, M. (2010). Criminological Theory, (5th Edition). New Brunswick, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

    Read More

  • Deviance and Social Control

    899 Words  | 2 Pages

    Deviance. (1998). In Robert D. Benford Macmillan Compendium: Social Issues ().New York: Macmillan Library Reference USA. 20 May 2010, Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center via Gale:

    Read More

  • Social Construction Of Deviance

    1254 Words  | 3 Pages

    Deviance is a socially constructed idea that takes many shapes and forms throughout human history. It can be defined in many different ways, can be applied to many different settings and numerous types of bodies. Throughout the course, the social construct of deviance presents itself in multiple readings. For instance, in the article written by Jennifer Morgan, deviance is socially constructed by European males and applied onto African female bodies.

    Read More

More about Deviance and Social Control

Open Document