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Sociological theories of deviance and social controls chapter 8
Social deviance in today
Sociological theories of deviance and social controls chapter 8
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Jonestown Jim Jones and his infamous cult entitled, “The People’s Temple,” holds an interesting value to social psychology. Jonestown is a topic that can relate back to many sociology terms and ideas. Jonestown can be related to social deviance, the effect of American culture on social groups, labelling theory, charismatic authority, and even shows how societal history often repeats itself. American society during the late 60’s-70’s is what led to the creation of Jonestown. Jonestowns downfall provided a lot of insight to the American public of how society needed to change, proving that the deaths of about 900 people weren’t for nothing. Social deviance is when people who are faced with social norms either choose to conform or to rebel …show more content…
from said norm. The People’s Temple was caused because of social deviance and was one of the most deviant organizations in America at the time. As a young boy Jim Jones was cast out from the rest of society giving Jones a deeper understanding for the black community during mid 1900’s. Jones’ background shows how he could easily sway over 900 people to join him, through connecting with his people on an emotional level. By connecting with his people on an emotional level Jones was able to form bonds with everyone giving them a sense of security and homliness. Jim Jones was able to successfully manipulate the majority of his people to the point where they were willing to die for their belief in Jones. An anonymous previous member of Jonestown mentions this mental manipulation when discussing the amount they worked, “you’re made to feel guilty if you take too many luxuries like sleeping, you tend to not to think for yourself and I allowed Jones to think for me, because I figured he had the better plan. I gave my rights up to him, as many others did.” This first hand source shows how Jones was able to get into their minds by working them so they wouldn’t focus on anything else going on. Jones also garnered devotees by taking in people with troubled pasts convincing them that People’s Temple is the reason why they are changing for the better. Jones was a proponent of the positive reinforcement technique founded by B.F. Skinner. This theory suggests that you can strengthen a behavior when rewarding an individual for doing or behaving as you like. Jones used this technique by rewarding members who showed acts of trust and/or faith. By using positive conditioning Jones was able to tap into participants subconscious and get the majority of the people to continuously be faithful. Jonestown was a way for people who deviated from social norms to feel like they belong somewhere. These factors show how Jones used social deviance to manipulate his people. Along with social deviance Jones’ charismatic authority garnered him his huge following and loyal devotees.
Charismatic authority is when a leader gains followers simply by the strength of his/her character. Jones was considered to be very enticing for women and a very good role model for men. As opposed to the norms of other social groups, charismatic authoritarians were not leaders based on a written law but by the will of the people who serve him. Because charismatic leaders are not linked to tradition, they are a danger to established groups due to their lack of care for legal authorities. By blindly following a leader like Jones, who was a master of manipulation, members were not aware of the damage they were doing by the order of Jones. Charismatic authoritarians gain loyal followers more easily than law written organizations, for the people follow charismatic authoritarians by their own free will rather than requirement. Being a large group formed outside of written laws instantly deviates it from other established groups. Because of Jones magnetic pull he was able to convince his group members that everything they were doing including the mass suicide were for the greater good. Having an icon tell you that you’re doing something for the greater good desensitizes you to the task you were asked to perform. An example of this is that the majority of the members viewed the suicide as a ‘sacrificial’ act for American society. Charismatic leaders are dangerous in that …show more content…
they are very good at manipulating people to do their bidding. A superior giving you a command to do something you would not normally do, isn’t something that Jones created. One of the first instances of this mind controlling technique is the great California genocide. The great California genocide, which occurred in the mid 1800’s, speaks of when the U.S. government called the Native Americans savages and put bounties on their heads. The act of labeling them as savages allowed the public to dehumanize Native Americans allowing retribution for murdering them. The truly disturbing thing about the great California genocide is that most of the murders were done by neighbors and friends. This historical tragedy begins the long list of reasons that labelling has negative effects. The labelling theory, created by Howard Becker, explains that after being labeled a certain way, society starts to see you as your label says and you start to act more like the label given to you.
This relates to the great California genocide because once the U.S. Government (a superior to the common people) labeled native americans as savages the public started viewing them as savages. Labels helped the neighbors of these fallen Native Americans to become unassociated with them as beings making it easier to kill them. Labels can work both ways, positive and negative. Positive labeling is how Jim Jones calls his group saints and praised them for the work they were doing. Because they viewed Jim Jones as a god like figure, they believed him when he said they were doing good. This is how most members were okay with the idea of a mass
suicide. America during mid 1900’s was not a place of equality, for even now going against the majority gains some judging eyes. Through social norms of American society Jim Jones was able to create a safe haven for the people whom the judging eyes fell on. People’s Temple was originally intended to serve as a model for a perfect society during the 1960’s but ended up mirroring actual American society. Jones being in the minority for supporting racial equality led a plethora of African-American’s to the People’s Temple. Because they thought they would never find anything better than Jonestown, it proved difficult for African-American members to question Jones’ motives. The beginning to middle of Jonestowns lifespan was a generally pleasant organization made for all the right reasons, as noted by the amount of humanitarian awards presented to Jones. The People’s Temple viewed the rest of the United States as racist, greedy, capitalists. Because they thought so strongly about making a change they viewed their ‘Sacrificial’ deaths as a revolutionary act. Towards the end of its existence Jonestown acted like the social norm activists being that it was either what they believed or it was wrong, no gray area. The lack of gray could be the reason for the mass ‘suicide.’ A quote from a previous member of People’s Temple named Annie Moore states, “We died because you would not let us live.” This quote exemplifies all of my previous assertions about the lack of gray area. Annie being a previous member of Jonestown further shows the way people in Jonestown felt about their life and American society. Although the events that took place at Jonestown were tragic, the United States learned a lot about it’s society and changes that needed to be made. One of the lessons learned was to never view any man or women above yourself. Because they viewed Jim Jones as a god they let him have authority over them. Another lesson learned is that everybody’s religion/views have value and no one view is better than the other. Because American society easily cast out people for not sharing the same beliefs Jim Jones had the idea to create the People’s Temple. Although valuable lessons were learned, organizations like Jonestown still exist today. One of the most infamous organizations that follows Jonestown protocol is ISIS. The one thing both ISIS and Jonestown has in common is that each group believe that what they are doing is right for the society they are in. Overall, through repetition in history, instances of labeling, reinforcement, charismatic authority, and more, Jonestown shows how society can affect social groupings and organizations. Most of the time the sociological aspects of Jonestown can be one in the same, but each has its own important impact on the formation of the People’s Temple. Sometimes it takes a tragedy like Jonestown to get society to rethink its ways and change for the better.
While dealing with Jonestown it could be perceived as both a cult and a conspiracy theory. The way it fits into being a conspiracy is that many do not believe what was reported and feel that the government, especially the CIA had involvement and made efforts to alter peoples minds for uses of a social experiment. Jonestown also could be considered a cult because in 1955 roughly 1000 citizens formed “The Peoples Temple” in Indiana. It was later progressed to California then finally in 1974 they made there final stop in Guyana. These members usually large in diversity would have mass gatherings and preach
This analysis is a compare and contrast essay between the book, 1984, and the society of Jonestown. Jonestown, was a community based on a religious group know as the People's Temple. This was a place, where people felt that they had control of their lives, when in reality they didn’t. Their leader, Jim Jones, was very manipulating and was able to convince almost the entire community to commit suicide together because of his paranoia. In 1984, people didn't even realize the need for freedom, because the government was already in control of every aspect of their lives. That is just one of the reasons Jonestown and 1984 are similar, but don't be mistaken, there are many differences too. The people in 1984 never were given a choice between freedom and being either a party member or a prole. The people involved in Jonestown were there on their own accord. The people of the People's Temple had at one point at least wanted to be there, and to follow their leader.
Annie Moore one of the people who died in Jonestown said these last haunting words: “We died because you would not let us live”. That chilling sentence says so much about the grip Jim Jones had on his followers. Once he had them under his control they weren’t even allowed to think for themselves let alone do anything else freely. Jim Jones started to lose it when the congressman, the relatives, and the media began to question what was going on in Jonestown.
Social deviancy is the violation of social norms. A deviant is someone who rejects folkways and mores. Any action that violates the values or rules of a social group is deviant behavior. In order to actually be characterized as a deviant, the individual must be detected committing a deviant act and be stigmatized by society. A stigma is a mark of social disgrace, setting the deviant apart from the group. Criminality is healthy for society. Deviance affirms our cultural values and norms. Responding to deviance clarifies moral boundaries and brings people together. There will always be people who break society’s rules and that’s important.
Jim Jones was the notorious cult leader of the Peoples Temple. Jones was born on May 13, 1931 in Crete, Indiana. He was a self-appointed pastor from a church in the Midwest. Jim had been popular for always wearing dark glasses, black suits and slicked-back hair, which made a splendid impression on the pulpit of the churches he had preached at or had been to. He then, in the mid-1960s, moved his congregation to California to, what he had wished, avoid the start of a nuclear war. Then, in 1974, he moved his people to Guyana after he was faced with financial abuses, criticism, and church beatings.
Society strives to feel a sense of belonging. We want to be a part of something that shares the same beliefs as us. We spend our time trying to place ourselves in a group to satisfy these needs, whether it is in a hobby club, a group of friends, or religion. Some people go to more extreme measures and find this in what we call a cult. According to Henslin, a cult is a new or different religion whose teachings and practices put it at odds with the dominant culture and religion. (2013:405) Cults are often identified with the ideas of mass murder, deviant behaviors, unusual beliefs, and extremely devoted members. Cults are also highly known for their leaders. The leaders of cults usually are the ones that portray the image for the entire group. Successful cults take a strong-minded and, according to Max Weber, charismatic leader.
Charismatic leaders are individuals who seem to inspire others. There are all types of charismatic leaders; some people may deem what they do as evil and others may hold a different opinion. There are some leaders that are seen as saviors, coming along at the right moment when all hope is lost. There are other leaders that people slander their names with the word ‘Murder’. In the end it all depends on which side a follower is on. Jim Jones, Martin Luther King Jr. , and Gandhi were some of the most remember charismatic leaders in history. though very different in what they preach. Then there is the most iconic charismatic leader of all and he goes by many names: Allah, the Almighty, but many know him as Jesus.
Cults are dangerous institutions that have existed for many years, corrupting and reforming the minds of innocent people into believing outrageous doctrines that eventually result in disaster. Horrifying cases involving men such as Charles Manson, Jim Jones and David Koresh have bewildered people and raise the question: how could individuals be easily susceptible to the teachings of these men, so influenced that masses go as far as to commit the unthinkable? Individuals who are in a vulnerable position in search for an identity are attracted to cults because they offer a sense of belonging. In addition, isolation from society contributes to the functioning of a cult for it creates an atmosphere where submissiveness and obedience runs high. These two factors seem to hold true for one of the most notorious cults currently established in the United States and Canada. The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or, FLDS, is an international polygamist sect that incorporates belonging and isolation along with a dangerous mentality that have resulted in the abuse of women and children in the name of God.
People join cults as a way of feeling a sense of belonging within a community (Winner 2011:417). This need for belonging is eventually why members find themselves so involved that they cannot get out. This is especially true in the case of the cult created by Jim Jones. He established a cultic Church called the People’s Temple, most famously known for being the largest group suicide consisting of 909 people, including 276 children (Nelson 2006). Between five to seven million young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 are involved in cult groups (“Cult statistics” 2010). Nearly 180 000 people are recruited into cults each year (“Cult Statistics” 2010). The sense of identity, purpose, and belonging are appealing aspects to why people join cults as the use of power and manipulation coerces them to stay.
...fortunately, when a person is given that much power and control over a large group of people their decisions as well as reasoning can become altered. In the case of Jim Jones his power lead to an enflamed ego, which led to a greed, not only of loyalty but of money. Money then lead to drug use, and in the end, drug use led to insanity. Those who are gifted with the ability to influence others have a huge responsibility. They must recognize what they have as a gift and not abuse what God has given them. Jim Jones is a person who had this gift as well as good intentions, yet he could not balance and keep in perspective that what he was doing was to benefit the world, not to benefit himself.
When most hear the word cult, they imagine mass murderings and warn their children “don’t drink the kool-aid. However, a cult is defined only as a “religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader”. These systems or communities rely on worship and ritual. There is no mention of violence or bloodshed in this definition. However, “destructive cults” are a whole other story and are often the ones making the news headlines. These destructive cults use unethical means as a way to control and manipulate to bring thought reform (defined as the systematic alteration of a person's mode of thinking). Ironically, these destructive cults give an illusion of self control and freedom to its members. It is estimated that five to seven million American’s have been in cults or cult-line groups according to the cult hotline, of course this is a hard number to properly caluclate.
From a sociological understanding, deviance is any behavior or physical appearance that is condemned from social standards because it defies social norms or social expectations. Sociological understanding of deviance is not always associated with a negative outcome, but can have positive effects for the individual or soceity. With the Civil Rights Movement, Rosa Parks was seen deviant for sitting at the front of a bus and refusing to move when a white male came on board. This act of civil rights not only made a stance for improving African American rights, but also helped change social norms.. From an everyday understanding, deviance is any behavior or physical appearance that is seen with a bad or negative outlook. An example of an everyday understanding of deviant behavior can be seen as an individual having tattoos all over his or her body. Some individuals would consider tattoos covering someone’s entire body are bad or a negative appearance, even if the tattoos had significant meaning to that specific individual.
To begin, one of the most enticing factors of cult membership is the promise of prosperity and a bright future, doubly so when those who are recruited are down on their luck.4,2,3 Similar to Hitler's promises of restored economic power to the impoverished people of Germany post World War I, its hard to turn down a cult's pledge of freedom from persecution and hardship, as was the case for Jim Jones's ill fated followers. Upon further examination, the National Socialist Party's principals do not deviate far from...
Several individuals within society typically follow social guidelines that they are unaware of performing. Social guidelines such as stopping at a red light or saying thank you when someone has done something for you. These social guidelines or norms give society a script to follow regarding their behavior and actions. Although norms are the acceptable actions and behaviors that society is taught to perform, there are occurrences where individuals stay away from those in which they are now enacting deviance. To act deviant is considered to break away or do something different of a social norm. There are several forms of deviance that occur frequently within society that violate social norms and hinder society’s overall function.
On November 18, 1978, a notorious religious organization lead by Jim Jones became international news. As a result of manipulation and isolation, Jim Jones influenced his followers to commit suicide. Not only, but his followers were utterly convinced that what they were doing was for a good cause, specifically, a political movement. With kool-aid and a dash of cyanide, 918 people, adults and children, ended their lives that day. The aftermath of this horrific event resulted in numerous documentaries, on of which being, Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple. Created in 2006, this documentary gives a thorough and accurate account of the events that lead up to as well as occured that day.