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Deviant behavior and social control
Deviance and social norms
Sociology of deviant behavior
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The first technique of neutralization is the denial of responsibility which is when we claim that we had no choice to do the behavior or that we were forced to that particular behavior. An example is cheating on a test because you did not study. You may not take responsibility for your action and claim that you had no choice because you have to do well to graduate. The second technique of neutralization is the denial of injury which occurs when we justify that our behavior was not wrong or a problem because nobody got hurt. For example, a teenager may download illegal copies of music without paying for them and rationalize his behavior by saying nobody got hurt so it shouldn’t be a problem. A third technique of neutralization is denial of a victim or blaming the victim. We acknowledge that people were hurt as a result of our behaviors but we justify our actions by stating that it was the victim’s fault because they “deserved what they got.” An example of this is blaming a teacher for making their exams difficult which is the reason you had to cheat in order to do well. A fourth technique of neutralization is condemnation of the condemners which occurs when we deny that others have the right to judge us. An example of this technique is a friend lecturing you not to …show more content…
We reject labels that people put on us and use different techniques of neutralization to deflect the norms of society. By neutralizing the moral demands of society we are able to justify our behaviors so we don’t have to feel bad about our actions. Labels also impact how we views others and define what kind of people they are. Some individuals enjoy having a deviant identity such as bikers, body art, or hairstyles that reject adult norms. This theory focuses on how our definitions of situations influence whether we deviate or conform to social
The search for one’s identity can be a constant process and battle, especially for teenagers and young adults. Many people have a natural tendency to want to fit in and be accepted by others, whether it be with family, friends or even strangers. They may try to change who they are, how they act, or how they dress in order to fit in. As one gets older, society can influence one’s view on what they should look like, how they should act, or how they should think. If society tells us that a certain body type or hair color is beautiful, that is what some people strive for and want to become in order to be more liked. This was especially true with Avery as she longed for the proper clothes to fit into a social group and began to change the way she spoke to match those around her. As a young and impressionable sixth grader, she allowed herself to become somewhat whitewashed in an attempt to fit in with the other girls. However, Avery did not really become friends with any of those girls; her only real friend was
Our lives are defined by our experiences of growing up and of who people are when people are developing. Both, in their respective regards, are something that can be difficult to alter to the individual. Gender, race, classes, and other building blocks of our identity are always shifting to who anyone is and while a person can’t affect themselves, society can, and often does change their perspective towards their own identity and how they interact with the stimulation outside of their psyche.
Furthermore, sometimes the desire to be accepted is stronger than prevailing conventions. This makes an individual to do things to make him feel accepted in the society. Krakauer compares the people in Alaska and McCandless. He writes, “And I’m sure there are plenty of other Alaskans who had a lot in common with McCandless when they first got here, too, including many of his critics. Which maybe why they’re so hard on him. Maybe McCandless reminds them a little too much of their former selves” (Krakauer 221). In today’s society, an individual confirms itself to what a society wants and expect him or her to be.
Adler, Patricia A., and Adler Peter. Constructions of Deviance: Social Power, Context, and Interaction. 6th ed. Belmont: Thomas/Wadsworth, 2009.
Society often pressures individuals within it to conform to different ideals and norms. This stems from the fact that individuals in a society are expected to act in a certain way. If a person or group of people do not satisfy society’s expectations, they are looked down upon by others. This can lead to individuals isolating themselves from others, or being isolated from others, because they are considered as outcasts. The emotional turmoil that can result from this, as well as the internal conflict of whether or not to conform, can transform an individual into a completely different person. This transformation can either be beneficial or harmful to the individual as well as those around them. The individual can become an improved version of himself or herself but conversely, they can become violent, rebellious and destructive. The novels Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk and A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess both explore the negative effects experienced by individuals living within the confines of society’s narrow-mindedness. In A Clockwork Orange, protagonist Alex was the leader of a small group of teenage criminals. He did not have a healthy relationship with either one of his parents or with others around him. Instead he spent most of his time alone during the day and at night roamed the streets in search of victims he could mug or rape. In Fight Club the unnamed protagonist was an outcast in his community. He chose to distance and isolate himself from others and as a result had no friends, with the exception of Tyler Durden and Marla Singer. Due to his isolation, he often participated in nightly fights that took place in Fight Club so that he could relieve his anxiety and stress. In this way, Alex and the unnamed protagoni...
Do we have the freedom to be who we want to be? How much of our identity can we claim to be truly of our own choosing? Numerous theories claim that our social structures decide who we are and therefore robbing us the power to choose what we wish to be. Great theorists such as Georg Simmel argue that our social networks best explain who we are. To a very great extent, it is hard to separate the way one behaves from their social network. This paper seeks to investigate the claim that our social structures are indeed responsible for who we are.
The conservative nature of labelling theory was also criticized, specifically by E. M. Schur. He suggested that although the sociology of the underdog is indispensable in the alleviation of the unnecessary suffering of the deviant individual, the labelling theorists are guilty of romanticizing certain non-political deviations and avoiding a truly radical critique of the social system as a whole (1971). However, one of the major criticisms of labelling theory is that it is deterministic. As a matter of fact, it specifically treats the individuals as if they were no more than passive organisms, herded into behaviour by the act of the labels being given to it. As well, further criticism is given due to the fact that, following behaviour patterns is the mere result of the behaviour patterns being ascribed to it. For instance, Herbert Blumer (1969) suggests that the human being is seen as an active organism in his own right, facing, dealing with, and acting toward the object he indicates. On the other hand, Alexander Liazos (1972) provides for three criticisms based on the work of labelling theorists. First of all, he notes that although a labelling theorists aim is to humanise the deviant individual and show that he or
By attempting to imitate the expected forms of expression of mainstream identities, the person is choosing to diminish part of their self. While Blackmore suggests that, “What makes us different is our ability to imitate (Blackmore p. 3),” covering can have strongly negative effects upon an individual and ostracized groups. By choosing to cover, an individual internalizes and upholds the ideology that some identities are better than others. Some people argue against a negative view of covering, suggesting that it is product of nurture and not fully a person’s conscious decision. Excusing covering by simply explaining it as a byproduct of a person’s upbringing is harmful because it does not hold the person accountable for their own actions. However, once the excuse behind explaining covering as an unconscious decision, the factor of consciousness is important to consider. Due to the
Societies that esteem social conformity view defiance as a by-product of insolence rather than an act of courage. Isolation of individuals that do not abide by the set restrictions is another common characteristic of systems that encourage mob mentalities. As a result, in order to be accepted by peers, individuals often have to function based on societal expectations. Some consider pursuing their own opinions and ideas against the social norms. This often garners backlash and hostilities from other members of society, ranging from physical and verbal abuse to denial of individual’s competence and sanity to complete alienation from society. Although some people are able to champion their freedom of expression and right to opinions over the need
Howard Becker describes the way an act of deviance can cause total disruption within the society/social group. I feel this is extremely important because it is the social group that holds almost all the power, and it is the social group that says what is right and what is wrong. If the social group says that something is right thing to do, then more out of times the people will listen and do so. The social group is the one who says who belongs and who doesn’t, and no social group wants to have to deal with someone who disobeys or disrespects it. It’s important to know what is “right” and what is “wrong” because it allows for the person to be a part of the group. Honestly, no one truly wants to be left out or shamed for being different, in fact,
On the other hand, some people like to create or break social norms because they want to be a unique character or improve their social life; for instance, transgender. Transgender which means one’s do not accept his/her gender role, they feel that is not their bodies look like and not match. Although many male transgender that their biological is male, they feel that they are look like women. The same case with female. Due to a long time by heterosexual life, transgender people lead to psychological personality change to fix their gender role, such as surgery to change
Our society as a whole is beginning to evolve into numerous classifications. Our society branches off of the social norm structure that we have thrived from for our whole existence. Now however, people in society are going throughout their lives not always aware of the impacts that their choices and influences make on the everyday world around them. From the time people are able to grasp the concept of right and wrong until it is their turn to pass down what is right or wrong, they are not only affecting the social structure of life, but the lives of so many around them, whether they may know it or not. Although most people in society try to avoid the negative forces around them, it is now becoming an excruciating challenge to avoid the pressure and rise to a daunting task. With so many types of deviance floating around the air, it is now nearly impossible to try and not get exposed to deviance and the consequences that come with it. Deviance does not just occur in one place either. Now, it is harder than ever to not catch this behavior. It is
Hayes, T. A. 2010. Labelling and the Adoption of a Deviant Status. Deviant Behaviour, 31 (3), pp. 282-297.
Anomie can lead to one of five modes of adaptation. Conformist follow social and cultural norms. Innovators accept cultural norms but not social norms and turn to alternative illegal means. Ritualist accept the social norms but reject the cultural norm. Retreatist withdraw from broader society and rebel abandon social and cultural norms. Anomies which fail to identify with society can lead to commit hate crimes. Lastly, according to critical criminology theory, hate crime can be conceived by society, since social existence determines one’s consciousness (Perry, 41). Critical criminology takes into account the social phenomenon of marginalization and power as it contributes to a person’s view of social hierarchy and position.
A writer from Southernct stated a fact that “ men, women, and children of all ages, races, religions, and economic classes have been victims of sexual assault. Sexual assault occurs in rural areas, small towns, and larger cities” ( “Southernct” 1). We have all seen on the news a case where a female has been raped and somehow the world makes us believe that it was her own fault that it happened. This is due to victim blaming. Victim blaming occurs when the victim of some sort of crime or wrongdoing is held partially or fully responsible for what happened to them. It is not always easy to identify though. Some people would be considered to be victim blaming over every day situations in life. For example, someone making the