Deviance

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Deviance
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Explanations of deviance

• Biological
• Psychological
• Sociological

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Biological explanations

• Very limited understanding of crime
• Caesar Lombroso
• Genetically destined to become criminals
• William Sheldon
• Body style
• XYY Chromosome theory

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Psychological explanations General concepts

• Personality patterns
• Individual traits
• Majority of crimes are committed by people with
  normal psychological profiles

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Sociological explanations (Overview)

• Strain theory
• Differential association
• Differential opportunity
• Labeling theory

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Strain theory

• Robert Merton
• Conformist
• Innovator (Al Capone)
• Ritualist
• Retreatist
• Rebellion

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Differential association

• Edwin H. Sutherland
• Crime is learned in association with others
• Deviance is linked to the amount of contact a
  person has with others who encourage or
  discourage that behavior.

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Differential opportunity

• Cloward Ohlin
• Reduce crime by reducing criminal (illegitimate)
  opportunity

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Labeling theory

• Deviance and conformity result not only from what
  people do, but how others respond to those
  actions.
• Reinforcement
• Labeling
• Retrospective labeling
• Interpreting someones past as consistent with
  present deviance.

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Medicalization of deviance

• Treating deviant behavior by medical means
• Depo-provera for rape
• Methadone for heroin
• Redefining
• Theft as compulsive disorder
• Drinking as alcoholism
• Promiscuity as a sexual addiction

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Social - conflict paradigm

• Who and what is labeled deviant is based upon
  relative power

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Types of crime (overview)

• Street crime
• White-collar crime
• Victimless crime

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Street crime

• Violent crime

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White-collar crime

• Odds are almost 50-50 that they will not go to
  jail
• Little reaction from others
• Cases heard in civil court (rather than criminal
  court)

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Victimless crime

• Prostitution
• Drugs
• Gambling

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Plea bargaining (Legal
negotiation)

• In exchange for a guilty plea, you get
• Reduced charge
• Reduced sentence
• Concurrent sentences

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Reasons why societies punish offenders

• Retribution
• Deterrence
• The threat of punishment to discourage crime
• Rehabilitation

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Effects of Prison

• Do little to rehabilitate
• Creates stigma - reducing chances of acceptance
  and getting a job
• Provide some protection for society from criminals

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Criminal recidivism

• Subsequent offenses by people convicted of crimes