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Intro to Sociology Ch 6 Notes
Introduction to Sociology (SOC 110)
Des Moines Area Community College
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Chapter 6: Identifying Deviant
Behavior
6 Defining Deviance
Deviance includes behaviors, conditions, or beliefs that violate norms and/or incur stigmatizing sanctions. Sociologists distinguish between statistical, legalistic, and normative approaches. The approach used depends on one’s assumptions about the nature of deviance, including absolutist assumptions, relativist/social constructionist assumptions, and conflict/critical assumptions.
6 Key Terms
statistical approach: Treats anything that is statistically unusual, or anything that has a low probability or likelihood, as deviant legalistic approach: Deviance defined as violation of the law normative approach: Deviance defined as evoking disapproval from others sanctions: Punishments or penalties relativist perspective: Behaviors, conditions, and beliefs are deviant only to the extent that cultures regard them as deviant absolutist perspective: States that some behaviors, conditions, and beliefs are inherently, objectively deviant
6 Origins of the Sociology of Deviance
Sociologists seek to explain why some individuals engage in more deviance than others (individual-level explanations) and why rates of deviance are higher in some regions, in some time periods, or for some groups than others (structural-level explanations). The earliest sociological explanations of deviance posited that every society has
some form of deviance, and that deviance is necessary and functional for society. They also noted, however, that anomie —or normlessness—gives rise to dysfunctional levels of deviance.
6 Key Terms
anomie: A state in which a society’s norms fail to regulate behavior
6 Creating Deviance
Moral entrepreneurs create norms (and deviance) by actively campaigning for social change. Some moral entrepreneur campaigns produce moral panics in which the public regards the newly deviant behavior, condition, or belief as a threat to public morality. Those deemed responsible become folk devils. Social norms are then maintained by stigmatizing rule violators and labelling them as deviant.
6 Key Terms
moral entrepreneurs: Individuals or groups who actively seek to change norms to align with their own moral worldview, often while taking part in social movements moral panic: An exaggerated, widespread fear regarding the collapse of public morality folk devils: Those blamed for the collapse of public morality and therefore treated as threats to the social order medicalization of deviance: The transition from viewing behaviors, conditions, and beliefs as attributed to the deviant’s evil character, or “badness,” due to a pathology of the mind, or “madness” labeling: How certain individuals or groups come to be regarded as deviant; who is defined or labeled as deviant is the result of a social process in which others react as though the person is deviant
Intro to Sociology Ch 6 Notes
Course: Introduction to Sociology (SOC 110)
University: Des Moines Area Community College
