Social Deviance

(Theories of Deviance)
What is social deviance?
Deviant – is the person involved in deviance
Deviant behavior – behavior which does not conform to
social expectation.
- behavior that is regarded as
wrongdoings that generate negative reactions in persons
who witness or hear about it.
Social Deviance /Deviance – disapproved behavior and
traits, characteristics or conditions that generate a similar
condemnatory, rejection reaction in others.
- is an action that is likely to generate, or has
generated reactions to the actor by or from certain
audiences.
Some things/types of person regarded as
deviant?
Homosexuals, prostitute/prostituted
women, drug addicts, radicals,
criminals, liars, atheists, card players,
bearded men, perverts, obesity, etc.
 Important Ideas to consider in Deviance
• An act can be criminal and deviant
• An act can be deviant but not criminal.
• behavior or conditions that harm others
• Something offends God, or is a violation
of certain religious principles that makes
it deviant.
• It deviates criminal code.
2 Important Ideas to consider in Deviance

• An act can be criminal and deviant

• An act can be deviant but not criminal.
Characteristics of Deviance
• Deviance is Universal, but there are no universal
forms or deviance.
• Deviance is a social definition. It is not a quality of
the act; it is how we define it. It is not the act; it is
how we label it.
• Social groups make rules and enforce them, rules
are socially constructed, and social groups utilize
social control mechanism to ensure they are
adhered to.
• Deviance is contextual.
2 Fundamental Approaches to
the Explanation of Deviance
1.) The cause is within the deviant; the goal was to
discover individual characteristics contributing to
becoming involved in deviant behavior. In short,
this first approach concerned explaining the
deviant by means of biological and psychological
positivism.
2.) The other approach stressed the importance of
social factors as a cause of deviance. The goal was
to explain both the existence of deviant behaviors
and its distribution in society.
Theories of Social
Deviance
1.) Rational Choice Theory/ Free Will Causation
According to Beccaria, humans are
fundamentally rational and hedonistic. They
possess free will and make deliberate decisions
to behave based upon a calculation of the pain
and pleasure involved.
• Classical – standard, traditional, usual
• Neo Classical
2.) Heredity and Mental Deficiencies
• Heredity concerns the process of passing
characteristics from one generation to another:
Mental deficiencies are specific characteristics
that may or may not be seen by the theorists
as inherited.
• Theorist believed in this idea that criminality
was inherited and also the mental
defectiveness which played an important role
in criminal behavior.
3.) SOMATOLOGY

• refers to the science of classifying human

physical characteristics by examining the
relationship between body type or physique
and particular patterns of mental and
behavioral characteristics or temperaments.
4.) XYY CHROMOSOMES SYNDROME

• 46 chromosomes arranged in 23 pairs –human

cells each parents having donated one of each
pair.
• Every normal cell in a woman’s body contains
two X chromosomes, and each cell in a male
has one X and one Y.
 CONFLICT THEORY

Theories about
Power & Inequality,
Coercion & Change
Based on the ideas that…
• Coercion & power determine the social order
• Groups struggle to maintain power
• One group’s ability to control another group leads to
conflict
• All societies have conflict
• Conflict produces social change
What is conflict?

• “Conflict is a struggle
• between individuals or collectivities
• over values or
• claims to status, power, & scarce resources

• in which the aims of the conflicting parties are

• to assert their values or claims over those of others”
Goodhand & Hulme (1999), p. 14
Conflict theories assert that…
All problems are created by
disparities
between groups or classes
& how they struggle with each
other for dignity & the
necessities of life where

justice is served.
 But first, what is “social class”?
• CLASS
• a group of people who share the same social status
• status may be due to education, family, occupation, gender,
income, ethnicity, religion

• CLASS STRUCTURE
• social hierarchy of classes in a society from high to low
• stratification of inequality
• status based on perceived power in society
• ex: economic, physical, familial, political, or religious power
• “poverty” class
• the group of people with the least economic status or power
 Some societies & cultures are
more “stratified”
than others…have more clearly
defined
groups or classes
The origins of conflict theory
• Developed from ideas of Karl Marx (1818-83) &
Frederick Engels (1820-95) in Europe

• They believed:
• Society is a class struggle
between the workers (wage
earners) & the capitalists (the
owners)
• Capitalists exploit the workers
• Conflict is primarily economic
 Based on their observations of
society, they proposed…
• CONFLICT is…
• Inevitable—it is bound to happen
• Continual—it will always happen
• Due to class differences—it results from society’s inequality
& class struggles, especially about production

• TRUTH can be known…

• By understanding how social forces work
• By recognizing contradictions within social forces & class
struggles in society
Marx proposed that…
• The religious, political, &
economic ideas of the wealthy
reinforce the “status quo”
• It is in the best interest of the class
in power to maintain the status
quo
• People not in power should
“unite” in their struggle against
the ruling class, creating a
revolution
Class & bureaucracy
• Max Weber (1864-1920), father of modern
sociology, expanded views about class & power

• Weber believed most power comes from state

bureaucracies & those who govern
• Bureaucracies control & dominate society
• Bureaucracies have top-down organizations
• Managers & workers are in conflict with those who
govern
Weber’s view of “class”
• Defined class as a group of people that
share the same life status or situation
• they have in common the same “life
chances”
Power comes from the latin word
“potere” which means “ to be able to”.

Weber’s definition of “power”

• Power is the chance to realize one’s will or control
over the resistance of others

• Bureaucratic control, social status, & political power

also depend on class

• But ultimately, social class is determined by economic

power
Types of Power ( Daft, 2004; Johns, 1996
• Legitimate/ positional power
• Reward power
• Coercive power
• Referent power
• Expert power
More thoughts about “power”
• Social exchange theorists proposed that power can
only be understood in terms of social relationships

• Power is not an attribute of an individual actor

• Power is related to the “mutual dependency” in the

relationship of people
 Categories of Differences:
Key Terminology
Social Group: “A group of people who share a range of
physical, cultural, and/or social characteristics within
one of the categories of social identity (race, ethnicity,
immigrant status, religion/spirituality, sex and gender,
sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status).”

Master Status: “A status (based on one’s social group)

that has a profound affect on one’s life; that dominates or
overwhelms the other statuses one occupies.”

What do you think are the most influential “master

statuses” in Mindanao and in the larger Philippines?
 Social Group Identities

 Race
 Ethnicity
 Immigration Status
 Religion/Spirituality
 Sex/Gender
 Sexual Orientation
 Disability/Ability
 Age
 Socio-economic Class
 Other Social Group Identities in Mindanao?
5 Steps in Defining Difference
(Social Construction of Difference)

Naming
↓
Aggregating
↓
Dichotomizing
↓
Attributing Meaning to Difference
↙ ↘
“The Norm” “The Other”
 “The Norm”
“A standard of rightness and often righteousness
wherein all others are judged in relation to it.”
The Norm includes those who have ability to exert
power and control (may not be numerical majority;
example of nonwhites in South Africa; women).

 “The Other”
“Those who fall outside ‘The Norm,’ yet who are
defined in relation to it.” The Other are often seen
as “abnormal,” “inferior,” “needing help,” etc., and
are often marginalized and not able to exert power
and control (may not be the numerical minority).
 One’s master status affects major life
opportunities and limits. No one who is
relegated to an “outgroup” can ignore that fact.

“One may overcome it, compensate for it, deny

it, fight or rebel against it, or accept it – but a
reaction to this reality is unavoidable.”
 Responding to Triggers
A trigger is something that an individual
says or does, which makes us as members
of different social groups feel diminished,
offended, threatened, stereotyped, discounted,
or attacked. We can also be triggered by an
organizational or social policy or practice.

Triggers do not necessarily threaten our

physical safety, but we often feel psycho-
logically threatened. We can also be triggered
on behalf of another social group - although
we may not feel personally threatened, our
sense of social justice feels violated.
Triggers cause an emotional response. These emotions
can include hurt, confusion, anger, fear, surprise, or
embarrassment.

We respond to triggers in a variety of ways, some

helpful and others not. Some of these responses are
effective and some not. What responses we choose
depend on our own inner resources and the dynamics
of the situation.

Our goal in developing a full repertoire of responses to

triggers is to take care of ourselves and then decide
how to respond most effectively. The following list of
possible responses to triggers is not intended to be all-
inclusive and is in no order of preference.
Leave: We physically remove ourselves from
the triggering situation.

Avoidance: We avoid future encounters with

and withdraw emotionally from people or
situations that trigger us.

Silence: We do not respond to the triggering

situation though we feel upset by it. We
endure it without saying or doing anything.

Release: We notice the trigger, but do not

take it in. We choose to let it go.
Confusion: We feel upset but are not clear
about why we feel that way. We know we feel
angry, hurt, or offended. We just don’t know
what to say or do about it.

Shock: We are caught off guard, unprepared

to be triggered by this person or situation and
have a difficult time responding.

Surprise: We respond to the trigger in an

unexpected way. For example, we react with
constructive humor that names the trigger and
makes people laugh.

Attack: We respond with an intention to hurt

whoever has triggered us.
Internalization: We take in the content of the
trigger. We believe it to be true.

Rationalization: We convince ourselves that

we misinterpreted the trigger, that the
intention was not to hurt us, or that we are
overreacting so that we can avoid saying.

Misinterpretation: We are feeling on guard

and expect to be triggered, so that we
misinterpret something someone says and are
triggered by our misinterpretation, rather
than by what was actually said.

Name: We identify what is upsetting us to the

triggering person or organization.
Discuss: We name the trigger and invite
discussion about it with the triggering person
or organization.
Confront: We name the trigger and demand
that the offending behavior or policy be
changed.
Strategize: We work with others to develop a
programmatic or political intervention to
address the trigger in a larger context.
Discretion: Because of dynamics in the
situation (for example, power differences, risk
of physical violence or retribution), we decide
that it is not in our best interests to respond to
the trigger at that time, but choose to address
the trigger in some other way at another time.
Overview of Possible Responses to Triggers:
• Leave
• Avoidance
• Silence
• Release
• Confusion
• Shock
• Surprise
• Attack
• Internalization
• Rationalization
• Misinterpretation
• Name
• Discuss
• Confront
• Strategize
• Discretion
Conflict theory’s contribution
to social work practice
• Recognizes the interconnection between social structure,
culture, personality
• Helps explain the roots of social injustice amongst and
between classes, including oppression due to gender difference
• Rejects the status quo & the equilibrium that aims to maintain
inequality
• Recognizes that numerous social conflicts can be occurring at
the same time
• Recognizes that people can have overlapping status groups &
conflicts between the groups
• Provides an activist model for social work practice
How applicable are these ideas about conflict
& power for your work?

Do you see social classes in the Philippines? &

Mindanao?

What classes have “power”?

What determines the power?

Does social change have to
occur through armed conflict &
violence?
 Can conflict be
“transformational”?
Can you think of some positive outcomes of conflict?
Some contemporary scholars propose
that…
• Conflict is a “social process” that can be
positive.

• Conflict can potentially contribute to

development, change, & eventual stability
• (Goodhand & Hulme,1999)
 Principles of Conflict
• Conflict has a function in Society.
• Conflict is positive.
• Conflict is a normal part of any relationship.
• Conflict is ongoing dynamic.

What do you think is lacking?

 Can you think of some negative outcomes of
intractable conflict?

1.) Human Costs – combat, rape, torture, disruption of

individuals ability to earn a living ,trauma, fear, depression ,
physical and emotional (sense of hopelessness) and the like.

2.) Economic costs

3.) Environmental degradation

4.) Organizational costs

6.) Anomie
• simply defined , a state where norms
(expectations on behavior) are confused ,
unclear or not present
• normlessness
• A breakdown in the cultural structure,
occurring particularly when there is an acute
disjunction between cultural norms and goals
and the societies structural capacities of
members of the groups to act in accord with
them.
Merton’s Anomie
Merton’s theory involves the interaction of 2
social components:

• Culture goals – the aspirations and aims that

define success in society.
• Institutionalized means – the socially
acceptable methods and ways available for
achieving goals.
• There are 4 adaptations apart from conformity
that can be defined as deviant:

a.) INNOVATION – is the adaptation in which

most property crimes would be found. It
occurs when persons accept without
qualification the importance of attaining the
goals and will use any means regardless of
their prosperity, morality, or legality to achieve
those goals.
b.) RITUALISM – is a behavioral alternative in
which great aspirations are abandoned in
favor of careful adherence to the available
means. Early morning classes often
considered ritualists. Attendance is not a
means for them to attain success; they are
there simply because they should be.
c.) RETREATISM – is the category containing the
mentally disordered, drug addicts, alcoholics
and any other groups that has apparently
withdrawn from the competitive struggle.
Thus persons do not strive for the goals that
society encourages, nor do they obey rules of
how to act. They seek their own private
rewards and live by rules peculiar to their
style of living.
•
d.) REBELLION – involves not only a rejection of
the goals and means, but the intention of
replacing those goals and means by altering
the social structure.
Comments /Criticism of Anomie:

• Middle class Bias

• Irrelevance of anomie from more forms of
deviation
• Absence of value consensus
7.) CONTROL THEORY
• according to this theory , the social
environment does not push one toward
deviant behavior; rather, it fails to restrain one
from so behaving
• Deviance is not caused by the present values,
beliefs or other motivating factors, but by the
absence of values and beliefs that normally
forbid delinquency
• Most of us do not engage in deviant or criminal
acts because of strong bonds with or ties to
conventional, mainstream social institutions. If
these bonds are weak or broken, we will be
released from society’s rules and will be free to
deviate.
• Society or neighborhood is able to invest its
citizens or residents with a stake worth
protecting, it will have lower rates of crime vs.
society where strong bond is not present or
relatively low.
8.) DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION THEORY
• The explanation of crime lay not in biology but
in the social world and that crime is
transmitted through intimate personal groups.
• Some groups are organized fro criminal
activities and some are organized against these
activities.
Propositions of Differential AssociationTheory

• Crime is learned
• Criminal Behavior is learned in interaction with
other persons in a process of communication.
• The principal part of learning criminal behavior
occurs within intimate personal groups.
Impersonal communication such as television,
magazines and the like play only a secondary
role in the learning of crime.
• When criminal behavior is learned, the
learning includes techniques of crime, which
are sometimes complicated, simple, the
motives and drives.
9.) Labeling Theory
• Deviance is not a quality of the act the person
commits but rather a consequence of the
application by other rules and sanction to an
“offender”.
• Any word attached to a person sometimes
become a self-fulfilling prophecy.