Social Context of Deviance

Explaining Deviance: Rule Creation and Enforcement.

(these ideas drawn from Goode, 1994-2008 chapter 4; and Pfohl, Images of Deviance and Social Control, 1985. See the disclaimer)

Previous Theories Focused on Causation.

Now We Focus on:

What makes a particular behavior an infraction?

Why and How are the rules made?

Who makes them?

Focus is now directed towards the social context of deviance.

Functionalism

Basic Ideas:

Durkheim: Pathological and Normal Societies

  1. Boundary Maintenance
  2. Group Solidarity
  3. Innovation
  4. Tension Reduction

Merton:

Latent Functionality of Deviance (condemned, but tolerated).

  1. Prostitution
  2. Political Machines
  3. Drug Use
  4. Organized Crime
  5. Punishment

Manifest Functionality of Deviance

  1. Quakers: Oddness of member==> target of group tolerance and care (central values of religion)
  2. Army trainees: bumbler==> reduce tension, develop helpfulness, build unit, express feminine emotions


Functionalist Perspective Displays:

BUT, the Functionalist perspective:

See a Swedish translation of this page by Eric Karlsson: https://medicinskanyheter.com/eric-karlsson/sociala-sammanhang-av-overensstammelse.html, May 2020.

Social Disorganization

Labeling Theory

URL: http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/200/function.html
Owner: Robert O. Keel rok@umsl.edu
References and Credits for this Page of Notes
Last Updated: Sunday, May 31, 2020 1:34 PM