1

Social Work Review Notes Since, we will probably found highly

Human Behavior and Social Environment subjective conceptions of deviant behavior; we
can find also a generally agreed yardstick
DEVIANCE / DEVIANT BEHAVIOR against which to measure deviant and non-
deviant behavior.
Deviant – is the person involved in deviance It is simply easier to define behavior as
Deviance – differing from a norm or form deviant if you have some of commonly-agreed
accepted standard against which to compare of
Standards of society. behavior.
Most theorist have sidestepped the issue by
Deviant behavior – behavior which does not assuming that the agreed upon norms of
conform to social expectation. society can be found in the CRIMINAL LAW.
The theorists’ position is that the criminal law
Deviant Behavior- behavior that is regarded as concerns the well being of all and reflects the
wrongdoings that generate negative reactions conscience of the total society regardless of
in persons who witness or hear about it. the diverse interests of various individual or
groups.
Social Deviance /Deviance – disapproved
behavior and traits, characteristics or conditions Criminal - person whose behaviors are
that generate a similar condemnatory, rejection formally forbidden by legislation and
reaction in others. punishable by the state.
- Is an action that is likely to generate, or has
generated reactions to the actor by or from Some things/types of person regarded as
certain audiences. deviant?
Cognitive Deviance – holding deviant beliefs, this Homosexuals, prostitute/prostituted
category includes unacceptable, religious, political women, drug addicts, radicals, criminals, liars,
and scientific belief. atheists, card players, bearded men, perverts,
obesity, etc.
But the question is not as simple as it Babies born with deformity were defined
sounds. We ask, what are the accepted as monster and were thought to be predictors
standards and social expectation? You of disastrous epidemics in Early Eras. Babies
personally know what is accepted and born with deformities were killed in ancient
expected within your circle of family and time. Plato believed that deformed and infirm
friends but what about within other social children should be hidden away in a secret
circumstances? Is it possible that some of your place. Today in modern contemporary times,
behaviors are unacceptable to someone and those possess the stigma of being physically
that you are deviant? disabled or handicap requires the attention of
Deviance is in the eye of the beholder. In social agencies.
other words, that which is deviant to me may
not be considered deviant by you! 2 Important Ideas to consider in Deviance
Although, there is a wide agreement that  An act can be criminal and deviant
some behaviors are deviant. Many other  An act can be deviant but not criminal.
behaviors are considered deviant by smaller
number of people. Characteristics of Deviance
Yet, it is scarcely enlightening simply to  Deviance is Universal, but there are no
say that deviance is RELATIVE and LET universal forms or deviance.
THE MATTER REST.
2

 Deviance is a social definition . It is not a different as the law abiding

quality of the act; it is how we define it. It individuals.
is not the act; it is how we label it.
 Social groups make rules and enforce 2.) Statistical Definition
them, rules are socially constructed, and  Is that which is rare, unusual,
social groups utilize social control uncommon that which departs from a
mechanism to ensure they are adhered to. statistical norm. Rare, uncommon
 Deviance is contextual. phenomena are deviant; those that are
Humans are evaluative creatures. We continually common and frequent are not deviant.
make judgments about the behavior and the (i.e. takes 3 showers a day, owning
characteristics of others and ourselves. Societies 3,000 books, possessing 3 doctoral
everywhere have rules governing what we may degrees, attending 4 different
and may not do, and how we should look. undergraduate institutions before
receiving one.

Key Defining Elements in Deciding Deviant 3.) Social and Individual Harm
 behavior or conditions that harm others  There are however simply too many
 Something offends God, or is a violation of harmless but deviant actions (i.e. an
certain religious principles that makes it instructor on his class takes off all of
deviant. his clothes does not cause physical
 It deviates criminal code. harm.) And too many harmful but not
deviant actions (i.e. warfare has
Five Naïve, Misleading Definitions of Deviance destroyed 100 million lives, yet the
parties responsible are rarely
1.) Absolutist Definition condemned or labeled as deviants. In
 Argues that defining a quality or facts, most often, they are regarded as
characteristics of deviance can be heroes.
found in the very nature of the act
or the condition itself. 4.) An act’s criminal Status
 It says that deviance is intrinsic to  Once again, there are many deviants
certain phenomenon, it dwells or but not criminal actions. (i.e. no one
resides within them. (I.e. an Error will be arrested for picking one’s nose,
in Zimbabwe will also be an error being obese is not a crime, mentally ill
in Brazil, in Australia and in the or disordered is not a crime.
moon.
 According to the absolutist 5.) Positive Deviance
definition, what is deviance is  Deviance is always and by a definition
defined not by norms, customs or negative in nature. There is no such
social rules. Right and wrong exist thing as positive deviance. We cannot
prior to and independent of the refer to behavior or conditions that
artificial, socially and humanly generate positive reactions as deviance.
created creatures.  Certain behavior and conditions
 The absolutist definition of generate negative reactions from some
deviance is accompanied by strong people or groups and positive reactions
emotional reactions towards those from others; this does not demonstrate
considered deviants sees them as the viability of the concept of positive
deviance but the relativity of deviance.
3

or words are to be used or not used

Two Fruitful definitions of Deviance depending on context.
1.) The Normative Definition-
deviance can take place in secret; 3 serious problems of Normative Definition
an act or conditions that nobody  The normative definition of deviance
knows about except the violator. underplays exceptions.
This definition presumes that this  Does not adequately allow contingencies
observers capable of seeing any or extenuating circumstances that alter
and all actions, even if they are observer’s judgment as to whether a given
secret, and making accurate individual or act will in fact be regarded as
judgment about their deviant status deviant.
in a given society. To the  The normative definition ignores the
normative sociologist, deviance is a distinctions between violations of norms
formal violation of the norms. (i.e. that generate no special attention or alarm
in American society, a woman who and ones that cause audiences to punish or
weighs 250 pounds has violated condemn the actor.
weight norm. Women are expected
to weigh 110 lbs to 140 lbs.. It is 2.) The Reactive Definitions
the norm of a married couple to  It argues that the key characteristics of
have children; it violates the norm deviance may be found in actual, concrete
and is thought deviance for a instances of a negative reaction to
married couple not to have behavior. To qualify as deviance, the
children., In a society where action must be observed and generate
mainstream religion are the norms, condemnation (disapproval) or punishment
membership in cult is deviance. for the actor or individual.
When physically and mentally  Someone who engages in some little action
abled is the norm, disability in a closet somewhere, whose behavior is
represents a form of deviance. ] never detected by anyone else, has not
- The normative definition implies relativity. engaged in deviance at all. What counts to
An action or condition that may be in the reactivist is the action not the action. .
conformity with the norm in one place or  Reactivist argue that behavior and
time may violate it in another. conditions are not deviant unless and until
- We know what the norms are, and we can they have been condemned. There is no
decide in advance whether they are such thing as deviant in advance or in
violated by a given action. general. If there is no condemnation, no
- We know even before it happens that the deviance has taken place.
behavior of a man walking down a street
completely naked will qualify as an Problems with Reactive Definition
instance of deviance. If we know in a
 It ignores secret behavior or conditions
certain society that engaging in sexual
that would be reacted to as deviance,
activity with a partner of the same sex is
were they known to the community.
regarded as wrong; when this happens, it is
 Ignores secret behavior and conditions
automatically an instance of deviance.
that would be reacted to as deviant,
- Compliments relative deviance by making
even when the actor or the possessor
the grounds for which deviants can be
knows that it would be condemned by
labeled upon. In other words it sees
the community at large.
deviation as a violation of norms of a
society , in which certain actions , beliefs
4

 Denies the possibility that there is any position at the expense of other humans. Thus,
predictability in the reactive process the role of the state is to prevent crime.
 Ignores the reality of victimization It is better to prevent crimes than to punish
them. This is the ultimate end of every good
Indirect or Symbolic Deviants – they know that legislation, which to use the general terms for
they would be labeled as deviants when their assessing the good and evils of life.
identity or activities discovered. To this end, Beccaria argued that the law
should be clear and simple and directed
against only those behaviors clearly
THEORIES ON DEVIANT BEHAVIOR endangering society and individuals in it.
Because of their rationality, all human where
I. The Rational Deviant – seen as equal before the law. He accepted
literally the notion that punishment should fit
The Classical the crime.

This theory was patterned from the thought The Neo Classical -
of Beccaria about a plea for reform of the
judicial and penal system of the time, which Recognized as a practical matter that not
was characterized by secret accusations, all persons are equally rational, particularly the
extensive use of tortures, harsh penalties for young, the mentally disturbed, and those
trivial offenses. confronted with other unusual circumstances.
In the 15th century, the death penalty and
serious mutilation were used only in extreme Despite their considerable influence on
cases to supplement the complicated and Western Legal System, the classical and neo
carefully differentiated system of fine, but classical schools failed to produce a variable
now, they become the most common theory of deviance. Their pre-occupation with the
measures. Judges resorted to them whenever rationality of humans resulted in overlooking how
they were convinced that the offender was a society can adversely affect behavior.
danger to society.
The point was, it was no longer the II. POSITIVE SCHOOL OF
extreme penalty for serious offenses but a CRIMINOLOGY.
means of putting allegedly dangerous
individuals out of the way. In this kind of 2 TERMS
procedure, little attention was paid to the guilt
or innocence of a suspect. POSITIVISM – a philosophical approach, theory,
According to Beccaria, humans are or system based on the view that in the social as
fundamentally rational and hedonistic. They well as in the natural sciences, sense experiences
possess free will and make deliberate decisions are all the exclusive source of all worthwhile
to behave based upon a calculation of the pain information.
and pleasure involved. To avoid continual - does not concern itself with the abstract
chaos resulting from total individual freedom, and unprovable but rather with the tangible and
humans eventually enter a contract in which quantifiable. It involves investigating the world by
they submit to a wide authority in exchange objective data that can be counted or measured. In
for security under laws of a state. Humans are short, if you can’t hear it, feel it, see it, or smell it
basically self-serving; however, given the forget it.
opportunity they will enhance their own Positivists do not advise punishment as a remedy
because deviant behavior is not a matter of choice.
5

DETERMINISM - refers to the principle that all prisons to measure head shapes. Gall
events, including human behavior have sufficient believed that the brain was the center of
causes. the thought, specific brain areas controlled
different behavioral activities and brain
Obviously, the recommended procedure for areas of greater importance were greater in
halting deviant behavior depends upon the brand size and area.
of determinism favored. Thus if the cause is - The notion that there maybe a link between
located in the body, the body must be “treated; if it protuberance on the head and criminal
is in social factors, anything from the family, behavior was widely circulated throughout
neighborhood or entire economic system may Europe and USA.
need renovation. - A phrenologist in USA made a theory
dividing the brain into 34 areas, 3 of which
MAJOR THEORITICAL POSITIONS were related to criminal behavior:
(Positivist Approaches to the Explanation of  Philoprogenitiveness (love for
Deviance) offspring)- it was noted that a number
of guilty females committed
I. Physical Characteristics of Deviance infanticide had defective
philoprogenitiveness area.
- Of all the positivist approaches to the  Destructiveness – this area if properly
explanation of deviance, the investigation of a not balanced will lead to murder
possible relationship between anatomical  Cohesiveness – unless restrained and
attributes and behavior is not only the oldest but properly directed will lead to great
also the most persistent. Today, scarcely year goes selfishness and even theft.
by without some revelations concerns the possible
connection between a biological characteristics Up to the end of the 19th century,
and human behavior. phrenology provided the basis for a
The influence of biology on human moderate amount of theory and research on
behavior is early overestimated and the nature of criminal beings, but in the
oversimplified. final analysis, it makes no contributions to
In 1966, Charles Whitman after killing his the understanding of deviant behavior.
mother /wife climbed with 6 guns to the top of a One cannot detect the subtle shape
tower in the University of Texas campus. He shot of the brain by examining the exterior of
46 persons, killing 16. His behavior was puzzling. the skull, and no single sections of the
Whitman requested an autopsy to determine brain one completely responsible for the
whether he had a mental disorder. The autopsy complex behaviors attributed to them by
revealed a brain tumor. Some medical experts the phrenologist.
doubted the explanatory value of the tumor. But
others thought that his physical condition could
somehow account for his behavior. “Concept of Born Criminal “

II.Phrenology – The Beginning of the Scientific The notion that biology plays a significant,
Study of Deviant if not paramount, role in causing deviant behavior
is usually associated with the writings of Cesare
Phrenology – the determination of the mental Lombroso (founder of the Positivist School of
facilities and character traits from the shape of the Criminology).
skull. ATAVISM – criminals were seen as
- Franz Gall – an Austrian anatomist who distinct types of humans who would be
spent 20 years touring insane asylums and
6

distinguished from non-criminals by certain - Every feeble minded person is a potential

physical traits. These traits did not cause criminal criminal. This is necessarily true since the
behavior but, rather, served to identify persons feeble-minded lacks one or other of the
who were out of step with evolutionary scheme. factors essential to moral life- an
- Such persons were considered to be closer understanding of right and wrong, and the
to apes or to early primitive humans than power of control.
were most modern individuals; they were
throwbacks (atavists) to an earlier stage in EUGENICS – a science concerned with improving
human development. the quality of human offspring through the
manipulation of heredity by such means of
FIVE TYPES OF CRIMINALS selection of parents.
 INSANE Criminals – who act from - what was scientifically found as a cause
epilepsy, imbecility, paranoia (delusions of could be scientifically eliminated.
being persecutes) and other forms of - i. e. Nazi german during the World War I.
mental infirmity. a textbook on Social problem reported on a
 Born Criminals – whose anti-human proposal whereby “defective and
conduct is the inevitable effect of an confirmed criminals would be placed in
indefinite series of hereditary influences air-tight chambers and put to death by
which accumulate in the course of poisonous but not unpleasant gas.
generations.” - Another suggestion involved less drastic:
 Habitual Criminal – who show in an STERILIZATION or CASTRATION.
indistinct way, if at all, the marks of the - Sterilization , destroys all microorganism
born criminal and act through moral 0n the surface of an article or in a fluid to
weakness as influenced by a corrupt prevent disease transmission associated
environment. with the use of that item
 Criminals of Passion – who act under the - Castration, the procedure stops most
impulse of uncontrolled emotion on production of the hormone testosterone.
occasion during otherwise moral lives. Castration after sexual maturity makes the
 Occasional Criminals- who have not sex organs shrink and stop functioning,
received from nature an active tendency ending sperm formation and sexual interest
towards crime but have fallen into it, and behavior.
goaded by the temptation incident to their - The latter was advocated by those who felt
personal condition or physical and social that mere sterilization would not curtail
environment lustful behavior or the spread of venereal
disease. Decades ago, 34 states in USA
III. Heredity and Mental Deficiencies permitted /enacted this law without the
consent of the concern. Even before 1907
- Heredity concerns the process of passing secret sterilization had been performed in
characteristics from one generation to inmates of state institution for many years.
another: Mental deficiencies are specific These laws were applicable to 3 classes of
characteristics that may or may not be seen individuals, “the mentally ill, the mentally
by the theorists as inherited. deficient and epileptics.
- Theorist believed in this idea that - It was considered before that all persons,
criminality was inherited and also the who are feebleminded, insane, epileptic,
mental defectiveness which played an habitual criminals, incurable syphilis, etc.
important role in criminal behavior. will likely become a Menace of the
Society.
7

- The fruits of positivism in the USA was

able to come up with 70,000 individuals Endomorphic Body
were involuntary sterilized and many more Type:
were confined because their behavior,  soft body
intellects or backgrounds were judged by  underdevelope
state bureaucrats to be below standards. d muscles
- In Virginia USA, state hospitals  round shaped
approximately 8, 000 individuals were  over-
sterilized between 1924 and 1972. developed
Everything was very routine, men on digestive
Tuesday, women on Thursday. system
- Those are sobering reminders of how a
scientific theory of human behavior, Associated
whether correct or erroneous, proven or personality traits:
unproven can justify the degradation of  love of food
whole classes of people. Such of course is  tolerant
envisioned for the good of everyone  evenness of
concerned. But however, benevolent emotions
program of scientific treatment or  love of
scientific prevention may appear they comfort
maybe not only ineffectual but a threat to  sociable
human freedom  good humored
 relaxed
 need for
SOMATOLOGY affection
- 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.

Mesomorphic Body
Type:
 hard,
muscular body
 overly mature
appearance
 rectangular
shaped
 thick skin
 upright
8

posture

Associated
personality traits:
 adventurous
 desire for
power and
dominance
 courageous
 indifference to
what others
think or want
 assertive, bold
 zest for
physical
activity
 competitive

 love of risk
and chance

Ectomorphic Body Type:

 thin
 flat chest
 delicate build
 young appearance
 tall
 lightly muscled
 stoop-shouldered
 large brain

Associated personality traits: XYY CHROMOSOMES SYNDROME

 self-conscious
 preference for privacy
 46 chromosomes arranged in 23 pairs –
 introverted
 inhibited
human cells each parents having donated
 socially anxious one of each pair.
 artistic  Every normal cell in a woman’s body
 mentally intense contains two X chromosomes, and each
 emotionally restrained cell in a male has one X and one Y.
 However exception to this genetic pattern
does occur. Of interest in here is the
estimated 1 percent (1 out of 1, 000) of the
9

males who possess an extra Y

chromosomes, a condition first reported in Psychosurgery – the surgical removal or
1961. In 1968, this genetic anomaly destruction of the brain tissue to disconnect one
received much public attention when in part of the brain from another with the intent of
France a defense attorney in a murder trial altering behavior. However there are mentioned
claimed that his client possessed an extra few effects for such, some of these are the loss of
Y chromosomes and he is not responsible ability to fantasize, to think abstractly and to
for his offense. This claim was based on a become creative.
very limited research indicating that some - there is still exist considerable controversy
chromosomally abnormal men had over whether the stimulation or destruction
histories of anti social behavior. of certain areas of the human brain results
 The most publicized case was that of in predictable changes in behavior. It is
Richard Speck, who murdered eight argued that no specific and consistent
Chicago student nurses. In 1968, Specks human behavior result from
attorney claims to the press that Speck had psychosurgery.
XYY chromosomes, a contention that - The idea of brain surgery as a means of
made front page headlines. As it improving mental health got started around
developed, Speck was simply XY, but 1890 when Friedrich Golz, a German
findings received very little publicity. research, removed portions of his dog’s
temporal lobe and found them to be
calmer, less aggressive. It was swiftly
BRAIN MALFUNCTION followed by a doctor of SWISS Mental
institution, who attempted similar surgeries
1935 – Systematic manipulation of the brain for on 6 of his schizophrenic patients. Some
the purpose of altering behavior was initiated were indeed calmer and two died.
Antonio Moniz introduced the prefrontal - Because some of his patients became
lobotomy. In this operation, Moniz destroyed large calmer, some did not. Moniz advised
sections of the frontal lobes of the brain. His extreme caution in using lobotomy, and
subjects were 20 mental patients who had been felt it should only be used in cases where
unaffected by other treatments. Accordingly 15 everything else has been used.
showed some degree of improvements as the - Between 1939 and 1951, over 18,000
result of the operation. One lobotomied patient lobotomies were performed in the US, and
was later to pump five bullets into Dr. Moniz. many more in other countries. It was often
used on convicts and in Japan it was
Lobotomy – is the beginning of what is known recommended for use on “difficult
today as Psychosurgery. children”. There are still Western countries
that permit the use of the lobotomy,
Frontal lobes are involved in motor function, although its use has decreased dramatically
problem solving, spontaneity, memory, language, worldwide. Curiously, the old USSR
initiation, judgment, impulse control and social banned it back in the 1940’s on moral
and sexual behavior. The area is associated with grounds.
reasoning, planning, emotions and problem - In the 1950’s, people began upset about the
solving. Frontal area is the most common region prevalence of lobotomies. Protests began
of injury following mild to moderate traumatic and serious research supported the
brain injury. Patients with frontal damage exhibit protesters.
little spontaneous facial expression or difficulty in - There have been a few famous cases over
speaking. the years. For example, Rosemary
Kennedy was given a lobotomy when her
10

father complained to doctors about the example, considered the price of grain to be a
mildly retarded girl having interest in boys. crucial variable in the operation of society.
Her father never informed the rest of the - This influence is an attempt to find
family bout what he had done. She lived relationship between crime and a variety of
out her life in Wisconsin institution and economic factors such as the prices of
died on January 7, 2005. This operation various grains, business cycles and income
was one of the famous failures. Leaving levels of convicted persons.
Rosemary Kennedy inert and unable to
speak more than a few words. After Karl Marx
lobotomy, she was sent to Wisconsin - Marx developed an economic
institution where she remained until her interpretation of societies. He claimed that
death in 2005 all social phenomena-legal codes, political
institutions, religion, ethics, the arts, the
2 Fundamental Approaches to the Explanation of family are products of society’s economy
Deviance in the form of its means of production.
 The cause is within the deviant; the goal - In a capitalistic economy, there is a private
was to discover individual characteristics ownership of the means of production,
contributing to becoming involved in distribution and exchange of wealth; as a
deviant behavior. In short, this first consequence, there exist an intense
approach concerned explaining the deviant competition resulting in the exploitation of
by means of biological and psychological proletariat (working class) by the
positivism. bourgeoisie (owners and controllers of
 The other approach stressed the means of production).
importance of social factors as a cause of - According to Marx, the continual
deviance. The goal was to explain both the competition requires that minimal wages
existence of deviant behaviors and its be paid for labor; the bourgeoisie becomes
distribution in society. This in short richer and richer and the proletariat
concerns explaining the varying amounts becomes poorer and miserable. The
of deviance between groups by means of condition of poverty and continued
social determinism. exploitation produce all forms of social
problems. Only by destroying the
Theorists Guerry and Quetelet labeled as “Moral economic system, ultimately accomplished
Statisticians” noted 2 phenomena in relation to by the proletariat in a violent revolution,
deviance. will a classless society emerge of
 That the types and amount of deviance economic exploitation and its evils.
vary according to geographical region. - Marx never actually spelled out a theory of
 That annual deviance within a specific area deviance, but inferences can be made and
varies little from one year to another. his writings have been influential to the
explanation of deviance.

SOCIAL INTERPETATION OF DEVIANCE 1st.) Marx writings provides basis for

viewing deviance as a product of social
ECONOMIC INFLUENCE conflict. Accordingly, deviance cannot be
eliminated by adjustments within capitalist
An economic interpretation of deviance society; deviance is inherent in
was an aspect of the work of Quetelet when he, for capitalism and only the total destruction
of economic sub structure will provide a
remedy.
11

Marx saw capitalistic society as - simply defined , a state where norms

composed of one sided conflict between (expectations on behavior) are confused ,
groups. From his perspective, deviance unclear or not present
was an expression of a struggle in which - normlessness
the economically powerless attempt to - A breakdown in the cultural structure,
cope with the exploitation and poverty occurring particularly when there is an
imposed upon them. acute disjunction between cultural norms
He portrayed deviant as and goals and the societies structural
demoralized and brutalized by the day to capacities of members of the groups to act
day experience of employment (and in accord with them.
unemployment), but still able to grasp at - The premium placed on financial success
the necessities of life through theft and in the absence of opportunities creates a
graft. disjunction between the goal and the
His conceptions of society as capacities or means of individuals to attain
consisting of conflicting economic groups it.
remain an important contribution to social - Accordingly, societies evolved from a
theory. Political, military, economic and simple, non-specialized form called
legislative actions are not the product of mechanical towards a highly complex
harmonious decision making by concerned specialized form called organic.
and affected parties. Often such actions - In the former society, people behave and
are, at best, matters of compromise; at think alike and more or less perform the
worst they represent only the opinions of same work tasks and have the same group
the powerful and maybe detrimental to, or oriented goals. When societies become
against the wishes of a sizeable segment of more complex or organic, work also
the population. becomes complex. In the society, people
are no longer tied to one another and social
2nd.) with touch of sarcasm, he points out bonds are impersonal.
how deviance serves many purposes in - Changing of condition as well as
support of the existing society. Without adjustment of life leads to dissatisfaction,
deviance, police, judges and law conflict and deviance. He observed that
professions would have no jobs; the social periods of disruptions (economic
mechanical inventions derived from the depression for example) brought greater
innovations in the torture would be anomie and high rates of crime, suicide
undiscovered, engineering of monetary and deviance.
instruments and chemical methods to
detect illegal adulteration of products
would all remain unadvanced.

To this extent, Marx appropriately can be regarded

as an economic determinist. In short, the enduring Durkheim’s Anomie
legacy of Marx lies in his theory that society’s
foundation is its economic structure.
Emile Durkheim, a French sociologist
wrote his major works during a time when the
ANOMIE study of deviant behavior was dominated by those
who viewed deviants as the products of defective
biology.
12

-he argued that a society without deviance  Culture goals – the aspirations and aims
is impossible. Thus it is impossible to have a that define success in society.
collection of human so inflexible in their behavior  Institutionalized means – the socially
that none will diverge to some degree from the acceptable methods and ways available for
ideal. He further claims that deviance is not only achieving goals.
inevitable but also necessary for the health and
progress of society. Without deviance society - It is believed that in America before, it was
would be static. The inevitability and desirability not the mere lack opportunity or the excessive
of deviance led him to conduct that deviance is emphasis on the accumulation of wealth that
“normal” in society. This did not mean that he create anomie; it is when both exist in the
necessarily regarded the individual deviant as situation where all or most members of a
normal. From the standpoint of society, deviance society believed that the opportunities are
is an expression of individual freedom and one of available to them that anomie results.
the prices to be paid for social change.
-Durkheim first used the concept of Merton’s important contribution is the provision
anomie in division of labor in society. Here it of alternative behaviors that may result from the
played a minor role; it’s purpose was to signify a disjunction between goals and means.
lack of integration and adjustment that threatens
the cohesiveness of contemporary society, which There are 4 adaptations apart from conformity that
unlike hunting and agricultural society are can be defined as deviant:
characterized by a complex variety of occupation
and interest.  INNOVATION – is the adaptation in
which most property crimes would be
- Durkheim felt that sudden change caused found. It occurs when persons accept
a state of anomie. The system breaks down, either without qualification the importance of
during a great prosperity or great depression, attaining the goals and will use any means
anomie is the same result. regardless of their prosperity, morality, or
Anomic suicide – was one of the 4 types legality to achieve those goals.
and was considered to stem from a state of - In short, their philosophy can be described
‘normlessness” or “deregulation” in society. Such in the words of Vince Lombardi when he
suicide occurs because society allows its members said “Winning isn’t everything; it is the
to have unlimited aspirations, and there is no only thing”.
discipline imposed on notions of what may be
realistically achieved. These suicides arise  RITUALISM – is a behavioral alternative
particularly during periods of sudden economic in which great aspirations are abandoned in
prosperity. Thus Durkheim was convinced that favor of careful adherence to the available
humans are susceptible to limitless ambition. means. Early morning classes often
Unless society imposes regulations upon considered ritualists. Attendance is not a
aspirations, unless there is some check upon the means for them to attain success; they are
passions aroused by perceived undiminishing there simply because they should be.
prosperity, personal crises will develop and result Merton uses the example of persons in
to suicide. factories and other bureaucracies who
staunchly perform their duties, but who
Merton’s Anomie have neither the intention nor the
inclination to advance themselves. They
Merton’s theory involves the interaction of 2 carefully avoid rocking the boat and prefer
social components: to play it safe.
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There maybe some argument - Society or neighborhood is able to invest

whether such behavior is really deviant, its citizens or residents with a stake worth
but the lack of ambition certainly is not in protecting, it will have lower rates of crime
keeping with the idealized American way. vs. society where strong bond is not
present or relatively low.
 RETREATISM – is the category
containing the mentally disordered, drug DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION THEORY
addicts, alcoholics and any other groups
that has apparently withdrawn from the  The explanation of crime lay not in
competitive struggle. Thus persons do not biology but in the social world and that
strive for the goals that society encourages, crime is transmitted through intimate
nor do they obey rules of how to act. They personal groups.
seek their own private rewards and live by  Some groups are organized fro criminal
rules peculiar to their style of living. activities and some are organized against
these activities.
 REBELLION – involves not only a
rejection of the goals and means, but the Propositions of the Theory
intention of replacing those goals and  Crime is learned
means by altering the social structure.  Criminal Behavior is learned in interaction
with other persons in a process of
Comments /Criticism: communication.
 Middle class Bias  The principal part of learning criminal
 Irrelevance of anomie from more forms of behavior occurs within intimate personal
deviation groups. Impersonal communication such as
 Absence of value consensus television, magazines and the like play
only a secondary role in the learning of
CONTROL THEORY crime.
- according to this theory , the social  When criminal behavior is learned, the
environment does not push one toward learning includes techniques of crime,
deviant behavior; rather, it fails to restrain which are sometimes complicated, simple,
one from so behaving the motives and drives.
- 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
- While most theorists ask, why do they do
it? That is what processes encourage
deviant behavior, Control theory turns the
question around and ask Why don’t they
do it?
- 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.
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