Strain and Adaptation
Define strain.
Pressure caused by the gap between goals and means
How do sociologists define deviance?
Behavior that violates the standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society.
What is the social condition in which norms are weak, conflicting, or absent
Anomie
Social constructionist perspective says that _________ is the product of the culture we live in.
Deviance
Define transnational crimes and identify the groups typically involved
Crimes occurring across national borders
Often to do with organized groups
Name all five of Merton's adaptations to strain.
Conformity, Innovation, Ritualism, Retreatism, Rebellion
What is it called when society used labels to devalue groups?
Stigma
What theory says compliance to social norms require strong bonds between individuals and society (social bonds)?
Control theory
What is racial profiling?
Arbitrary action initiated by an authority based on race
Describe the difference between white-collar crimes and professional crimes.
Professional crimes:
Individuals that engage in criminal activities as a primary source of income
White-collar crimes:
Committed by individuals in professional positions of power and responsibility
Often involve sophisticated means like fraud or embezzlement
Which of the five adaptions to strain rejects the goals but accepts the means?
Ritualism
What is negative deviance?
Behavior that fails to meet the accepted norm
Name the four basic components of social bonds
1. Attachment
2.Commitment
3. Involvement
4. Belief
Define conflict perspective
People with power protect their own interests and define deviance to benefit themselves
What is a victimization survey and what is victim discounting?
Victimization survey: Research tools used to gather data on experiences of individuals who have been victims of crimes. Provides insight into prevalence, nature, and consequences of becoming a victim
Victim discounting: Process of reducing seriousness of the crimes that injure people of lower status
What distinguishes rebellion from the other four adaptations?
It replaces both goals and means, seeking to change the system entirely.
What is positive deviance?
Over conformity to the accepted norm
What is the difference between informal and formal social control?
Informal: casual
Formal: carried out by someone with authority
1. ___________ perspective argues that approaches to deviance and crime were developed with only 2. _________ in mind.
1. Feminist Perspective
2. Men
What is the term for a repetition or return to criminal behavior?
Recidivism
Define cultural goals and legitimate means. What happens when they don't align?
Cultural goals = what society values
Legitimate means = socially approved ways to reach goals
When misaligned, people experience strain
What is primary and secondary deviance? (hint: defs. are in the review questions worksheet from last week)
Primary deviance- deviance involving occasional breaking of norms that is not a part of a person’s lifestyle or self-concept
Secondary deviance- deviance in which an individual's life or identity are organized around breaking society’s norms
What is the labeling theory? What is the other name for it?
Also called societal reaction approach
Explains how a person comes to be labeled or accept that label
What is the term for differences in the way social control is exercised over different groups
Differential justice
The criminal justice system is our system of institutions and processes responsible for enforcing punishment. What are the four approaches our system can take, briefly describe each?
Deterrence: Discouraging criminal acts by threatening
Retribution: Punishment intended to make criminals pay compensation
Incarceration: Protecting society by keeping criminals in prison
Rehabilitation: Reforming a criminal through socialization