Ch. 9 Deviance and Crime

1. Ch. 9 Deviance and Crime

2. DEFINING DEVIANCE "Deviance is not a quality of the act... The deviant is one to whom that label has successfully been applied; deviant behavior is behavior people so label". -  Howard Becker, "The Outsiders", 1963

3. Defining Deviance many attempts to establish a definition of deviance. many have failed or have been seriously flawed. inability to accommodate various cultural standards and political beliefs into a universal definition.

4. Main Types of Definitions Deviance as objective reality (normative or absolutist perspective) Used in positivist theories Deviance as subjective experience (relativistic perspective) Social constructionist theories

5. Textbook definitions… Deviance: The recognized violation of cultural norms Crime: The violation of a society’s formally enacted criminal law Social control: Attempts by society to regulate people’s thought and behaviour Criminal justice system: a formal response by police, courts, and prison officials to alleged violations of the law

6. The Overlap Between Crime and Deviance

7. Biological and Personality Factors In past, deviant and criminal behaviour thought to be the result of biological factors: Early studies tried to link head shape (Lombroso) and body size (Sheldon) to criminality But studies show people’s overall genetic composition in combination with social influences account for only some crime Personality factors: having the ability to cope with frustration and identifying positively with cultural norms and values are related to fewer problems with police – “good boys” vs “bad boys” “Containment Theory” (Reckless and Dinitz)

8. Phrenology Map

9. Sheldon’s Somatypes (1949)

10. Personality Types (Eysenck, 1958)

11. Other Explanations The XYY male: Chromosomal abnormalities. Genetic Loading: Heredity(Genetic Loading) + Biological Process + Environmental Stress = Deviance

12. Sociological Definitions of Deviance Stresses social context, not individual behavior. Recognizes that not all behaviors are judged similarly by all groups. Recognizes that established rules and norms are socially created.

13. Emile Durkheim on Deviance Functions of deviance: Deviance affirms cultural values and norms Responding to deviance clarifies moral boundaries Responding to deviance brings people together Deviance encourages social change

14. Sociological Theories of Deviance

15. Structural Functionalism: Merton’s Strain Theory Traces the origins of deviance to the tensions caused by the gap between cultural goals and the means people have to achieve these goals. Culture establishes goals for people; social structures provide, or fail to provide, the means for people to achieve those goals. Imbalance between cultural goals and structurally available means can compel individuals into deviant behavior.

16. Merton’s Strain Theory

17. Social Control Theory: Hirschi Travis Hirschi developed social control theory to explain the occurrence of deviance. According to social control theory, deviance occurs when a person’s (or group’s) attachment to social bonds is weakened. Most of the time people internalize social norms because of their attachments to others. When that bond is broken, deviance occurs.

18. Symbolic InteractionTheories of Deviance Differential Association Deviant behavior is learned through interaction with others. People pass on deviant expectations through their social groups and networks.

19. Symbolic InteractionTheories of Deviance Labelling Theory Responses of others is most significant in deviance. A person may become deviant because of a label, even if he/she did not engage in deviant behavior.

20. Social Stigma (Erving Goffman) A stigma is an attribute that is socially devalued and discredited. People with stigmas are defined in terms of their presumed deviance. In hiding their stigma, they isolate themselves from communities where they can find support.

21. What is Stigma? Erving Goffman defined stigma as, “an undesired differentness from what we had anticipated’ (Goffman, 1963:5) Three classes of stigma abominations of the body (e.g., physically disabled) blemishes of individual character preceived as weak (e.g., alcoholism, mental illness, unemployment, homosexuality). tribal stigma (e.g., race, gender, religion, or nationality)

22. Historical Context a stigma was a sign, cut or burned into the body, indicating status of a discredited individual (e.g. slave, traitor, criminal) The word stigma originates from the Greeks, who used the term to refer to a branded mark on the skin that signifies something undesirable about the bearer of the mark (Goffman, 1963).

23. Modern: 7 stigma clusters • physical disability, • mental disability, • economically disadvantaged, • social deviants, • physical appearance, • sexual identity, • racial identity.

24. Goffman said… • Within our society, we ‘normals’ hold notions of what it means to be ‘normal.’ • By normal, in this context, we mean conforming to the present standard of behaviour or appearance within our society (Goffman, 1963). • When individuals deviate from those expectations of what it means to be normal in terms of physical attributes, personality traits, and so forth, these individuals often are stigmatized.

25. Stigma and Prejudice • Blacks, Aboriginals, the obese, people with disabilities, the mentally ill, the homeless, the physically unattractive, and car-crash victims are all examples of stigmatized groups. • Stigma occurs when an individual is identified as deviant, linked with negative stereotypes that engender prejudiced attitudes, which are acted upon in discriminatory behaviour

26. Deviance Theories and Stigma • Societal Reaction Theory: • Primary deviance –individual outside the norm who requires social control • Secondary deviance –individual changes his/her behaviour and self-definition to adapt to society’s stigmatizing reaction to his/her deviance; person then begins to behave in “expected deviant" fashion

27. The Stigmatization Process • An attribute is deemed salient by society, such that individuals with this characteristic are grouped together and labelled. • Labelled characteristics are linked with negative stereotypes, making it easy to see labelled individuals as fundamentally different from the rest of society. • Differentiation of “us" and “them" occur; Stigmatized individuals are seen to “be” and are referred to by their label (e.g. “a manic-depressive” or “a schizophrenic”).

28. Individuals experience status loss and discrimination as a result of their label. Discrimination occurs on both a personal and structural level. • The stigma process is entirely dependent on the social, economic, and political power necessary to impose discriminatory experiences on the labelled individual or group.

29. Theories of Deviance applied to Mental Illness

30. Which explanation fits mental illness best? • To think about…. • Thomas Szasz, American psychiatrist (the Myth of Mental Illness) said “mental illness is a myth, whose function it is to disguise and thus render more palatable the bitter pill of moral conflicts in human relations.” • He calls it “problems in living” • “mental illnesses are counterfeit diseases” • from https://www.cchrint.org/about-us/co-founder-dr-thomas-szasz/quotes-on-his-book-the-myth-of-mental-illness/

31. Moral Entrepreneurs • Moral entrepreneurs use their own views of right and wrong to establish rules and label others as deviant, and then these rules are enforced on persons with less power (i.e. the Hearst and Dupont families in U.S. instrumental in criminalizing marijuana in 1937) • Marijuana criminalized in Canada in 1923 without parliamentary debate • Moral entrepreneurs often create moralpanics and moral crusades to help create public and political support for their cause . • Reefer Madness (1936) Trailer • Reefer Madness Full Video

32. Deviance and Crime • Deviance differs from crime because • (a) crime always involves violating a law but deviance does not • (b) crime is the violation of a formal norm, while deviance is a violation of a informal norm that derives from a popular belief • (c) the number and varieties of deviance are infinitely greater than those of crime • (d) some crimes are not deviant due to their acceptance throughout society

33. Crime, Laws, and Social Order • Crimes occur as the result of the intentional violation of criminal laws • Laws are formal rules that help create social order by showing which behaviours are acceptable and by producing predictable behaviour in the community

34. Crime and Society • A violation of a law is an expression of group conflict and interest • Design of laws in influenced by a class bias • What a crime is depends on current law • What is criminal at one time in history or society may not be considered criminal in a different time or place • Violence: An act of force perceived by the powerful as threatening to the status quo • Crime can be violent or non-violent

35. Measuring Crime in Canada Official statistics: from Uniform Crime Report: reported crime substantiated by police investigation • Underestimates actual crime CSI (Crime Severity Index) measure of volume and severity of crime See Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2016for explanation of measures and additional charts However, victimization reports (General Social Survey) indicates more crimes committed than reported

36. Official Crime Statistics • Overall, crime in Canada decreased until 2015, but slight increase 2015 and 2016 • But, problems with official crime statistics • Focus on traditional crimes • Omit white-collar crimes, organized crimes, and political crime • Underreport extent of crime • Data collection inaccuracies

37. Crime Rates, Canada 1962-2016(http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2017001/article/54842-eng.htm)

38. Homicide Rates, Canada, 1962-2016(http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2017001/article/54842-eng.htm)

39. Violent vs. Non-violent Crime • Violent crime: 11% of all crime • Includes homicide and assault (all types) • Stalking a relatively new crime in Canada • Non-violent crime includes: • Property crimes like theft, B&E and vandalism • Drug-related crimes • Vice crimes like illegal gambling, prostitution • White collar and corporate crime

40. Key Crime Demographics • 85-90% of all crimes committed by males • But gender gap closing amongst younger groups • Differential socialization a factor • Younger groups more likely to commit crimes • Aging population: crime rate down • Females and elderly more often victims

41. Crime Rates and Socioeconomic Trends in Canada • Crime rates are linked to socioeconomic trends in larger society • Stats Canada studies looking at homicide, robbery, break and enter and motor vehicle theft rates show that unemployment, alcohol consumption/capita, changes in age structure and inflation rate significantly associated with crime rates.

42. Unemployment 1976-2015(compare this chart to crime and homicide rates)

43. Inflation, Unemployment and Alcohol Consumption • Increases in unemployment and in the alcohol consumption rate/capita are significantly associated with an increase in homicide rates • Inflation (rather than unemployment) associated with higher rates of financially motivated crimes such as robbery, break and enter, motor vehicle theft • Social problems lead to higher crime rates

44. Criminal Victimization Patterns • vary according to daily routines • Routine activities theory (Felson and Cohen, 1980) predicts that victimization requires the convergence in space and time of likely offenders, suitable targets, and the absence of capable guardians • Suitable targets are people who are routinely exposed to criminal activity or who for other reasons have heightened vulnerability • Hot spots are locations such as prisons and public places that put suitable targets at greater risk.

45. Types of Crime • Violent crime: actions involving force or threat of force against others: • Homicide: unlawful, intentional killing • Mass: 4+ people • Serial murder: 3+ people > I month • CBC News 2015: Psychopathic Criminals Learn Differently • CBC Video Clip on new brain research • Example: Bruce McArthur now 8 victims • Sexual Assault: 3 levels from touching to aggravated assault, including date rape • Gang violence

46. Types of Crime (cont.) • Property crime: the taking of money or property from another without force or threat of force: • Breaking and entering is serious because of possible confrontation • Theft $5000 & under is the most reported • Auto theft statistics are accurate • Shoplifting accounts for $billion losses

47. Types of Crime (cont.) • Occupational (white-collar) crime: crime committed by people in the course of their employment or business activity, e.g., fraud, insider trading, and kickbacks • Corporate crime: illegal acts committed by corporate employees on behalf of the corporation and with its support, e.g., selling defective products, pollution, and obstructing justice • Organized crime

48. Organized Crime in Canada • Eg. the Chinese Triad, the Colombian Mafia, the Russian Mafia, and some motorcycle gangs • This type of crime prospers especially in Capitalist societies • Organized crime relies on secrecy and patronage, and operates at the intersection of legitimate and illegitimate business, family, and formal organization

49. Youth Crime • Youth crime: violation of law or commission of status offences by a person 12-17 years of age • 10% of population, but 20% of all charges • Governed by the Youth Criminal Justice Act • Youth crime is down

50. YCJA Effects 2003 - 2010