Ch 3 Outline - Consructionism PDF

Preview

Summary

Notes from Chapter 3 on Constructionism and all the relevant theories covered in this chapter...

Description

... the central fact about deviance: it is created by society. I do not mean this in the way it is ordinarily understood, in which the causes of deviance are located in the social situation of the deviant or in “social factors” which prompt his action. I mean, rather, that social groups create deviance by making the rules whose infraction constitutes deviance, and by applying those rules to particular people and labeling them as outsiders. From this point of view, deviance is not a quality of the act the person commits, but rather a consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an “offender.” The deviant is one to whom that label has successfully been applied; deviant behavior is behavior people so label. – Howard S. Becker Chapter Three: Constructionist Theories- ask “who applies deviant label to who and what are the consequences of being labeled deviant?” I. Labeling Theory: version of symbolic interactionism; conformist members of society decide what is deviant. This transforms people into deviants. A. A Version of Symbolic-Interactionism: two central ideas. (1) interaction= deviance is a collective action; requires more than one person, (2) symbolic = interaction is governed by meaning each assigns to each other’s actions and reactions. Meaning we attach to an act is more important than the act itself. B. Who Labels Whom? Labelers represent forces of law and morality (police, judges, psychiatrists and social control agents.) Labeled are those who violate these laws (criminals, mental patients, drug addicts, and prostitutes.) *Major theme: those in power can label those not in power C. Consequences of Labeling: negative consequences; continuing deviant acts; secondary deviance, and career deviance 1. Consequences for the Labeled: Once you are labeled deviant you are more likely to see yourself as deviant, leading you to engage in acts seen as deviant, confirming your deviance. Primary deviance: you view as innocent but others think you’re deviant. You’re unaware or don’t care what others think. Secondary deviance: both you and others see your acts as deviant. This is final behavior. 2. Consequences for the Labeler: positive consequences for labeler and community. Strengthens need to ally with good and avoid punishment for doing wrong. D. Evaluating Labeling Theory: (1) doesn’t answer the question of what causes deviance, (2) little research support, (3) doesn’t deal with hidden deviance or powerful deviants, if no one knows about the act it can’t be labeled deviant, states only the powerful can be labelers and not deviant. II. Phenomenological Theory: version of symbolic interactionism; views people subjectively; individual feelings, perceptions, attitudes, and opinions about deviance. All people are highly subjective when constructing deviance. A. Subjectivism as the Key to Deviant Reality: its problematic that people disagree over what deviance is. Positivists look at abstract meanings of deviance as objective; situated meanings are the subject’s subjective interpretation of their own behavior. Only the deviant person’s subjective interpretation of their experiences is real. We should study people’s subjective interpretations of their own deviant experiences.

1

B. Ethnography: An Application of Phenomenology: understand the meanings people assign to their experiences. C. Evaluation Phenomenological Theory: Offer argument that Positivists cannot get at the essence of deviant reality; gives broader understanding and perspective for examining the subject. III. Conflict Theory: Social harmony is absent is society. There are social and cultural conflicts. Social conflict  differences in needs/interests of groups. Cultural conflict  come from differences is what is right and wrong. Conflicts bring about criminal behavior. Conflicts are normal parts of society. A. Legal Reality Theory: William Chambliss; law on the books vs law in action. Powerful people at the top create and influence laws that protect their interests, laws are supposed to protect middle and upper class to keep the peace and make everyone safe, however, the laws that are enforces tend to only protect the interests of the powerful, law enforcers are tools of the powerful because of the way the system is organized. B. Social Reality Theory: Richard Quinney; unjust law is the fault of capitalism; law is used to maintain domestic order.(1) Dominant powerful class defines criminal behaviors as whatever threaten their interests  (2) Dominant class applies laws to ensure its interests are protected  (3) Less powerful subordinate class are compelled to break laws and engage in criminal acts because of poverty  (4) Dominant class uses these acts and justification for constructing the “face” of crime. They use these acts as evidence against the less powerful. C. Evaluating Conflict Theory: Deviance is evitable. In a fully equal society human nastiness would decrease but not disappear, conflict theory is useful for explaining the motivation behind laws.

2...