Essays on Deviant

Introduction

While many certainly agree that white collar crime presents serious legal issues the sociological implications, regarding deviant behavior, is not always obvious. No discussion inspires a proper balance for analysis without a relevant definition of our terms. According to a ‘Sociology’ glossary, published by the McGraw-Hill Higher Education (2014) group deviance is defined as “Behavior that violates the standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society.” The same glossary defines the concept or theory ‘anomie’ as a Durkheim term for “the loss of direction felt in a society when social control of individual behavior has become ineffective” (“ ...

Introduction

Pragmatically, the deviant behaviour of white-collar criminals provides students of sociology a different exploration of how human nature works in clandestine operations in plain view. Society, at least superficially does not suspect a so-called white-collar individual of criminal behaviour in general, as stereotypes tend to lead people’s thoughts in the direction one way or another. While, the dishevelled, unkempt, anti-social “looking” individual exists as suspect of deviant behaviour by his/her mere appearance including labelled as a criminal in some regards, the white collar individual stands in society appearance wise as an upstanding citizen (Goode 2008).

Historically, the concept of white collar is not so new:

Edwin Sutherland created ...

- Introduction and Thesis Statement
Sociologists believe that both deviance and race are things that have been socially constructed in the society and have been embedded in people’s way of life (Innes, 2003, p.34). Deviance attributes to the actions of one defiling the social norms engrained in the society, which causes one to be marginalized in a given society. Race is also a social construct of the society based on one’s phenotype, which often results to the stereotypes of certain people in the society (Lemelle, 1995, p.56). This paper will discuss how race impacts deviance behavior and ...

Application of Social Theories to Deviance

Introduction
Deviance is usually defined as a behaviors by an individual that does not confine to the accepted cultural and social norms in the society. There are many types of deviant behavior in the society with each having its unique brand of characteristics. However, it is crucial to note that deviant behavior is interpreted differently across different cultural and social settings. Different social and cultural settings have different values and norms which they define as acceptable. A norm may be acceptable in one society while in another society, this norm may be widely abhorred and totally unacceptable in another ...

Introduction

"The Great Gatsby" is an Australian-American film released in 2013 based on the bestselling novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald written in 1925. Directed by Baz Luhmann, "The Great Gatsby" provides the source of this academic discourse. The analysis of the sociological issue of deviance portrayed in the 2013 movie "The Great Gatsby" connects to the immoral actions of the era about ill-gained riches, social snobbery, racism, sexism, and excess in a time of national economic depression, immorality and marital infidelity, and murder.

Ill-gained Riches

The underpinning deviant behavior of the key player in this movie is Jay Gatsby who gains his ...

Question 1

According to Degher and Hughes, the Identity Change process takes place via four processes. These four steps are the Initial status, recognizing, placing and the new status. The identity change process treats the identity change process from a career point of view. It therefore addresses both external and internal features of this identity change process. According to Hughes and Decker, the new status adoption process mainly occurs through two sequential cognitive or internal processes. First is the recognition. Here the individual makes a realization that his current status or condition is inappropriate. For instance, an individual realizes that he ...

Sexual deviance comprises of a wide range of abnormal sexual expressions from cross dressing, fetishism, sexual masochism, incest, pedophilia, and rape. On the contrary, sexual deviant behavior can be defined in different contexts. According to sociology, sexual deviance varies from culture to the other depending different cultural beliefs and norms. Sexual deviant behaviors are attributed with discomfort, bizarreness, and inefficiency. Some sexual deviant habits include paraphilia, exhibitionism, fetishism, and masochist among others. Paraphilia individuals have behavior, an urge, or a sexual fantasy that is distressing and repetitive while exhibitionism entails sexual pleasure through exposure of the genitals (Goode, 2010). ...

Abstract

For many years, there has been a protracted argument about whether deviance really exists. Some people argue that deviance exists in reality, while others argue that deviance is just a term invented by some people who would like to label others as such. Whether this is true or not is neither here nor there; what we are sure about is that some behaviors can be explained better using the labeling theory. The labeling theory argues that some people become the labels that people give them, and therefore it is good to be careful with the labels that we give ...

Question 1

Every society is characterized by both formal and informal rules, controls and restrictions that usually constrain people to that society’s social norms. However, in spite of these social sanctions or controls, some individuals tend to deviate and engage in what is referred to as deviant behaviour.
Deviant behaviour normally comprises of behaviour that differs or fluctuates from the values and norms of wider society. Individuals are presumed to engage in deviant behaviour when they act or dress in ways that are contrary to the norms and values of their immediate society (Adler and Adler 2012). A group of ...

Discussion 1

Howard Becker makes a claim that social groups normally create deviance by making specific rules whose infraction constitute deviance. When these rules are applied to particular people who are not part of the group, there are bound be infractions and as such, the people will be labeled as deviants. Howard’s point of view seems to suggest that deviance is not a quality of the act commited by an individual but is rather a consequence or a result of application of sanctions and rules to an offender.
Personally, I agree with Becker’s assertion. It is very common in ...

Abstract
Deviant behavior is the behavior that fails to cope to the widely-accepted cultural or social norms. For instance, murder is a form of serious deviant behavior because it violates the cultural norm which indicates that killing another human being is unacceptable. As far as the study of deviance is concerned, there are a number of approaches towards it, coupled explanations as to why deviant behaviors occur, and how they might be addressed. The initial stage is to understand and acknowledge deviant behavior as a study of social and cultural norm. As far as cultural diversities are concerned, norms ...

Sociologists refer to deviance as any behavior, characteristic or a belief that violate, or deviate, or depart from, a basic norm and is likely to generate negative reactions or perceptions by the persons who observes or hears about the norm violation (Bartos and paul, p17). In addition, they further outline the ABCs of deviance as: Attitudes, Conditions and behaviors. Adler and Adler (2009) clearly explain why these ABCs are considered to be the major types of deviance. He explains Attitudes as any unpopular, unconventional beliefs that may or may not depict themselves in overt actions. In regard to behavior, ...

Introduction

Deviant behavior denotes actions that violate the socially acceptable norms in a particular society. It is from this foundation, indeed, that society and organization’s policies, laws and practices hinge on. Policies and laws are formulated to codify various acts of deviant behavior. Among the law enforcement agencies such as the police, deviant behavior will include acts that fall short of the policies set or those which go against the set norms. The police force, being a criminal justice agency, has laid down code of ethics and standards that must be followed by its members. Any act done outside ...

Emile Durkheim viewed deviance as a fact of normal life. He explained that deviance was necessary to understand normal behavior. Rules that separate deviant behavior from normal behavior help people know how to live good lives. In other words, the deviant acts “define and support morality.”

Secondly Durkheim explained that the societal borders between right and wrong can help people understand deviant behavior and its consequences. There are people who exhibit deviant behavior and people who do not exhibit deviant behavior; both are necessary.

Thirdly Durkheim explains that witnessing deviant behavior can draw a group or community closer together. ...

Social; Stratification Aspects and their Application to Nursing Career

The three sociological concepts that influence social stratification are that of gender, racial or ethnic affiliation as well as an individual’s social class. Social stratification based on gender often occurs when people are treated differently based on the fact that they are either male or female. Gender is relevant to nursing as it influences how a nurse will relate to a patient, especially when they are of the opposite sex. It is crucial for nurses to establish boundaries when they are dealing with their clients. I will apply this concept by ensuring that I maintain a professional relationship ...

The Appalachian Mountains can be seen to be a barrier and divide between developed and rural America. The people who live in the region are certainly steeped in past rural traditions and are stuck in their lot with not much hope for improvement. Since the settlements and towns here are cut off from the regional towns and cities in West Virginia such as Wheeling and Charleston, they are also in a sense detached from reality. In the short documentary, The Hollow we can observe this sense of detachment and as such the society here is deviant from the norms ...

My Lobotomy is a memoir written by Howard Dully who is among the youngest people who underwent trans-orbital lobotomy. This procedure was performed on him while at the age of 12 and it was initiated by his step mother who disliked his behaviors. He explains how he was diagnosed by schizophrenia, the procedure and how it affected his life and how he learnt that it was not right for the procedure to be performed on him.

Dully’s mother died of cancer and left him under his step mother’s care. Dully grew up in an environment of emotional ...

The Marxism theory is the cornerstone of all relationships, but suggests that the economy can bring power, while the conflict theory is only the cornerstone of all relationships. They both advocate for social relationships, but the latter does not support the issue that power can only be gained by economics. Conflict theory is an alternative of functionalism, and it gives a macro sociological perspective (Bartos & Wehr, 2002).
It brings out the elements that are normally constant in the society, and these are hostility and resentment. Power is different in the different levels of social status. Resources are also fought ...

Affiliated School;

Deviance has to be the one topic that made to stop and think while really referring to the society. Deviance is defined as the actions that are a deviation from the norm, but most people confuse it with crime. This is because in the society we live in people love social order and committing a crime is a deviation from the norm (Sykes and Matza’s, 2009). All crimes are considered to be part of deviant behaviour but not all deviant behaviours are crimes.
Deviant behaviours have both positive and negative sides of it. The one positive effect of ...

Introduction

Labeling theory refers to the ideology that one becomes deviant only in circumstances that they are labelled deviant by the society. Labeled individuals include criminals, prostitutes, alcoholics, drug addicts, and sex offenders. People with negative labels are more likely to hate themselves, have lower self-esteem, and may even act more deviant in some instances. The reactions of labeled persons are as a result of an attempt to modify self-image and stigmatization. Moreover, individuals who assent the labels normally have a rough time in changing people`s perspectives and opinions towards them even if the labels do not hold. Behaviour ...

Deviant Bodies

The issue of deviant bodies has been a contentious issue for quite some time now in the contemporary society and especially in the American society. There have been several studies attempting to describe the ideal body of both males and females. Emphasis though has been on what the ideal woman’s body in the American society should look like in terms of skin color and body size (Terry & Urla, 1995).
Deviant bodies can be described as those bodies which deviate from the norms set forth by the society. For instance according to deviant bodies, critical perspectives on difference in ...

In any given societal entity, there exist specific societal norms that should be adhered to. Many at times, such societal norms are necessary for the attainment of common good across various societal contexts. Notably, deviance occurs in cases where an individual violates the existing societal norms (Anderson 8). Evidently, societal norms may be enacted formally, whereas others are enacted informally. Worth noting is the fact that various theorists have come up with different hypothesis regarding deviance. Even so, all the theorists view deviance as actions, and feeling, which can violates the values a given society. As such, deviance varies ...

Introduction

Relationship between drug and crime
Drug abuse occurs as a result of maladaptive habits of drug use. It is manifested by recurrent and significant impact associated with repeated intake of the drugs. These problems occur repeatedly during the period of 12 months. The criteria include; harmful impacts of repeated use rather than tolerance and pattern of compulsive use. Drug abuse leads to addiction and drug dependency. The dependency raises the maladaptive pattern of substance abuse, resulting to cluster of behavioral and psychological phenomenon that develops after several drugs intakes. Drug dependency includes a strong urge to take the drug; ...

Internet Deviance

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Introduction

Online deviant behavior or Internet deviance can be described as a number of activities that are either illegal, amoral, or both. It is not an untold secret in the contemporary times that the accessibility to information has been transformed by the Internet. This is because it has become a very easy task for people to search others who possess similar beliefs and then emphasize widely unacceptable behaviors. Internet has also empowered people with similar pathological level. Such individuals are able to organize and communicate with each other on virtual communities. Although it is still not clear ...

Introduction

Past research results have indicated diverging views on the same issue. While some studies have found that school drop has no effect on crime and deviant behaviors, others have found out that school dropout has a close relationship with deviant behavior as well criminal activities. Other studies have indicated that students who drop out of school tend to shy away from crime and deviant behavior. Drapela (49) attributes these divergent views and findings to the fact that researchers do not have a common standard upon which they can divide their school drop outs into categories. Different school dropouts’ categorization ...

In every society existing in the world, one of the major inevitable issues affecting their well being is a crime, not only as per the law, but also according to the social (documented and undocumented) norms of that particular society. Some of these modes of behavior leading to crime are considered deviant. The identification of deviant behaviors has had many methods and ways, including various theories from professionals especially sociologists. The labeling theory, the interaction theory, the conflict theory, the control theory, the neutralization theory and biological theories are some of the examples of theories that attempt to describe ...

Introduction

Public concern is escalating on children engaging in crimes at an age below thirteen years. The young offenders are at a great risk of becoming extremely violent and dangerous criminals if appropriate intervention and prevention to curb their behaviors is not initiated. The number of child offenders handled by juvenile courts is on an upward trend since 1997 when the numbers of child cases was about two hundred thousand children below thirteen years. Currently, juvenile courts have to deal with cases of children offenders approximately one million two hundred thousand. It is apparent that majority of the offenses reported ...

Evil is often confused with what we consider “deviant” behavior.Deviance is any behavior that does not fit within social norms (Ferris & Stein, 2011). Even if something is determined to be deviant in one culture it doesn’t mean that it is deviant in all cultures (Ferris & Stein, 2011).
Although there are many theories, labeling theory seems to be especially accurate in the understanding of deviancy and evil. Labeling theory works to combine different theoretical perspectives, like conflict theory and symbolic interactionism (Ferris & Stein, 2011). This theories goal is not to label one person as deviant or not, it states ...

Studies relating to juveniles systems are dynamic and this is why various theorists have come up with various theories to explain the behavior of individuals. Even though these theories have different views, none of them can be said to be more correct that another. All these theories are equally important and are helpful in understanding the cause of unwanted behaviors in the society. The study of causes of these behaviors is important in helping to come up with ways of preventing these behaviors. These theories are also important in coming up with methods of punishing the involved parties. This ...

Juvenile Justice in Queensland

The Juvenile Justice and Other Acts Amendment Act 2009 reviewed the previous Queensland's Juvenile Justice Act 1992. Besides renaming it Youth Justice Act (YJA) 1992, the government proposed several amendments to improve the justice system in Queensland. However, those same amendments are justified only by media statements that predict forever-rising crime rates and their prevalence against the justice system which is always described as too soft or inefficient. Unlike media depictions, scientific research presents the complexity of factors that are the actual underlying causes of criminal behaviour. Because those factors originate from a variety of sources, scientific research suggests ...

According to William J, both Saints and Rough necks exhibit deviant actions. The study was done in high school where it was established that, from a sample of students who showed instances of delinquency, eight of them were of the Saint category. On the other hand, the roughnecks that were from backgrounds that were believed to be of a low class basis represented the majority number. However, William noted the following deviant acts between the two groups; the saints took way property that belonged to their friends. In this case, their action was devoid the knowledge of the owners.
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Introduction
Criminal offenses have social underpinnings. One who commits a particular crime may know that his act is against the law, but several social factors may have led him to push through. Given that criminal acts happen in almost every setting where humans thrive, it is essential to examine the subject matter more closely for one to understand it better. Understanding crime paves way for its prevention in the form of socially held mechanisms such as upbringing and law enforcement, on one hand, and self-help procedures, on the other.
Given the aforementioned concern, ...

Introduction

Hypothesis
Groups will tend to resist whichever trend toward alienation of a society member who has deviant behavior that poses no threat to its solidarity.

Independent variable

Deviant behavior
Responses categories are various behaviors that a society considerers deviant.
Dependent variable
Alienation
Does society estrange members who engage in deviant behaviors with possible categories of either yes or no.
Theory
Structural functionalism- Social integration refers to attachment to institution and groups, whereas social regulation is adherence to society values and norms. According to this theory, deviance is a necessary and normal part of any social organization (Macionis 2004).
As a result, ...

This topic is essential in that it addresses an ignored societal issue. This has contributed to the economic downturns and corruption. Political deviance would be beneficial if a positive leader does it for the people and organizations of the country. Political deviance causes public distrust in economic and political institutions.Cause and solutions:
The main reason as to why people engage in political deviance is the encouragement received from the behaviour of those of higher authority. Society values political leaders who pride themselves in honesty; however, it appears to encourage political leaders to become corrupt and dishonest after election. Governments ...

February , 2013

Analysis of New York Times Articles on Social Deviance
Article 1
Parker-Pope, Tara. “College Students Behaving Badly.” New York Times 31 July 2008. Web. Retrieved 23 Feb. 2013.
Rather than focus exclusively on articles within a very short period of three to four months, it seemed better to examine if the New York Times routinely publishes articles that address social deviance directly, instead of simply mentioning activities that might be construed as socially deviant. Using this approach, a search was made of the newspaper’s website using the term “social deviance;” only a few results appeared that were less ...

Introduction

Political bias is in most cases inevitably attracted by investigations of the activities of the powerful and the wealthy. These activities are claimed to be more harmful both socially and economically compared to the robberies and burglaries of those who lack power and they are more so considered morally acceptable and legal. Many criminologists and governments have intentionally shied away from these issues which end up corrupting our political leaders and they spread like wildfire even to the new leaders. Political deviance has lead to the economic domination systematically exploiting the powerless, government control crimes and denial of human ...

The social learning theory argues that crime is learned just like any other thing. Crime is learnt from things people see, experience and from people one associates with. This theory is applied to many types of crimes and criminals. Akers reworked Sutherland’s differential theory by including the reinforcement idea. It is a common theory of criminality, crime and deviant behaviors. It is a theory that is frequently applied on crime and deviant behaviors. It explains why people commit crimes and ways that can be used to top them from committing the crimes. This theory comprises of four fundamental ...

A deviant behavior can be explained as an abnormal, non-standard and an unexpected behavior. It is that behavior which doesn’t adhere to the society widely accepted cultural and societal norms. For instance, murder is an example of a deviant behavior since it violates the societal and cultural norms which are unacceptable to the society. This paper explains properly deviant behavior using differential association theory and by giving an example of how I examined a deviant behavior.

Differential Association is a type of deviance theory which concerns itself with how individuals become criminals through interactions with others. This theory ...

This essay has been written by Name of Student of Class of Student of Name of College

Deviance and social control closely relate to each other as deviance triggers the application of social control. Deviance is the behavior that violates the set standards of conduct and expectations of the society. Deviance is a violation of well-developed social norms and associates historically with normality. Deviance is a social upset and an immoral absolute. People such as alcoholic, mentally ill and compulsive gamblers are called deviants. Student coming late to school and dressing too casually for a formal function is also considered to be a deviant act in some societies. Society sets the standards of social behavior and ...

In sociology, crime and deviance are studied when cultural norms, changes it goes through over time and the consequences that occur when they are broken are studied. With help of norms, individuals learn to exert self control from the activities that might destroy the peace of a society. Social norms differ in different parts of the world. It means that if for one society a certain social act is abhorred it might be considered normal in another society. Sociologists study the reasons behind these differences and how it effects the population living in those societies.
Deviance is the name ...