SOC 153 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Differential Association, Heredity, Anomie

• School: Miami University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 153
• Professor: Harris Othello

Document Summary

Deviance: behavior that violates significant social norms and is disapproved by large number of people. Stigma: mark of disgrace setting deviants apart from normal people. It becomes deviant when people define it as so. Sanctions: rewards for conformity, punishment for nonconformity. Sanctions can be formal or informal, positive or negative. Positive sanctions show that social control is working. Negative sanctions indicate situations when behavior is deviant and are an attempt to deter this behavior. Different body types have to do with deviance. Skull differences: analyze brains and skull shape and criminality. Cultural transmission theory (interactionist theory) (differential association) Learned through interaction with others, one learns deviance (and/or conformity) Things that are thought to contribute to deviance: Ratio of contact with deviants (compared to conformists) Anomie, weak or conflicting norms, leads to deviance. Cultural diversity leads to confusion about norms and values, hence to deviance. Merton: deviance results from an imbalance between approved goals and means.