Deviance & Culture
Dec 24, 2015
What is Culture?• Anthropologists say culture is a system of ideas,
values, behaviours, & attitudes shared by the members of a society
• Sociologists believe culture refers to the ways in which social groups differentiate themselves from other groups• Differences are based on language, attire, food, social
etiquette, attitudes & roles, religious values, and political beliefs
• Culture is commonly accepted & learned by members of a society through the process of socialization (passed on)• Socialization unifies, communicates, & maintains societies
cultural beliefs
• Culture is a tool that helps explain behaviour among & towards other groups
Culture & Social Identity• Culture influences an
individual’s perception & self-concept• So it effects the development
of social identity too
• Sociologists are very interested in cultural universals• They are beliefs common
across all cultures --- examples?
• Ppl rely on culture to guide us in social situations (to make appropriate decisions)
Deviance• Recall – norms help est.
acceptable behaviours in society
• Social behaviour that doesn’t fit w/ est. rules of society is either shunned or punished• It is Deviance: a violation of
society’s social norms & accepted standards
• Emile Durkheim was the 1st sociologist to write about anomie• Durkheim stated anomie referred
to a state of normalness & represents an individual’s breakdown in relation to social order and structure (a violation of society’s est. norms)
Robert Merton & Deviance• Deviance is an attractive option
esp. if societies rules are restrictive
• Merton claimed deviance occurs when individuals cannot obtain the society’s goals, through the means society provides
• Strain Theory of Behaviour• Belief that indy’s will pursue
illegitimate actions to obtain societies highest goals when they are blocked from accessing institutional means to them
• IOW Society causes deviance b/c it pressures ppl to conform to its goals • Work w/in the structure or join/create
a deviant subculture
Alienation• Unequal access to social
rewards/privileges can lead to alienation
• Alienation is a feeling of separation or isolation (from society)• It can occur in any situation when
someone is left-out
• Causes: social inequalities, cultural differences, alt. lifestyle
• Can feel alienated from social norms, values, roles OR from social institutions not serving needs effectively
• Often leads to a rejection of the dominant culture
Subcultures• Mainstream culture is what we
define culture as on a large scale (i.e. CDN culture)• Most ppl fulfill their needs w/in it
• Others look to subcultures to meet needs• Small groups w/in a larger group
that share common values, beliefs, attitudes, behaviours, and/or lifestyles different from the dominant culture
• Differences are often exaggerated or distorted versions of mainstream culture
• Sociologists describe subcultures as deviance from the norm & prevalent amongst youth
• Subcultures are often labelled• Labelling is a theoretical approach
to defining deviant behaviour through the creation of a subculture
• Subcultures over-time can become popular enough to become mainstream
Countercultures• More extreme than
subcultures are countercultures• These reject the most popular
values & most important norms of society, replacing them w/ their own extreme views on violence, family, & loyalty
• Can be +ve or –ve for society
• Most extreme are cults• Extremist religious groups w/
rigid social/moral views that oppose mainstream culture & led by a charismatic leader