The Conditions Under Deviant Behavior Problems Criminology Essay

The Conditions Under Deviant Behavior Problems Criminology EssayThe conditions under which abnormal appearance exists take over presented an enduring question for researchers. Within the literature the majority of definitions of deviance sh ar one grossness that social norms and values subjectively label carriages as deviant. sympathetic to the number of theories of deviance there exist a number of motivations why individual(a)s choose to charter in deviant port. Existing theories-general twisting, anomie, labeling, control, and learning-examine these factors and attempt to clarify the hows and whys of deviant behavior. The close common factors which facilitate individual deviance include mortalal wring, social disorganization, a lack of self-control, and the perception that the benefits for engaging in deviance outweighing the dominance costs. Because of these variations there is currently no universally-accepted speculation of deviance.IntroductionAn urgent question in contemporary social sciences is how and why certain behaviors, attributes, or classes of individuals come to be be as deviant.1Since social groups make the rules, deviant behavior results from individuals who fail to adhere to said rules. When behaviors are defined as deviant it is assumed that they ordain either promote or inhibit individual motivation to engage in such acts and go away evoke certain social responses which serve to form subsequent behavior by those within said high society.2A number of theorists attempt to discover a commonality to the different events of deviant behavior. The underlying ascendant is that this type of behavior offends societys normative order and deviance becomes a theoretical construct of this consensus. There exist a number of theories which seek to define how individuals and their behavior are identified as deviant.Definitions of and Motivations for Deviant BehaviorDespite a wide variety of definitions of deviance there is consensus that deviance refers to behaviors or attributes manifested by contract kinds of people in specified circumstances that are judged to violate the normative expectations of a specified group.3This consensus perspective serves to promote collective agreement as to what issue values, norms, and goals should be. Behavior that falls outside of the specified parameters are deemed deviant. The degree of deviance is directly correlated to the apprehendd serious of the punitive response it elicits.M any questions stand up as to individual motivations to engage in deviant behavior. Fundamentally, if one anticipates that satisfaction will ensue from engaging in the behavior then he will do so. Hirschi (1969) asserts that the motivation for deviance is always present and that research should examine the circumstances which permit individuals to act on these motivations.4In another view, Merton (1938) argues that societal strain increases motivation for deviance in order to achieve certain un attainable culturally-sanctioned goals.5Where the majority of individuals will embrace conformity as a response to strain others resort to deviance. Similarly, Tittles (1995) control balance scheme assumes that individuals have a strong need to exercise control over themselves and to escape having control exerted over them by others while Katz (1988) argues that the motivation to deviance occurs to protect ones self esteem, encourage a desired reputation, establish autonomy, or demonstrate competence, for example.6These theories all share the presumption that deviance is move by the need to adapt to psychological distress which results from the failure to achieve desired goals by means of conventional means. Accordingly, when pushes, or psychological impulses which compel an individual to engage in deviant behavior, and pulls, or the attraction of deviant opportunities, interact then motivation for deviance increases.7Deviance results from individuals motive to engage in deviant behavior being stronger than the motive not to amidst the existence of the opportunity to do so.Theoretical FoundationsThere are two primary types of theories to apologise deviance structural and processual. structural theories are labeled sociological theories while processual ones are termed social psychological theories collect to the differences in goals and scope.8Structural theories emphasize the relationship of deviant behavior to point structural conditions within society and attempt to explain why deviance is higher in certain areas, such as those with lower socioeconomic status.9On the other hand, processual theories seek to describe the processes by which people engage in deviant behavior by attempting to explain the conditions which lead to the commission of deviant acts.10With discover to scope, structural theories address the epidemiology, or distribution in time and space of deviance and processual theories focus upon the etiology, or specific causes, of deviance .11Specific Theories of DevianceGeneral human body Theory (GST)GST addresses the interrelatedness of strain and its emotional response, individual contend mechanisms, and deviance.12As a theory it focuses not upon strain itself but upon individual responses to strain and seeks to identify those characteristics which enable non-deviant responses amid strain. Sharp, Brewster Love (2005) argue that certain types of strain create certain actions which influence delinquent behaviors. Anger, for example is an emotional response which has a high likelihood of encouraging deviant behavior. Therefore, where there is a strain- specificly one perceived as unfair-low social control creates pressure which, in turn, causes deviant behavior.13Research indicates that gender is a strong predictor of strain-induced deviance with males more overt in their responses than females who tend to internalize strain.GST has been used considerably in the study of juvenile deviance. Repeated moving-picture show to stressful life experiences has been found to both escalate and accelerate juvenile wickedness and depending upon when during ones life-course trajectory the strain occurs different implications ensue. The literature suggests that involvement in delinquency begins to increase during early adolescence, peaking around age 16 and 17, and followed by a decline in such behavior.14Agnew (1997, 2006) claims that this life-course trajectory highlights that adolescence is a period of high transitions, that adolescents perceive their environment as negative more so than adults, and that there is an increased propensity for juveniles to react to adversity through deviant behavior.15The lack of useful coping mechanisms in juveniles makes it difficult to react to strain more effectively.Anomie TheoryAccording to anomie theory-much like GST-deviance results from social disorganization in that elements in society promote deviant behavior by making such behavior a feasible adjustment to so ciety. Where the earliest form of this theory hypothesized that anomie results from a failure to achieve positively-valued goals Agnew (2001) expanded upon this theory by including that anomie can also result when positive stimuli are removed and when negative stimuli are applied.16 wiz criticism of anomie theory is that it assumes universality in what should be defined as deviant and how most individuals should behave however, in reality, deviance is a sexual congress concept so this universality is erroneous.17Labeling TheoryLabeling theory presents an interactionist perspective to the study of deviant behavior by stressing the importance of the processes through which society labels a particular act as deviant and the subsequent negative social sanctions which influence the individual to engage in further deviance.18Becker (1973) claims that deviance is a consequence of the coating by others of rules and sanctions to an offender.19Therefore, while the act or the person may not be inherently deviant, existing social controls create deviance by delimit acts that the majority believes to be so and, consequently, labeling individuals who engage in such acts as deviant. This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy by amplifying the very phenomenon that it is intended to suppress.20Of primary importance is that subsequent events serve to reinforce the deviance because an individual internalizes the label attached to him by societys stigmatizing and creates secondary, or tertiary, deviance. The labeling itself serves to ensure that every society has a percentage of deviants which is critical to claim the majority consensus.21Control TheoryControl theory is similar to anomie and social disorganization theories to the degree that deviance results from the lack of social controls on individual restraint to engage in deviant behavior.22Durkheim (1933) asked why people conform to social norms instead of why they engage in deviant behavior. Under this theory it is assume d that everyone would engage in deviant behavior if given the chance, that a small amount of social controls will increase deviance, and that there exists a underlying value system which defines deviance in society.23There are four components of an individuals societal bond which serve to prevent deviance attachment to specific groups through affection, respect, and socialization commitment to accepting conforming behavior involvement in non-delinquent behavior and a belief in the dominant value system of any particular group.24When social bonds are reestablished or strengthened then the deviant behavior ceases.Accordingly, individuals who engage in deviant behavior do so due to low self-control. Under this theory low self-control is comprised of six personality traits anger, impulsivity, preference for simple tasks, risk-seeking, being more physical than mental, and being self-centered.25Gottfredson Hirschis (1990) self-control theory asserts that inadequate child-rearing results in lowered self-control which facilitates a predisposition to engage in deviant behavior.26They also claim that individuals who engage in one type of deviant act will commit other deviant acts.Learning or Socialization TheoryThese theories suggest that deviance is a learned behavior similar to how non-deviant individuals learn conforming behavior. By attempting to distinguish variations in behaviors theorists assume that differences in rates of deviance among various groups can be determined. One of the most widely-cited learning theories is Sutherlands (1947) differential association theory which postulates that deviant behavior results from normative conflicts in neighborhood structures, peer group relationships, and the organization of family in society.27The fundamental tenets of Sutherlands theory are that criminal behavior is learned, that learning is a result of personal interaction, that primary learning occurs in intimate group settings, that people learn that socially-nor mative attitudes are either favorable or not, that deviant behavior results when conditions favorable to deviance exceed those unfavorable to violating the law, and that deviant behavior cannot be explained by general necessitate and values.28Accordingly, an individual learns various motives which are favorable to engaging in deviant behaviors as well as rationalizations and techniques for achieving them. While the behavior may be defined as deviant to the rest of society, within a particular individuals in-group the behavior may adhere to the groups norms. Akers (1985, 1989) expanded upon Sutherlands work by adding that deviance results when a person learns definitions that portray some conduct as a desirable, even though deviant, action.29If an individual is rewarded for a deviant act by his in-group then he becomes socialised to continue the behavior under the expectation of similar positive experiences for subsequent acts.Other TheoriesDeterrence theory asks whether the expecta tion of certain, severe, and swift punishment for engaging in deviant behavior would deter such behavior.30Rational choice theory addresses an individuals anticipated cost-benefit ratio of acting on deviant impulses. A greater anticipate or perceived benefit increases the likelihood that the individual will commit the act. Finally, conflict theory asserts that the development of formal social controls and laws are legitimized by the more powerful societal groups.31ConclusionThe wide variation of social psychological theories of deviant behavior seeks to answer why individuals become motivated to engage in deviant behavior, how behaviors and attitudes are defined as deviant, what factors facilitate deviant behavior, why some deviant behavior is escalated, and what consequences exist.32Despite the number and variety of theories of deviance the commonality is that this concept is a socially-defined construct utilized to maintain a societys normative values. The disparities in definiti ons of deviance among societies make it difficult to establish an all-encompassing theory to explain the existence of deviant behavior in contemporary society.