Deviance and Social Control
The purpose of this assignment is have students examine the sociology of deviance. For this assignment, students will apply three sociological theories to the study of deviant behavior: (1) labeling theory, (2) conflict theory, and (3) Merton’s strain theory.
Task:
Write a story about someone who engages in primary deviance and then becomes a secondary deviant. Make sure your story teaches the reader about the concepts of primary and secondary deviance and how one becomes a secondary deviant.
How would conflict theory explain the secondary deviance committed by the character in your story? What are the key propositions of conflict theory and how do they impact the character’s chances of becoming deviant? How may conflict theory explain the character’s chances of being convicted of a crime? Be sure to address the role of social institutions and the effects of inequality in your answer. What do you think are one or two weaknesses of conflict theory?
How would Merton's Strain Theory explain the secondary deviance committed by the character in your story? What are the key propositions of strain theory and how do they impact the character’s chances of becoming deviant? Be sure to address the role of social institutions and the effects of inequality in your answer. What do you think are one or two weaknesses of strain theory?
How would labeling theory explain the secondary deviance committed by the character in your story? What are the key propositions of labeling theory and how do they impact the character’s chances of becoming deviant? Be sure to address the role of social institutions and the effects of inequality in your answer. What do you think are one or two weaknesses of labeling theory?
Expectations and Criteria for Success:
Your essay should be approximately 500 words
The essay should follow instructions
The essay uses correct, standard English grammar and mechanics, and is free of typos as well as punctuation, capitalization, and word choice errors
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Deviance and Social Control
Story moving from Primary to Secondary Deviance
Alex is a young, middle-aged man who lives in a busy city. The background of Alex is modest, but he had a dream of achieving success and further strengthening his life's security. Even with his plans and big ambitions, life came out differently for him. He had to juggle the city's challenging lifestyle, which saw his journey turning from a primary course deviance to a secondary deviance.
The primary deviance in Alex is that he was a high school teacher with limited job success or prospects. To meet their basic needs and survive in life, Alex took up a job in local convenience stores, which clearly showed that he struggled to make ends meet. The income Alex was getting needed to be more; he would often be allured to easy money. Actions such as shoplifting were part of his lifestyle, and he said it happened because of economic strains. These show primary deviant behaviors in Alex. As he did multiple shoplifting, he overcame any incidence of being caught, and it appeared like he would succeed in shoplifting without being caught.
The secondary deviance emerges because the shoplifting story of Alex did not stop but continued. Alex needed more income, and his bills were mounting up. It meant that Alex had frustrations. He decided to start stealing from friends and even shoplifting in a supermarket. Alex was caught in the act red-handed doing shoplifting by the store manager. The arrest is one which shifted the deviance from primary to secondary deviance. Society, therefore, attached him to the theft label.
Explanation of Deviant Behavior Using Conflict Theory
Conflict theory can help in explaining Alex's secondary deviant behavior. The explanation emerges by examining social inequalities' results and available power dynamics. Conf...