SOC 1010, Introduction to Sociology 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit IV Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

4. Evaluate patterns of behavior through sociological skills and theory. 4.1 Plan a breaching experiment. 4.2 Execute a breaching experiment.

6. Explain how social structure shapes an individual’s life chances.

Reading Assignment Chapter 6: Deviance

Unit Lesson Norms and Social Control Social interaction describes the behaviors of two or more people whereby there is reciprocal influence when in contact with one another. Think about the last time you went out to eat. You engaged in interaction with your dining partner(s) and with the server, and indirectly with the chef. Did you interact solely based on how you like to act? Did you wear clothing based on what is comfortable (e.g., did you wear clothing)? Did you bring your own soda? How you answer these questions depends somewhat on the influence you wish to have on others, as well as your adherence to social control and norms. In Unit II, you read about Erving Goffman’s ideas on presentation of self. We will expand on these ideas as we discuss some of the micro-interactions that create social structure. Goffman, a Canadian sociologist, developed what he called Dramaturgy to analyze social behavior. He viewed interaction as analogous to the stage, arguing that we are all actors on stage, playing various parts/roles in a performance to convince others of who we are. You have probably heard the quote from Shakespeare, “All the world’s a stage.” According to Goffman, we actively try to control people’s impressions of ourselves on that stage every time we are in the presence of others. Sociologists refer to the ways we manipulate impressions as impression management. We manage our interactions by first managing the situation in which we find ourselves. To do this, we define the situation for our fellow actors. Doing so results in having some control over how the situation will proceed based on our definition. Of course, it is possible there will be a larger defining situation that engulfs our own interaction. For example, if you are at a business meeting, the stage and script are somewhat set. You are not likely to attempt to turn it into a picnic when others are already accepting the meeting definition. However, you do have some control, and how you wield it will determine your actions. At the meeting, you can manage how others view you by performing your role in a specific way. If you want others to think that you are smart and motivated, you will be sure to offer suggestions and take on responsibilities, thereby defining for others (including your boss) who you are. Notice that your actions here are role-taking, because the behaviors attached to a smart, motivated, businessperson are already set in place and are part of the macro social structure. Additionally, you are conforming to that structure by re-creating the behaviors associated with the role.

UNIT IV STUDY GUIDE

Micro Structures and Deviant Behavior

SOC 1010, Introduction to Sociology 2

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We are all actors who intentionally try to sell others on the image we want to convey. To do this, we use several tools(called props, appearance, and manner) in ways that are conducive to our role. For example, in the above case of a business meeting, you would wear business attire and bring your laptop and any pertinent files necessary to complete your role at the meeting. You would also make sure that your behavior was businesslike and your tone serious. Notice that within these microstructures, people have some autonomy to change their actions. In the above example, you might have decided not to accept the role of businessperson and walked into the meeting wearing shorts and a t-shirt, asking who wants to play tennis. Would that change the interaction between your coworkers and you? Of course it would. Would it be a lasting change for business meetings around the country? It would not, not unless others chose to do a similar thing. The point is that a change to structure is possible because we create and re-create structure every day. By conforming to the set structure, we tacitly agree that we approve of the structure. Deviant Behavior In sociology, deviance is any behavior that does not conform to norms. Deviant behavior does not meet the expectations of a group or a society as a whole. By this point in the semester, it should be evident that we have many mechanisms built into our social life that bring about conformity. The largest among these mechanisms is the socialization process itself. Almost from birth, we teach our children what society expects of them and the sanctions brought to bear when children fail to meet the expectations. We expect children to conform to the customs and traditions of their group. They also learn a system of values that provides justification and motivation for wanting to do certain types of things that meet the approval of parents. Likewise, we teach values for wanting to refrain from behavior that would merit disapproval. Socialization results in the development of a system of internal or self- controls—a self-regulating conscience, a superego, or me—that incorporates the internalized values and norms of parents and peers. For example, many people value the ideals of “do no harm.” For some, “do unto others” is an internal pressure to not be hurtful to others. In addition to internal controls, conformity is encouraged through external mechanisms. Society dislikes people going fast through school zones. To encourage conformity in school zones, having to pay speeding fines exceeds the benefits of speeding. We choose to go the speed limit, not because we dislike speeding, but because there is a law in place that results in a really big monetary fine. Thus, each day, every person experiences pressures to meet the expectations of others. Over time, these obligations become part of the structure of society. The obligations are to those in our primary and secondary groups, as well as to formal groups such as corporations, unions, professional associations, and churches. Sanctions for not fulfilling these obligations vary depending on to whom we owe the obligations, and to the degree of importance that the obligations hold to society. For example, not fulfilling an obligation to a friend to meet for drinks results in minor sanctions. Not meeting an important client for drinks may well result in the loss of a job. When law violations occur, external formal mechanisms of social control—the police, courts, and correctional systems—come into play. Sometimes, negative consequences result from deviant behavior. For example, large-scale deviance may harm stability, and it may induce distrust and ill will. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina resulted in thousands of people being displaced from their homes with no access to money, transportation, or the bare necessities of life. The lack of provisions resulted in looting and other large-scale deviant behaviors that caused ill will between the community and storeowners and between the community and the government. Deviance can also have positive consequences, which is why society, in a sense, needs deviants. Each time a group defines a particular act as deviant, it teaches people acceptable social behavior. For example, in most states, people believe smoking to be deviant behavior due to health costs and hygiene factors. These states have outlawed smoking in public buildings to promote smoke-free behaviors. Another useful consequence of deviance is that it strengthens group norms and values. When something happens within a community, people react in ways that reinforce group values. For example, when a hit-and- run driver hits a child, the neighborhood responds with signs, vigils, and donations in an attempt to state that they oppose hit-and-runs.

SOC 1010, Introduction to Sociology 3

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Think of ways a group might consider your own behavior deviant. How might some of the behaviors of our country generate accusations of deviance (whether deservedly or not)? Who decides what is deviant?

Reference

Witt, J. (2015). SOC 2014 (3rd ed. update). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

Suggested Reading Becker, H. S. (1997). Outsiders: Studies in the sociology of deviance. New York, NY: Free Press. Look in the databases of the CSU Online Library for more information on this unit’s topics. Below are examples of what you will find in the General OneFile database: Brannigan, A. (1997). Self control, social control and evolutionary psychology: towards an integrated

perspective on crime. Canadian Journal of Criminology, 39(4), 403-431. Harris, N. R. (2013). Surveillance, social control and planning: Citizen-engagement in the detection and

investigation of breaches of planning regulations. Town Planning Review, 84(2), 171-197. Mollenkopf, J. (2001). The social control of cities: A comparative perspective. French Politics, Culture and

Society, 19, 2, 137.

Learning Activities (Non-Graded) Social Reality of Crime The dominant class defines what a crime is, and what it is not. This definition occurs within a political, economic, and social context. Lawmakers (who themselves are mostly privileged) are encouraged by lobbyists (who mostly represent those in the dominant class) to punish activities that go against their interests. So what does society define as crime? Are behaviors that are in direct and indirect conflict with the dominant class defined as criminal? For example, ask yourselves these questions: Why are there laws against loitering? Why is vagrancy against the law? Crime is socially constructed in such a way as to benefit the dominant class. How? In this case, people who are vagrant do not own such things as homes or cars. Moreover, they do not work at jobs, increasing the wealth of the owners. Investigate cocaine and the length of punishment given to users, and then investigate crack and the length of punishment given to its users. What do you find? According to the ACLU website, the ratio of severity of punishment before 2010 was 100:1; in 2014, it was still 18:1. Those who use crack are more likely to be poor and in a minority, while cocaine users are more likely to be in a middle or higher social class. A recent Florida case involving the shooting of a teen-aged boy provides us with an opportunity to study the identification of behavior as criminal or not criminal. In 2012, Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Black teen, was walking through a middle-class neighborhood where his father’s fiancée lived in a gated community. George Zimmerman, a jobless 29-year-old Hispanic man on neighborhood patrol, spotted him. In the events that followed, Zimmerman shot Martin to death because the boy was “suspicious looking” and Zimmerman “felt threatened.” Is this behavior a crime? That depends on how the court defines the actions. In this case, the court found that Zimmerman was not guilty, based on self-defense. After researching this case, search the Internet for similar cases. Does the race of the victim matter? Does the race of the perpetrator matter? What evidence do you find of other court cases? How does your own race influence your beliefs about the case? These are non-graded activities, so you do not have to submit them. However, if you have difficulty with any concepts, contact your instructor for additional discussion and/or explanation.