Key Terms
Deviance
Violation of contextual, cultural, or social norms Crime: behavior that violates official law; punishable through formal
Social control
Regulation and enforcement of norms Social order: the arrangement of practices on which daily social life is based Sanct
Social order
The underlying arrangement of practices and behaviors that social control is designed to protect. Think of social order
Sanctions
The means of enforcing rules. Can be positive or negative, formal or informal.
Informal sanctions
Emerge in face-to-face interactions; no official process required. Example - people staring at someone who talks loudly
Formal sanctions
Officially recognized and enforced through institutions. Example - a student expelled for academic dishonesty.
Core idea
Deviance is not a quality of the act; it is a label applied by others. Society constructs deviance through reactions and
Primary deviance
A norm violation that does not change the person's self-image or how others see them long-term. Example - getting a spee
Secondary deviance
Occurs when the deviant label sticks and begins to reshape the person's self-concept and behavior. The person starts act
Master status
A label so dominant it becomes the primary way a person is identified by others and by themselves. Examples - convict, a
Attachment
Emotional connections to others. When you care what people think of you, you conform to keep their approval.
Commitment
Investment in conventional life. The more you have to lose (career, reputation, community standing), the less likely you
Involvement
Time spent in legitimate activities. Busy people have less time and opportunity for deviance.
Belief
Genuine acceptance of common social values. People who actually believe in the rules follow them.
Crime
Behavior that violates official law and is punishable through formal sanctions. Not the same as deviance; all crime is d