Theoretical Approaches to Deviant Behavior in Society
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Theoretical Approaches to Deviant Behavior in Society
Sociologists have always wondered whether people are born deviant or are shaped by society to deviate from social or cultural norms. Sociologists have suggested three main theoretical approaches to understanding why people deviate from normal behavior in society. The description of normal behavior is based on the ideology of adhering to a common social standard. The three main theoretical approaches to deviant behavior in society are strain theory, cultural deviance theory, and labeling theory.
The Three Approaches
One of the main sociological theories of the existence of deviance is social strain typology developed by the American sociologist Robert Merton. The main criteria of the strain typology include the motivation of people to cultural goals and the beliefs people have to attain their goals in life. The sociologist believed that people could choose to deviate from normal behaviors in society because of their strain in achieving their own goals. The gaps between the socially accepted goal and having no social way of pursuing the goals lead to deviance. For example, a person who sells drugs aims at making money but finds strain in following the culturally accepted ways of making money. The goals of the individual in society balance, but achieving the goals in society does not balance (Rodas et al., 2020).
The second theoretical approach to understanding deviant behavior is labeling theory. It is based on the belief that people become deviant when the label of deviation is applied to them. When a person is labeled deviant, they exhibit the behaviors, attitudes, and actions associated with the deviant label. For example, a person attached to the stigma label tends to have the stigmatized identity related to the individual they perceive differently. For example, a law enforcement officer may apply the label of a criminal to an individual, and they will usually enforce the boundaries of the proper behavior to ensure the person goes to court (Rodas et al., 2020).
The last theory is the cultural deviance theory developed by researchers Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay in 1942 as they studied Chicago’s crime patterns in the early 1900s. According to the theory, social deviance occurs because of the prevailing norms of people in society. The researchers found that violence and crime were more prevalent in the middle of the city and decreased further into the suburbs. According to the sociologists, people who live in poor neighborhoods tend to engage in crime more compared to those in rich neighborhoods. Additionally, since socioeconomic status correlates with race and ethnicity, social deviance can be a result of people’s economic status and not race or ethnicity. A person from poor neighborhoods is more likely to be socially deviant, use drugs, engage in violence, and teenage delinquent because of the culture prevalent in the neighborhoods (Rodas et al., 2020).
Views on the Arguments
The different theoretical viewpoints on social deviance indicate different perspectives of social disorder and the deviance of people from normal behavior in society. The social strain is one of the best ways of understanding why crime occurs in society. Criminal activities such as theft occur because individuals want to achieve a certain end of their lives. However, since the laid down means of achieving wealth does not lead to their success, they end up going for other people’s property. Merton’s argument that people usually engage in deviance because of strain is understandable. Many people who deviant want to achieve socially recognizable goals. People who do drugs want to be happy and have feelings of achievement, which is not bad. However, the methods they apply are not acceptable by society.
The other sociological perspective of deviance in society that provides clear arguments is the cultural deviance theory. According to the theory, people are shaped to behave in a certain way. A person growing up in a violent neighborhood may develop deviant behavior traits because they get used to the way of life. However, I do not think the labeling theory clearly provides reasons why people may be deviant. By being labeled a criminal or a thief, a person does not necessarily put up behavior that conforms to the label.
References
Rodas, A., Simpson, M., Rawlinson, P., Kramer, R., Ryan, E., Taylor, E., . . . Russell, E. (2020). Crime, Deviance, and Society: An Introduction to Sociological Criminology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.