The Conflict Perspective of Deviance and Deviants

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The Conflict Perspective of Deviance and Deviants

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· When it comes to the conflict perspective and deviance, researchers have

discovered one of the most influential lines of theory and research (Quinney,

1980; Chambliss and Seidman, 1982; Swaaningen, 1997; Arrigo, 1999). Marxist

criminologists see deviance as a product of the exploitative nature of the

ruling class. Deviance is a behavior that the rich and powerful see as

threatening to their interests. An example of the conflict perspective relating

to deviance is white- collar crimes. (Edwin Sutherland {1940,1983}) White-collar

crime is any crime committed by respectable and high status people in the course

of their occupations. (Lower status people commit crimes of the streets; higher

status people engage in ?crimes of the suites?). (Nader and Green, 1972; D.R.

Simon, 1998). Examples of these crimes include: price fixing, illegal rebates,

embezzlement, manufacture of hazardous products, toxic pollution and more. (

Geis Meier, and Salinger, 1995; J.W. Coleman, 1977; Calavita,Pontell, and

Tillman, 1999). Although the costs of these crimes are higher than lower status

crimes, and these crimes are more harmful to society, tolerance is shown and

leniency is shown because of their high-class position. In the end penalties are

both tougher and more likely to be imposed for crimes committed by lower class

people than those of higher social classes. The conflict approach to deviance

underscores the relativity of deviance. The conflict perspective when applied to

the study of deviant behavior emphasizes social inequality and power

differentials. The most powerful members of society are said to determine group

norms, and consequently who will be regarded as deviant. Conflict theorists

relate deviance to capitalism pointing the relationship between race, ethnicity,

and crime.

2) Please explain deviance and discuss the relationship between race and

deviance as it relates to crime and criminal behavior. Please consider

differences in perception among groups or people who define persons as deviant.

· Deviance is any behavior that departs from societal of group norms. (Ex:

criminal behavior; violations of significant social norms) These significant

norms are those that are highly important to either most members in a society or

to the members wit...

... middle of paper ...

...s another person would), and game stage (children learn to engage in more

sophisticated role taking. Mead believes the self is composed of two separable

parts: the ?me? and the ?I?. The ?me? is self- formed through socialization. The

?I? interacts constantly with the ?me? as we conduct ourselves in social

situations. Cooley believed self- concept is an image of oneself as an entity

separate from other people--- that still stands today. He also believes that

children learn to judge themselves in terms of how they imagine others will

react to them. We serve as mirrors for the development of self. (Cooley). He

called this concept the looking glass self. (A self-concept based on our

perception of others? judgments of us.) We use others as mirrors reflecting back

our imagined reactions of them to us. According to Cooley, the, looking glass

self is the product of a three-stage process that is constantly taking place.

First we imagine how we appear to others. Next, we imagine the reaction of

others to our imagined appearance. Finally, we evaluate ourselves according to

how we imaged others have judged us. The result of this process is negative or

positive self-evaluation.

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