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Compares theories of functionalists & labeling theorists re: definition of deviance & its place in society.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Compares theories of functionalists & labeling theorists re: definition of deviance & its place in society.
Paper Introduction:
The sociology of deviance has been an integral part of the study of sociologists because of its impact on the well-being of society. Functionalists view deviance both as threatening and vital to the preservation of society. However, in recent years, labeling theorists have come to challenge the functionalists’ definition of deviance as the violation of social norms. Instead, they view the reaction to deviance as critical in the definition of deviance. Nonetheless, what the functionalists and labeling theorists share in their approaches is their belief that deviant acts stem from society, rather than the individual (Douglas, 1973, p. 540).
Functionalists assert that there are immutable moral values in society that provide the basis for the formation of social norms (Nisbet, 1970, p. 289). With his study on suicide,
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They have given a largerperspective of the place of deviance in society. 548). Societal reaction to deviant behavior: Problems of theory and method. Thereis no simple explanation for deviance. Kitsuse's (1972) labeling theory stems from the fact that thereactions of individuals to what are considered deviant acts areinconsistent. 144). The police are one example. Social norms are not easy to determine because they are not uniformlysupported and practiced by every segment of the population (Kitsuse, 1972,p. Douglas (Ed.), Introduction to Sociology: Situations & structures (pp. Other labeling theoristshave undertaken the work to study the meanings and uses of social rules.Social rules need to be investigated further to find their complexrelationship with deviance. (1972). Apart from this useful function, another functionalist, KingsleyDavis, claims that deviant behavior, such as prostitution, also serves as avital outlet for husbands and help preserve the institution of marriage(Douglas, 1973, p. Therefore, Kitsuse believes that a deeper understanding ofhow individuals label deviants and respond to acts of deviance can providea greater understanding of deviance (p. 54 ). What is also evident is that the functionalists' approach todeviance is focused on the preservation of the welfare of the society.Functionalists are not interested in the more intimate interaction betweendeviants and members of the society (Douglas, 1973, p. Even laws vary from state to state in theUnited States (Douglas, 1973, p. However,functionalists also believe that deviance serves an integral role insociety. The adverse reaction of society against deviants and their deviantbehavior can serve as a powerful reassertion of the values and norms ofsociety. D. Nonetheless, what thefunctionalists and labeling theorists share in their approaches is theirbelief that deviant acts stem from society, rather than the individual(Douglas, 1973, p. As Jack Gibbs (1972) asserts in his paper, reactions do notcause deviant acts such as armed robbery. The social bond: An Introduction to the study of society. Therefore, instead of attributing deviant acts to individualdecisions, functionalists find that deviance is produced by society.Fundamentally, society needs a small number of deviant acts to ensure itssurvival. Their widely varied responses make the assumption of anuniform definition of deviance difficult. Conceptions of deviant behavior: The old and the new. 537-56 ). With his study on suicide, Durkheim (1951) was the chiefproponent of the functional theory of deviance (in Douglas, 1973, p. Most of thefunctionalists based their studies on official statistics. There are members of society who have managedto maintain the appearance of respectability while committing deviant actsin secret. Serial killings are acts ofdeviance, regardless of the reaction of members of society.Conclusion Coming from conflicting perspectives, both functionalists andlabeling theorists can provide a composite picture of deviance as it ispracticed today. Instead, they view the reaction to deviance ascritical in the definition of deviance. Individuals who did not know that their fellow students werehomosexuals did not consider their behavior deviant until they possessedthe knowledge (p. 545-7). 148). In recentdecades, it has been found that official statistics reflect the reality ofdeviance poorly. However, labeling theorists also do not provide a complete explanationof deviance. The sociology of deviance has been an integral part of the study ofsociologists because of its impact on the well-being of society.Functionalists view deviance both as threatening and vital to thepreservation of society. 149-159). Without question, there aredeviant acts that violate social norms. Functionalists thus make a grave error in ignoring thisfundamental error in their theory on deviance. 289). Rather, deviance arises through acombination of social processes that need to be recognized in order touphold social justice. Theprejudice practiced by police officers also illuminates the fundamentalsocial injustices of society that is divided by class, gender and race(Douglas, 1973, pp. Furthermore, in his work, Howard Becker (1963) has discoveredthat deviance is often a product of the enforcement of rules by socialorganizations to their own advantage. In G. In G. The definition of deviance by police officers demonstrates theweakness of functional theory vis-à-vis the labeling theory that will bediscussed in the next paragraphs. In contrast to the functionalist'assumption that the definition of deviant acts are clear to all members ofsociety, labeling theorists view that deviance is determined by responsesof individuals. Knopf. Furthermore, in the multicultural society of America, there is nouniversal acceptance of human values in the society. Therefore, what labelingtheorists, such as Kitsuse (1972), want to stress is that deviance shouldnot only be assessed based on their deviation from prescribed behaviorbecause there are no simple definitions (p. Functionalists have illuminated the vitalrelationship between deviance and society. Acts are labeled deviant in order forthese organizations to apply sanctions to an individual they label anoffender (in Douglas, 1973, p. 147). In contrast to the functionalists' focus on deviance, labelingtheorists, such as John Kitsuse (1972), find that reactions to deviant actsplay a large role in defining deviant behavior. Therefore, researchers such asKitsuse and Becker have only given information of the reactions todeviance, but not on deviance itself (p. Therefore,the more the individuals are involved with their families, the less likelythey are to commit suicide (in Douglas, 1973, p. 54 ). New York: The Free Press.Gibbs, J. Thus, they question sociologists andsocial organizations in their treatment and assessment of deviance. Deviance and social control. 541). (1973). Therefore, instead oftaking deviant acts as a given, labeling theorists assert that acts ofdeviance only become labeled deviant through the adverse responses ofmembers of society (p. 136-148). The homosexuals only becamedeviant when they were treated by other members of the society as deviants.For example, other individuals began to ignore them and expressed theirdisapproval of their behavior (Kitsuse, 1972, p. New York: Alfred A. (1972). 148). In addition, Kitsuse (1972) found that the reactions of theseindividuals ranged from avoidance to outright moral revulsions. 145). This widerange of emotions illustrates the inconsistency in the reactions towardsdeviants (p. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc.Kitsuse, J. Therefore, the actsin themselves were characterized as deviant only when the sexualorientation of the homosexuals was discovered. 551). P. In J. A. However, the functional theory has tremendous weaknesses. However, in recent years, labeling theorists havecome to challenge the functionalists' definition of deviance as theviolation of social norms. At the same time, Durkheim and later functionalists feel that societyhas created institutions that suppress deviant behavior in order to reducethe level of crime and deviance. Inreality, the criteria to determine whether acts are deviant or not areunclear; concomitantly, responses to deviant acts also differsignificantly. Not all members of thesociety possess the same values. In his investigation into social perceptions towards homosexuals byusing a population of mainly college undergraduates, Kitsuse (1972) foundthat the subjects' responses to homosexuals were affected by their ownperceptions. 156). Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc.Nisbet, R. 541). Furthermore, they tend to encompass the bias of the policeofficers who target individuals they perceive as deviant individuals. ReferencesDouglas, J. 137). Both theories have shifted the blame away from theindividual to the society. Labeling theorists havehighlighted the importance of the responses of members of society indefining and shaping deviant behavior. With a greater variation in the composition of thesubject population, the differences between the reactions of theindividuals would have been more significant. 137). Armed with this new knowledge, the subjects beganto treat the homosexuals as though they were deviants. Ritzer (Ed.), Issues, debates and controversies: An introduction to Sociology (pp. I. Functionalists assume that all members of society share acommon definition of deviant acts as a violation of norms of society. (197 ). 54 ).According to Durkheim (1951), the likelihood of individuals committingsuicide is related to the degree of their social integration. D. Functionalists assert that there are immutable moral values insociety that provide the basis for the formation of social norms (Nisbet,197 , p. Ritzer (Ed.), Issues, debates and controversies: An introduction to Sociology (pp.
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