Introduction Deviant behavior is bad behavior that breaks social rules and makes society less desirable or more dangerous. People who engage in deviant behavior are often considered ‘bad people,’ and deviant behaviors tend to be stigmatized. Social Cultural Norms Social norms vary across cultures so that what is considered deviant by one person may be…
Introduction Moral panic is a term that Stanley Cohen coined in his 1972 study “Folk devils and moral panics,” which he published in “Essays in the study of religion, crime and deviance.” The condition or situation is linked to a particular group’s specific behavior and beliefs. According to Oxfordreference, the exact definition is “A mass movement…
Introduction A subculture is a group of people who differentiate themselves from mainstream culture, often leading to social conflict. Subculture theory focuses on the relationship between groups and their cultures. The subcultures are relative to each other, and as a result, there is bound to be a conflict between them. These conflicts can arise from…
Introduction Theories of crime are based on influences and conditions that steer people toward criminal or deviant actions. There are many crime theories, but no one theory can explain all the causes of crime. Crime theories give different kinds of explanations about why and how criminals commit their crimes. Some of these explanations suggest that…
Introduction What is Strain Theory? Strain theory was proposed by Robert Merton, an American sociologist who is also well-known for his works on the functionalist theory. It is an aspect of functionalism, which in itself is a constructivist theory. Strain theory attempts to explain conflict or deviance via the four functions of deviance. Merton’s classic…
Introduction Social disorganization theory states that crime and delinquency result from the inability of neighborhood institutions to provide social control (Wilson & Kelling, 1982). This theory is based on the work of Louis Wirth. He argued in his book “Urbanism as a Way of Life” (1938) that high crime rates in American cities were rooted…
Introduction Social control theories are the ideas that attempt to explain why humans behave in the way they do. For example, some scholars argue that social institutions and social forces are in place to limit the negative actions of individuals. Social control theories try to explain why people do not commit deviant acts. They also…
Introduction Reintegrative shaming is a term that has been developed within the traditional ethical theory to improve criminal justice practice. Since not all theories of punishment and theories of justice focus solely on the punitive approach, a new theory was needed to establish a balance between these two approaches. Integrative Shaming This method is one…
Introduction Erving Goffman’s dramaturgy is a specialized branch of sociology which makes it unique as compared to related fields. This theory is completely different from other theories because it does not aim for exclusion or choosing one side of the spectrum over the other, but rather focuses on reconciliation. This theory was developed by an…
Introduction Rational choice theory is a new area of criminological research. It studies how individuals form their decisions when committing crimes. When making any choice, people will consider many factors: the probability of being caught, the sentence for committing a particular crime, and any chance to get away with the crime. The rational choice theory…
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