crime and deviance
This essay seeks to interrogate the assertion that ‘deviance like beauty is in the eyes of the beholder’, the construction of crime and deviance being the basis of the argument. The aforementioned assertion means that deviance is relative, vis-à-vis what some people consider normal others consider deviant and vice versa. According to Schaefer(2010) deviant behavior that violates social norms. Henslin (1998) explicitly defines deviance as all violations of social rules regardless of their seriousness whilst crime is the violation of codified laws. Hence the difference of cultures and norms between societies, groups, classes bring difference in societal expectations. Other scholars are of the view that crime and deviance emanate from social reaction, strain caused by the society, social transformation and interaction just to mention a few. Conversely some scholars avow that it is rather biological and psychological factors. Therefore this essay will delve into their all these matters.
To begin with, deviance is not based on the act but on the reaction to that act. It is a matter of definitions, where the same act is interpreted differently by two parties. Behaviors must be viewed from the frame work of the culture they take place. According to Sutherland human beings learn how to behave in a social situation whether properly or improperly Schaeffer (2010) .According to this theory , people learn to deviate or conform to societal norms due to association, thus through social interaction, interacting with his or her immediate environment. For example, family plays an important role in a young person’s life and has a major influence on delinquency. Parents are likely to exert the most influence on the child’s perception of himself or herself Ramsar (1996).Positive responses from the parents , such as love and warmth contribute to positive self image. On the other hand , negative responses such as lack of warmth and parental love contribute to the
To begin with, deviance is not based on the act but on the reaction to that act. It is a matter of definitions, where the same act is interpreted differently by two parties. Behaviors must be viewed from the frame work of the culture they take place. According to Sutherland human beings learn how to behave in a social situation whether properly or improperly Schaeffer (2010) .According to this theory , people learn to deviate or conform to societal norms due to association, thus through social interaction, interacting with his or her immediate environment. For example, family plays an important role in a young person’s life and has a major influence on delinquency. Parents are likely to exert the most influence on the child’s perception of himself or herself Ramsar (1996).Positive responses from the parents , such as love and warmth contribute to positive self image. On the other hand , negative responses such as lack of warmth and parental love contribute to the
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