Sociology of Deviance

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, Durkheim (1951) was the chief proponent of the functional theory of deviance (in Douglas, 1973, p. 540). According to Durkheim (1951), the likelihood of individuals committing suicide is related to the degree of their social integration. Therefore, the more the individuals are involved with their families, the less likely they are to commit suicide (in Douglas, 1973, p. 540).

At the same time, Durkheim and later functionalists feel that society has created institutions that suppress deviant behavior in order to reduce the level of crime and deviance. The police are one example. However, functionalists also believe that deviance serves an integral role in socie

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the definition of deviant acts are clear to all members of society, labeling theorists view that deviance is determined by responses of individuals. Their widely varied responses make the assumption of an uniform definition of deviance difficult. In contrast to the functionalists' focus on deviance, labeling theorists, such as John Kitsuse (1972), find that reactions to deviant acts play a large role in defining deviant behavior. Therefore, instead of taking deviant acts as a given, labeling theorists assert that acts of deviance only become labeled deviant through the adverse responses of members of society (p. 137). Kitsuse's (1972) labeling theory stems from the fact that the reactions of individuals to what are considered deviant acts are inconsistent. Functionalists assume that all members of society share a common definition of deviant acts as a violation of norms of society. In reality, the criteria to determine whether acts are deviant or not are unclear; concomitantly, responses to deviant acts also differ significantly. Therefore, Kitsuse believes that a deeper understanding of how individuals label deviants and respond to acts of deviance can provide a greater understanding of deviance (p. 137). In his investiga
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Approximate Word count = 1356
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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