Howard Becker
CAREER DEVIANCE

Sociological Theories of Deviance

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

UMD

  1. NOT CONCERNED WITH PRIMARY DEVIANCE BUT WITH SECONDARY DEVIANCE

      HOW DOES ONE DEVELOP DEVIANT MOTIVES AND INTERESTS,

      ONE LEARNS TO PARTAKE IN THE SUBCULTURE, E.G. SMOKING AND ENJOYING MARIJUANA,

    1. LABELING THAT EFFECTS THE CHANGE TO SECONDARY DEVIANCE MAY BE BROUGHT ON BY OTHERS IN A PROCESS, BY SELF DEFINITION, OR BY PSYCHOLOGICAL DESIRES TO BE CAUGHT, DOES NOT MATTER AT THIS POINT

    2. MASTER AND AUXILIARY STATUS

    3. A. MASTER STATUS IS THE KEY TRAIT THAT IDENTITIES US,

    4. B. EACH MASTER STATUS HAS AUXILIARY ONES THE WE EXPECT TO FIND,

    5. C. WE ALSO HAVE OTHER SUBORDINATE STATUSES

    6. D. SOMETIMES THEY DON'T FIT

    7. E. SAME HOLDS TRUE FOR A DEVIANT MASTER STATUS AND ASSUMED AUXILIARY ONES
      "THUS, APPREHENSION FOR ONE DEVIANT ACT EXPOSES A PERSON TO THE LIKELIHOOD THAT HE WILL BE REGARDED AS DEVIANT OR UNDESIRABLE IN OTHER RESPECTS."

    8. F. SUBORDINATING ALL OTHER STATUSES TO THE MASTER STATUS IS A PROBLEM
      "TREATING A PERSON AS THOUGH HE WERE GENERALLY RATHER THAN SPECIFICALLY DEVIANT PRODUCES AS SELF-FULLING PROPHECY."

    9. G. SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY IS A PROCESS SET IN MOTION

      1. CUT OFF FROM OTHERS IN CONVENTIONAL GROUPS
      2. TREATED IN APPROPRIATE WAY FOR THE TYPE OF DEVIANCE, THIS WILL FURTHER PRODUCE DEVIANCE
        "THE BEHAVIOR IS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE PUBLIC REACTION TO THE DEVIANCE RATHER THAN A CONSEQUENCE OF THE INHERENT QUALITIES OF THE DEVIANT ACT."
        WHAT IS A CONVICTED DRUNK DRIVER SUPPOSE TO DO WHEN THEIR LICENSE IS REVOKED?

      3. MOVEMENT INTO AN ORGANIZED DEVIANT GROUP

        GROUP MEMBERSHIP PROVIDES A BASE FOR AND SOLIDIFIES A DEVIANT IDENTITY

        DEVELOP A
        "COMPLICATED HISTORICAL, LEGAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL JUSTIFICATION FOR THEIR DEVIANT ACTIVITY."
        ALSO LEARNS HOW TO CONTINUE WITH THEIR DEVIANT BEHAVIOR WITH A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF TROUBLE

        HOW TO DO WHATEVER IT IS BETTER, WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF DETECTION


    10. H. NOT EVERYONE HAS POWER TO LABEL, SOME ARE MORE LIKELY TO APPLY A LABEL AND HAVE IT STICK,

      THESE PEOPLE BECKER CALLS MORAL ENTREPRENEURS.

      11.


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    Labeling

    Frank Tannebaum

    Edwin Lemert

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