Kai Erikson

Sociological Theories of Deviance

Sociology 3305

UMD


WAYWARD PURITANS: A STUDY IN THE SOCIOLOGY OF DEVIANCE

I.   DIFFERENT GROUPS OF DIFFERENT SIZES

     DIFFERENT BEHAVIORS, ACTIONS, THOUGHTS, CONSIDERED DEVIANT

II.  COMMUNITY
     A. PROVIDES A SENSE OF BELONGING

     B. BOUNDARY MAINTAINING - MORAL BOUNDARIES, RANGE OF BEHAVIOR

III.  LEARNING BOUNDARIES
     PASSING ON TO NEXT GENERATION

     A. INTERACTION BETWEEN DEVIANT AND OFFICIAL AGENT

     B. ACTIONS NOTIFY MOVEMENT BEYOND ACCEPTABLE BOUNDARY

     C. COMMUNITY BEGINS TO LOSE UNIQUE BOUNDARY

     D. DRAMATIZE BEHAVIOR
     IN-GROUP -  OUT-GROUP

     E. PUBLICIZE CASES
     PUBLIC DISPLAY, NEWSPAPERS (PG. 33)

IV.   SOCIETIES AREN'T STAGNATE
     BOUNDARIES MOVE AND SHIFT

     1. CONSTANT TESTING
     NOT JUST ONE ACT OF DEVIANCE
     RATES

     2. DEVIANCE HELPS MAINTAIN STABILITY

V.   DEVIANCE SERVES FUNCTION
     DOES SOCIETY PROMOTE DEVIANCE?

     A. RECRUITMENT OF DEVIANTS

     B. SEND TO FRINGE FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME

     C. PG. 35; "INDEED, THE AGENCIES BUILT BY SOCIETY FOR PREVENTING DEVIANCE
     ARE OFTEN SO POORLY EQUIPPED FOR THE TASK THAT WE MIGHT WELL ASK WHY
     THIS IS REGARDED AS THEIR "REAL" FUNCTION IN THE FIRST PLACE."

     D. E.G. PRISONS AS LEARNING GROUND FOR CRIME
        SICK LABELS AS IN REMISSION

     E. RITE OF TRANSITION
     MOVEMENT TO BOUNDARY

     1. MARKED WITH CEREMONY

     2. MOVEMENT BACK GOES UNNOTICED

     G. SELF-FULFILLING PROPHESY

      COMMUNITY MEMBERS RESPONSE

     OFFICIAL AGENT (POLICE) RESPONSE

Return to Sociological Theories of Deviance Page.

Return to John Hamlin's Home Page

This page is maintained by John Hamlin (jhamlin@mail.d.umn.edu)
Last modified on Tue Mar 12