ALEXANDER LIAZOS

Sociological Theories of Deviance

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

UMD

THE POVERTY OF SOCIOLOGY OF DEVIANCE: NUTS, SLUTS, AND `PERVERTS'

I. DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND DEVIANCE

1. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK WELL ESTABLISHED

2. THE BEHAVIOR IS SAID TO BE STUDIED OBJECTIVELY NOT ASSUMED AS NEGATIVE

3. THEORY BASED ON RESEARCH

4. RELATED BACK TO GRAND THEORY

II. "THE `DEVIANT' HAS BEEN HUMANIZED..."
BUT

1. STILL THE CONCENTRATION IS ON THE INDIVIDUAL ACTOR WITH, MENTION OF

A. SOCIAL

B. HISTORICAL

C. POLITICAL

D. ECONOMIC

CONTEXT

III. EXAMINED TEXT BOOKS AND FOUND A NUMBER OF BIAS:

1. RATHER THAN NORMALIZE OR HUMANIZE THE PERSON, THE USE OF THE TERM DEVIANT EXPRESSES DIFFERENCE

A. STRESS WAS SUPPOSE TO BE ON THE UNDERDOGS, DIVERSITY, AND COMPLEXITY, INSTEAD THE USE OF TOLERANCE NEGATES THE EMPHASIS

B. "BUT OUR ASSERTIONS THAT `DEVIANTS' ARE NOT DIFFERENT MAY RAISE THE VERY DOUBTS WE WANT TO DISPEL.
MOVEOVER, WHY WOULD WE CREATE A SEPARATE FIELD OF SOCIOLOGY FOR DEVIANTS IF THERE WERE NOT SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THEM?

C. THE USE OF THE TERM DEVIANT SHOULD BE DROPPED, USE OF TERMS SUCH AS VICTIMIZATION, PERSECUTION AND OPPRESSION, INSTEAD

2. FOCUS ON "DRAMATIC" NATURE OF DEVIANCE AS USUAL, IGNORES COVERT INSTITUTIONAL VIOLENCE

A. LISTS OF WHAT GETS STUDIED REMAINS FAIRLY CONSTANT

B. WHAT IS LEFT OUT IS AS IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT AS WHAT IS INCLUDED
THE POWERFUL DEVIANTS ARE NOT LOOKED AT NOR FORMS E.G. PRICE FIXING, WAR MAKING, LOAN PRACTICES, POLLUTION, ETC.

3. THEIR FOCUS ON LOWER LEVEL POWER FOLKS IGNORES THE REAL POWER BROKERS,
THUS THEY REALLY IGNORE POWER

A. MOST PRISONERS ARE POLITICAL PRISONERS IN AS MUCH AS THEIR ACTIONS ARE THE RESULT OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ACTION
B. HOW DO THE POWERFUL DEVIANTS VIEW THEMSELVES? "DO THEY HAVE IDENTITY PROBLEMS?"
"HOW DID THE ROBBER BARONS OF THE LATE 19TH CENTURY STEAL, FIX LAWS, AND BUY POLITICIANS SIX DAYS OF THE WEEK AND GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY? BY WHAT PROCESS CAN PEOPLE SPEAK OF BODY COUNTS AND KILL RATIONS WITH COOL OBJECTIVITY?"
C. BECAUSE ONE GROUP DOES NOT HAVE THE POWER TO DEFINE BEHAVIOR AS DEVIANT NOR ENFORCE A LABEL DOESN'T CHANGE THE OBJECTIVE ESSENCE OF THE BEHAVIOR, IT STILL IS A SOCIAL FACT; THE CORPORATE WORLD KILLS AND HURTS MORE PEOPLE EVERY YEAR THAN STREET CRIME

WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND DEAL WITH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FORMS OF RACISM, SEXISM, VIOLENCE, THEFT ETC.

NEED TO FOCUS ON REAL POWER BROKERS THE TOP DOGS, WHO MAKES THE LAWS? WHO DEFINES ACCEPTABLE SOCIAL ORDER? ACCEPTABLE TO WHOM?

"...IN A FUNDAMENTALLY UNJUST SOCIETY, EVEN THE MOST IMPARTIAL, PROFESSIONAL, EFFICIENT ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS BY THE POLICE CANNOT RESULT IN JUSTICE"

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