NCJ Number
62509
Date Published
1977
Length
336 pages
Annotation
IN VIEW OF THE INABILITY OF SCIENCE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSES OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR, THIS REPORT OFFERS THEORIES ON THE SOCIAL STRUCTURING OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR.
Abstract
ALTHOUGH STRESS AND SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION WILL PRODUCE DEVIANT BEHAVIOR SUCH AS SUICIDE, ALCOHOLISM, OR MASS REVOLUTION, THE FORCES PRODUCING THE STRESS AND THOSE PRODUCING THE TYPE OF DEVIATION ARE DIFFERENT. BEHAVIORAL THEORIES LINKING SPECIFIC STRESSES WITH DEVIANCES CANNOT ACCOUNT FOR THE MANY DIFFERENT STRESSES ASCRIBED TO THE SAME DEVIANCES. FURTHERMORE, THEORISTS SUCH AS FREUD CLAIM THAT SOME OR ALL TYPES OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR ARE DUE TO A 'MASTER' STRESS. BECAUSE THESE THEORISTS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO PREDICT PARTICULAR DEVIANT BEHAVIORS, THEIR THEORIES ARE QUESTIONABLE. ALTHOUGH DIFFERENT GROUPS OF STRESSES MAY TEND TO PRODUCE CERTAIN KINDS OF DEVIANCY, SUCH GENERAL CONNECTIONS ARE NOT THE SPECIFIC CAUSE-EFFECT LINKS DESIRED. SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION IS DISCUSSED AS A CAUSE OF DEVIANCY BUT DISCOUNTED BECAUSE IT DOES NOT PROVIDE LINKS BETWEEN SPECIFIC STRESSES AND BEHAVIORS. ALTHOUGH STRESS MAY SET THE STAGE FOR DEVIANT BEHAVIOR, THE REACTIVE BEHAVIOR OF THE PERSON UNDER STRESS IS CONDITIONED BY THE RESOURCES AT HIS DISPOSAL. BUT EVERYONE AGREES THAT DEVIANT BEHAVIOR IS LEARNED. SOCIAL DIFFERENTIATION CONTROLS THE FORM OF DEVIANCY THROUGH (1) REGULATING SOCIAL NORMS AND (2) THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF SOCIAL RESOURCES. SOCIAL STRUCTURING OF DEVIANCE BY GENDER IS DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF THESE CONTROLS AND THE THEORIES OF CIVIL DISORDER RELATED TO STRESS. THE WORKS OF MANY BEHAVIORAL SCIENTISTS, SUCH AS DURKHEIM, MERTON, AND PARSONS, ARE ALSO DISCUSSED. FOOTNOTES AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. AN APPENDIX CONTAINS DISCUSSION ON OTHER WORKS BY THE AUTHORS. (PAP)