Logo
BrainRecally Memory Master
Psychology and Sociology 30 flashcards ~15 min

Sociology of Deviance and Social Control

The sociology of deviance examines how societies define, respond to, and regulate rule-breaking behavior. This deck covers major theories including labeling theory, strain theory, differential association, and control theory, along with key thinkers like Becke...

Study this deck View all cards

About this deck

The sociology of deviance examines how societies define, respond to, and regulate rule-breaking behavior. This deck covers major theories including labeling theory, strain theory, differential association, and control theory, along with key thinkers like Becker, Merton, Sutherland, and Hirschi. You'll also review formal and informal social control, restorative versus retributive justice, and concepts like stigma, moral panic, and white-collar crime. A strong complement to criminology and forensic psychology, ideal for sociology students studying how norms, power, and social order shape our understanding of crime.

Ready to test yourself?

Flip through all 30 cards in interactive study mode.

Launch study mode

All flashcards

Click any question to reveal the answer.

Behavior that violates social norms and expectations.
Mechanisms used by society to encourage conformity and discourage deviance.
Control enforced through official laws and institutions like police and courts.
Control enforced through social norms, customs, and peer pressure.
A theory proposing that deviance results from societal labeling rather than the act itself.
Howard Becker.
A label that dominates a person's identity and overrides other traits.
An initial act of rule-breaking that has not yet led to a deviant label.
Deviance that occurs after a person has been labeled and accepts that identity.
A theory suggesting deviance arises when people cannot achieve socially approved goals through legitimate means.
Robert K. Merton.
A state of normlessness where social norms lose their regulating power.
A theory proposing deviance is learned through interactions with others.
Edwin Sutherland.
A theory suggesting strong social bonds reduce the likelihood of deviance.
Travis Hirschi.
Attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief.
Deviance results from power imbalances and is defined by those in power.
A group with norms and values that differ from mainstream society, often supporting deviant behavior.
A mark of social disgrace that sets a person apart from others.
Erving Goffman.
Non-violent crime committed for financial gain, often by professionals.
The tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend.
An approach focusing on repairing harm through cooperative processes.
An approach focusing on punishment proportional to the offense.
A theory linking crime rates to community structure and instability.
Widespread public fear about a perceived threat to societal values.
The idea that punishment prevents future crime by discouraging rule-breaking.
The process of removing criminal penalties for an act.
Crime is behavior that violates written law; deviance violates social norms, which may or may not be laws.