DEVIANCE

Environmental Factors and Deviance

 Location matters – where someone lives strongly affects how they behave.

 Human behavior is not shaped by just genes or just the environment, but by the interaction between
both.

 Environmental criminology studies how the built environment (like buildings, streets, cities)
influences human behavior and crime.

As Churchill said:
“Humans make buildings, and later buildings make humans” – meaning our surroundings shape who we
become.

How Environment Affects Behavior:

 Spatial diagnosis: Crime can be understood by studying different places and how they're used.

 Environment affects our thinking (cognitive behavior:how we think,learn,deicde and respond).

 Spatial influence means that the layout and structure of a place can shape how people behave.

 Street design, traffic flow, and infrastructure can lead to or help prevent deviant behavior.

 Geographic factors (like poor areas or crowded cities) often have more crime.

⚠ Situational Crimes:

Crimes are not always caused by bad people — sometimes the situation or environment creates the
opportunity.

Environmental Causes of Deviance:

 Violent or permissive families – abuse or lack of discipline at home.

 Unstable neighborhoods – poor, unsafe areas increase the risk of deviance.

 Delinquent peer groups – bad friends influence bad behavior.

 Spatial units (homes, schools, parks) help shape how people act.

Development Impact:

 Morphological development – environment affects body structure and growth.

 Physiological development – affects how the body and brain function.

High-Crime Areas and Poverty:

 Living in high-crime neighborhoods increases the chance of deviant behavior.

 Just being in poverty can increase the likelihood of ending up in prison — even without committing
crimes.

Hot Spots and Prevention:

 Crime hot spots are areas where crimes happen repeatedly.

Situational factors like poor lighting, abandoned buildings, or lack of security can increase deviance.

To reduce crime, focus on improving places (place management), not just blaming people.

CRIME AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE

1. What is Social Structure?
Social structure refers to the pattern of organized relationships in a society. It is formed through people's
interactions and guides how we behave in daily life. Social structure helps us live in an orderly way, but it
also limits our freedom by setting rules.

2. Role of Social Structure

Social structure both enables us to function smoothly in society and restricts certain behaviors. When these
structures or rules are missing or unclear, life can feel confusing or even frightening.

3. What is Social Status?

Status is the position a person holds in society, such as a student, doctor, or parent. In daily life, people think
of status as "importance," but in sociology, it simply means a role. According to Georg Simmel, status helps
define who we are and how we relate to others.

4. Levels of Social Structure

1. Macro Level: Involves large systems like class, economy, and social institutions (education, religion,
etc.).
2. Micro Level: Involves everyday behavior shaped by norms and small group interactions.

5. Social Norms and Behavior

Social norms are unwritten rules that tell us how to behave, such as being polite or respecting elders. These
norms shape social structure and maintain order in society.

6. Hierarchy in Social Structure

Society is often arranged in levels, meaning some people have more power or status than others. This
hierarchical system affects how people live, what resources they get, and how they are treated.

7. Crime and Social Structure

When social structure is unfair, weak, or breaks down, people may feel frustrated or hopeless. This can lead
to crime, especially if individuals lack opportunity or feel society is against them.

THEORIES
Anomie Theory by Emile Durkheim
1. What is Anomie Theory?

 Anomie comes from the Greek word “anomia”, meaning lawlessness.

 It refers to a lack of moral standards or normlessness in individuals or society.

 Anomie Theory is part of Social Structure Theories in criminology.

 It was developed by Émile Durkheim (1858–1917), a French sociologist.

2. Durkheim’s Use of Anomie

Durkheim explained anomie as a social condition (not just psychological).

Introduced in his works:

 [Link] Division of Labour in Society (1893)

 [Link] (1897)

3. What is Normlessness?

Anomie describes a situation where:

Norms and values lose their power to regulate behavior.

People are free from traditional rules, increasing the chance of deviant or criminal behavior.

4. Pre-Modern vs Modern Societies

Pre-Modern (Agrarian) Societies:

 Based on Mechanical Solidarity:

 Simple, uniform societies.
 Shared norms and values (collective conscience).
 Strong moral control.

Modern (Industrial) Societies:

 Based on Organic Solidarity:

 Complex, diverse societies.
 Institutions are interdependent (e.g., schools, jobs).
 Emphasis on individual roles and responsibilities.

5. Social Facts

Durkheim called norms and values "social facts":

External forces that influence or constrain individuals.

Internalized through socialization.

Key to controlling human desires, which are naturally unlimited.

6. Role of Crime in Society

Durkheim believed some crime is necessary:

It brings new ideas (adaptive function).

It helps reaffirm societal norms (boundary maintenance).
Crime is normal and functional to society’s development.

7. Impact of Industrialization

Industrialization brought rapid social change:

Traditional values became outdated.

People had rising aspirations and individualistic goals.

Institutions couldn’t regulate behavior fast enough.

This led to anomie: lack of regulation in society.

8. Individualism and Egoism

With modernity came individuation:

Focus on self-interest and personal success.

Increased risk of egoism (self-centeredness).

Without social control, people feel frustrated and disconnected

9. Relative Deprivation

People feel deprived when they believe they deserve more than they have.

Called Relative Deprivation:

It is subjective (personal perception).

People may feel poor even if not objectively poor.

Leads to frustration, crime, or suicide.

Term used and expanded by R.K. Merton after Durkheim’s death.

10. Healthy Society vs Pathological Society

A healthy society:

 Has strong institutions (like education).

 Maintains collective conscience with flexibility.

 Allows for individual development within boundaries.

A pathological society:

 Lacks proper social integration or regulation.

 Creates conditions for anomie and deviant behavior

11. Durkheim’s Four Types of Suicide

Each type relates to the level of integration or regulation in society:

1. Altruistic Suicide

 Too much social integration.

 Individual loses identity in the group (e.g., soldiers dying for country).

2. Fatalistic Suicide

 Too much regulation.

 Over-controlled lives (e.g., prisoners, slaves).

3. Egoistic Suicide

 Too little integration.

 Isolated individuals with no group belonging.

4. Anomic Suicide

 Too little regulation.

 Occurs during sudden changes (e.g., economic crisis or boom).

12. Solutions According to Durkheim

 Build strong institutions (like education and family).

 Promote equal opportunities and merit-based roles.

R.K. Merton – Theory of Anomie and Strain

1. Introduction to Merton’s Analysis

Merton was not originally a criminologist, but his ideas are widely used in criminology.

His analysis works on two levels:

i) Macro level – looking at culture and social structures and their effect on society as a whole.
ii) Micro level – looking at how incoherence in these structures affects individuals.

2. Merton’s Focus on Crime and Deviance

In his famous article “Social Structure and Anomie”, Merton explained the link between society and
deviance.

This article is one of the most cited works in criminology.

Like Emile Durkheim, Merton rejected the idea that crime is caused by individual psychology or biology.
Instead, the causes of crime lie in the structure of society itself.

3. The American Dream and the Roots of Deviance

The USA is built on the promise of equality of opportunity.

People are taught that hard work + the right attitude = success.

The goal of success (especially material wealth) is stressed heavily.

Irony: This very American Dream creates deviance (Stinchcombe, 1975).

4. Relationship Between Social Structure and Culture

Culture: Goals and values learned through socialization.

Social Structure: Institutions (e.g., education) that provide legitimate means to achieve goals.

Problem: There is often a mismatch between:

Cultural goals (e.g., wealth)

Institutional means (legal/approved ways to get there).

This gap creates frustration and strain.

5. The Problem According to Merton

Society heavily pushes the goal of monetary success.

But opportunities are limited for many people.

Yet, the ideology says “opportunity is for all.”

This leads to:

 Structural strain
 Weakening of social norms
 Anomie

6. Merton’s Typology of Adaptation

Merton explained that people react differently to this strain.

He created five modes of adaptation:

Mode Cultural Goal Institutional Means Description

1. Conformity + + Accept both goals & means. Follow rules. Non-deviant.

2. Innovation + - Accept goals but reject legal means. Use illegal ways (e.g., theft,
fraud).
3. Ritualism - + Reject goals but follow means. Example: a clerk who gave up on
promotion but keeps following rules.
4. Retreatism - - Reject both goals & means. Drop out of society (e.g., hobos, drug
addicts).
5. Rebellion -/+ -/+ Reject existing goals & means, but try to replace them with new ones
(e.g., political revolutionaries).

7. Examples Given by Merton

Innovators – cardsharps who cheat to win.

Ritualists – play by the rules but have no interest in winning.

Rebels – want a completely new set of rules (“alternative game”).

8. Merton’s Solution

Create equal opportunities – a true meritocracy where achievement depends on ability.

This would reduce relative deprivation because people would see their achievements as fair.

This would make deviant behaviour less likely.

9. Link with Durkheim

Both Merton and Durkheim see anomie as a situation where.

Social norms lose their power to regulate behaviour.

Social Theories of Crime

1. Poverty and Social Causes

1. Poverty
2. Lack of education
3. No marketable skills (job skills)
4. Absence of subcultural values (positive community norms)

 These factors can increase the risk of criminal behaviour.

2. Social Disorganization Theory

Main idea: Crime is linked to where a person lives.

Developed from the Chicago School of Sociology.

Crime happens more in disadvantaged areas where crime is seen as normal or acceptable.

Key principle: Place matters – a person’s residential location influences their chance of being involved in
crime.

Youths in poor neighbourhoods often join a subculture that approves of criminal activities (Roger Miller).

Common features in high-crime areas (Gaines & Miller, 1988):

1. High school dropout rates
2. High unemployment
3. Poor housing and infrastructure
4. Single-parent families

3. Ecological Perspective

Key figure: Robert Park (Chicago School).

Saw the city as an ecological system (like nature), where people adapt to changes in the environment.

Changes follow patterns similar to plant and animal life.

Concepts:

1. Conflict over space: New immigrants or businesses move in → leads to tension.

2. Burgess’ Social Map (1925): City divided into 5 concentric zones.

3. Urban ecology theory:

Concentration: People gather in one central area.

Dispersion: Overcrowding causes movement to suburbs.

Succession: As an area becomes richer, rents go up, old residents leave, new ones replace them.

4. Strain Theory

Crime happens when people experience strain or stress.

Negative emotions (frustration, anger) can push them toward crime.

Crime may be used to:

 Get revenge
 Relieve financial pressure
 Escape problems through drugs
 Low self-control is also a major factor (Hirschi, 1990).

5. Culture Conflict Theory

Crime occurs when different cultures or classes disagree about what is acceptable behaviour. (Sellin, 1968)

Two types:

1. Primary conflict: Between fundamental beliefs.

2. Secondary conflict: Between less important beliefs.

Normative conflict:

 The more complex a society becomes, the more norms clash.

 This creates different subcultures, including criminal ones.

 Some have rules for crime and others have rules against crime.

Working-class values can lead to a delinquent subculture due to emphasis on toughness and masculinity
(Miller).

6. Rational Choice Theory

Origin: Beccaria’s idea that crime is rational and can be prevented by punishment that is swift, severe, and
certain.

Criminals evaluate targets before acting (offense-specific).

Crimes involve planning:

 Choosing the location
 Selecting targets
 Learning techniques

Crime can be seductive – offering excitement, power, and rewards not available legally.

Even though getting caught is bad, the crime itself can give a “natural high.”

7. Cultural Disorganization Theory

Kornhauser’s view: Crime is caused by cultural breakdown (cultural disorganization) and cultural
deviance.

Social structure means cooperative efforts to achieve goals, organized into positions and roles.

These positions cluster into units with shared functions.

When cultural order breaks down, deviant subcultures form.

8. Differential Association Theory

Edwin Sutherland: People learn behaviour through interaction.

Individuals face different standards of conduct from different groups.

Groups outside the home may teach criminal values.