Conformity, Deviance, and Crime, Slides of Sociology

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Conformity, Deviance, and Crime

1

Why Conform?

• Our sanity depends to some degree on the belief that everyone sees the same world that we see
• If this belief is challenged, we’d rather change what we see (or what we say we see) than admit to ourselves (or others) that we see a different world

Similar Terms

• Compliance : a change in behavior, but not attitude, due to the results of social pressure.
• Acceptance : a change in both behavior and attitude.
• Conformity : a change in attitude or behavior due to the real or imagined presence of others.

Milgram – Obedience

Norm formation

The development of group norms SHERIF

(1936)

• Experimental paradigm based on ‘perception of motion’ - ‘autokinetic effect’ paradigm - A stationary but flickering single light in dark room - optical illusion: appears to move – but doesn’t actually move

Sherif’s experimental design

• Private viewing task
  • Private estimate of distance light moved over 100 trials (written down)-
  • Ss formed personal consensus
• Group viewing task
  • Public judgement (state out loud how far moved) Ss formed a group consensus

This effect influenced Ss later judgement when subsequently asked to perform task again on their own

Norms and deviance

• The cultures that societies create are built out of norms.
• These norms represent the values of the group.
• When individuals and groups deviate from norms, society responds.
• Deviance can range from chewing gum in the wrong place to capital murder and beyond.

13

CONCEPTIONS OF

CRIME AND DEVIANCE

• All known human societies have norms (i.e., generally accepted ways of doings things) about appropriate behaviour
• Deviance involves breaking a norm
• Crime involves breaking a law*

Chewing Gum in Singapore

Illegal to Buy Playstation in parts of

China

No Guns in Japan

Valentine's Day ban in Saudi Arabia