Glossary
Deviance is a violation of established contextual, cultural, or social norms, whether folkways, mores,or codified law
Society - a group of people whose members interact, reside in a definable area, and share a culture
Culture – a group’s shared practices, values, and beliefs
Norms - informal understandings that govern society’s behaviors
Morals - Rules or habits of conduct, especially of sexual conduct, with reference to standards of right and wrong
Mores - norms that are widely observed and have great moral significance
Folkways - norms for routine or casual interaction
social control – the regulation and enforcement of norms
social order – an arrangement of practices and behaviors on which society member’s base their daily lives
Positive sanctions – rewards given for conforming to norms
Negative sanctions – punishments for violating norms
Informal sanctions – emerge in face to face interactions
Formal sanctions - ways to officially recognize and enforce norm violations
Strain theory - access to socially acceptable goals playsa part in determining whether a person conforms or deviates
Social disorganizationtheory- a crime is most likely to occur in communities with weak social ties and the absence of social control
Cultural deviance theory- conformity to the prevailing cultural norms of lower-class societycauses crime
Conflict theory- looks to social and economic factors as the causes of crime and deviance
Power elite - a small group of wealthy and influential people at the top of society who hold the powerand resources
Labeling theory- examines the ascribing of a deviant behavior to another person by members of society.
Primary deviance- a violation of norms that does not result in anylong-term effects on the individual's self-image or interactions with others
Secondarydeviance- occurs when a person's self-concept and behavior begin to change after his or her actions arelabeled as deviant by members of society
Master status- a label that describes the chief characteristic of an individual
Differential association theory - individuals learn deviant behavior from those close to them who provide models of and opportunities fordeviance
Control theory- social control is directlyaffected by the strength of social bonds and that deviance results from a feeling of disconnection from society
Crime- a behavior that violates official law and is punishable through formal sanctions
Legal codes- maintain formal social control throughlaws
Laws - rules adopted and enforced by a political authority
Violent crimes (alsoknown crimes against a person) - based on the use of force or the threat of force. Rape, murder, andarmed robbery fall under this category
Nonviolent crimes(also known as property crimes) - involve the destruction or theft of property,but do not use force or the threat of force. Larceny, car theft, and vandalism are all types of nonviolent crimes.
Street crime/offenses- committed by ordinary people againstother people or organizations, usually in public spaces
Corporate crime (also known as white collar crime) – committed by white-collar workers in a business environment. Embezzlement, insider trading, andidentity theft are all types of corporate crime
Victimless crime - called victimless because theperpetrator is not explicitly harming another person. As opposed to battery or theft, which clearly have avictim, a crime underage drinking or selling/buying a sexual act
Hate crimes -attacks based on a person's race, religion, or other characteristics
Self-report study- a collection of data acquired using voluntary response methods, such as questionnaires ortelephone interviews
Criminal justice system- an organization that exists to enforce a legal code. There are three branchesof the United States criminal justice system: the police, the courts, and the corrections system.
Police- a civil force in charge of enforcing laws and public order at a federal, state, or community level
Court- a system that has the authority to make decisions based on law
Corrections system (also known as the prison system)- tasked with supervising individualswho have been arrested, convicted, and sentenced for a criminal offense