Defining Crime and Deviance

Defining Crime and Deviance

Every institution  contributes to social control, stability and order to prevent crime and deviance:

• Family - socialises you into the norms and values of society.

• Education- hidden curriculum socialises you into accepting conformity.

• Political System-controls us through legislation.

• Workplace-controls us through a code of conduct.

• Media-socialises is into accepting how to behave (by promoting positive role models) and how not to behave (by demonising negative role models).

• Religion-socialises us by promoting strong morals and values.

Crime and Deviance can come in a variety of forms:

• Private-e.g. domestic violence.

• Public-e.g. 11pm assault.

• Individual-e.g. taking drugs.

• Collective-e.g. fox hunting.

• Extreme-e.g. murder.

• Trivial-e.g. leaving gum under the desk at school.

What is regarded as Crime or Deviance varies widely from time, culture and place:

• Glasgow-not allowed to be drunk in possession of a cow.

• Afghanistan-not allowed to carry a paper bag.

• Halifax, Canada-not allowed to wear scented body products.

• U.K-not allowed to dance in the pub.

• U.K-man is allowed to…