Conformity: Those who conform choose not to deviate. Strain theory defines five ways people respond to this gap between having a socially accepted goal and having no socially accepted way to pursue it.ġ.
According to strain theory, an entrepreneur who can’t afford to launch his own company may be tempted to embezzle from his employer for start-up funds. A person may have a socially acceptable goal of financial success but lack a socially acceptable way to reach that goal. However, not everyone in our society stands on equal footing. A woman who attends business school receives her MBA, and goes on to make a million-dollar income as CEO of a company is said to be a success. From birth, we’re encouraged to achieve the “American Dream” of financial success. Strain theory, notes that access to socially acceptable goals plays a part in determining whether a person conforms or deviates. Strain theory, social disorganization theory, and cultural deviance theory represent three functionalist perspectives on deviance in society. The functionalist approach views deviance as a key component of a functioning society. These theories can be grouped according to the three major sociological paradigms: functionalism, symbolic interactionism, and conflict theory. Three theories attempt to explain what deviance and crime mean to society. Cultural norms are relative, which makes deviant behavior relative as well. Deviance can vary dramatically across cultures. Examples of informal deviance include picking one’s nose, belching loudly, or standing unnecessarily close to another person. The second type of deviant behavior involves violations of informal social norms (norms that have not been codified into law) and is referred to as informal deviance. Examples of formal deviance include robbery, theft, rape, murder, and assault. The first, crime, is the violation of formally enacted laws and is referred to as formal deviance. Deviance refers to behaviors that violate social norms.ĭeviance is often divided into two types of activities.
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