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188 cHAPteR 6 Deviance and social control

punish the crimes of the poor while diverting its own criminal conflict theorists (that a power elite controls the legal sys-
activities away from this punitive system. Pp. 174–175. tem) indicate that we must be cautious when using crime
statistics. P. 184.
Reactions to Deviance What is the medicalization of deviance?

The medical profession has attempted to medicalize many
6.5 Be familiar with street crimes and prison, three-strikes laws, forms of deviance, claiming that they represent mental ill-
the decline in violent crime, recidivism, bias in the death penalty, the nesses. Thomas Szasz disagrees, asserting that these are prob-
medicalization of deviance, and the need for a humane approach. lem behaviors, not mental illnesses. The situation of homeless
people indicates that problems in living can lead to bizarre
What are common reactions to deviance in the behavior and thinking. Pp. 184–186.
United States?
In following a “get-tough” policy, the United States has im- What is a more humane approach?
prisoned millions of people. African Americans and Latinos Deviance is inevitable, so the larger issues are to find
make up a disproportionate percentage of U.S. prisoners. The ways to protect people from deviance that harms them-
death penalty shows biases by geography, social class, gender, selves and others, to tolerate deviance that is not harmful,
and race–ethnicity. Pp. 175–184. and to develop systems of fairer treatment for deviants.
Pp. 186–187.
Are official statistics on crime reliable?
The conclusions of both symbolic interactionists (that
the police operate with a large measure of discretion) and

Thinking Critically about Chapter 6
1. Select some deviance with which you are personally fa- etiquette, or speech. What was the reaction? Why do you
miliar. (It does not have to be your own—it can be some- think people reacted like that? What was your response to
thing that someone you know did.) Choose one of the their reactions?
three theoretical perspectives to explain what happened. 3. What do you think should be done about the U.S. crime
2. As explained in the text, deviance can be mild. Recall problem? What sociological theories support your view?
some instance in which you broke a social rule in dress,