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Chapter 7 Deviance and Social Control 209 Functionalism and Deviance
Section 2
Costs and Benefits of Deviance
As you probably remember from earlier chapters, the functionalist per- spective emphasizes social stability and the way the different parts of society contribute to the whole. It may surprise you to know that functionalists
believe that some deviance can contribute to the smooth operation of society. Deviance, therefore, has both positive and negative consequences for society.
What are some of the negative effects of deviance? Deviance erodes trust. If bus drivers do not follow planned routes, if television stations constantly change their schedules, if parents are not consistent in their disci- pline, trust will be undermined. A society with widespread suspicion and dis- trust cannot function smoothly.
If not punished or corrected, deviance can also cause nonconforming be- havior in others. If bus drivers regularly pass students waiting for the bus, the students may begin to heave rocks at the bus. If television stations offer ran- dom programming, customers may picket the stations in protest.
If parents neglect their children, more teenagers may turn to delinquency. Deviance stimulates more deviance in others.
Deviant behavior is also expensive. It diverts resources, both human and monetary. Police may have to spend their time deal- ing with wayward bus drivers and angry students rather than per- forming more serious duties.
How does deviance benefit society? Society can some- times benefit from deviance in spite of its negative effects. Emile Durkheim observed that deviance clarifies norms by exercising social control to defend its values; society defines, adjusts, and reaffirms norms. When parents are taken to court or lose their children because of neglect, for example, society shows other parents and children how it expects parents to act.
Deviance can be a temporary safety valve. Teens listen to music, watch television programs, and wear clothes that adults may view as deviating from expected behavior. This relatively minor deviance may act to relieve some of the pressure teens feel from the many authority figures in their lives, including par- ents, relatives, teachers, and clergy.
Deviance increases unity within a society or group. When deviance reminds people of something they value, it strengthens
their commitment to How did the Reverend King’s use of nonviolent that value. Consider deviance benefit American society?
Key Terms
• anomie
• strain theory
• control theory
Section
Section
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According to functional- ists, deviance has both negative and positive conse- quences for society. Func- tionalism also forms the basis for two important theories of deviance: strain theory and control theory.