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Unit 2 Culture and Social Structures
Section 4
Conflict Theory and Deviance
Key Terms
• victim discounting
• white-collar crime
Deviance in Industrial Society
From the conflict perspective, deviance in an industrial society is be- havior that those in control see as threatening to their interests. Consequently, the rich and powerful use their positions to determine which
acts are deviant and how deviants should be punished.
Sociologist Steven Spitzer (1980) proposed some basic ways in which the
culture of an industrial society defends itself against deviants.
1. Critics of industrial society are considered deviants because their beliefs challenge its economic, political, and social basis.
2. Because industrial society requires a willing workforce, those who will not work are considered deviants.
3. Those who threaten private property, especially that belonging to the rich, are prime targets for punishment.
4. Because of society’s need for respect of authority, people who show a lack of respect for authority— agitators on the job, people who stage nonviolent demonstrations against established practices—are treated as deviants.
5. Certain activities are encouraged depending on how well they fit within industrial society. For example, violent behavior in sports is accepted because it fosters competition, achievement, teamwork, and winning (Eder, 1995; Adler and Adler, 1999).
Race, Ethnicity, and Crime
The relationship between minorities and the judicial system is another way to view deviance from the conflict perspective.
What is the relationship between race, ethnicity, and crime? Supporters of the conflict perspective be- lieve that minorities receive unequal treatment in the American criminal justice system. They cite statistics
showing that African Americans and Latinos are dealt with more harshly than whites. This is true throughout the criminal justice process—from arrest
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The conflict perspective looks at deviance in terms of social inequality and power. The most powerful members of a society deter- mine who will be regarded as deviant. Conflict theorists point to some disproportional statistical relationships be- tween minorities and crime.
Conflict theorists predict that this suspect’s race is likely to have a negative impact on his treatment in the criminal justice system.