Deviance: Sociology and Strain Theory

968 words 4 pages
“Deviance in sociological context describes actions or behaviors that violate cultural norms including formally-enacted rules (e.g., crime) as well as informal violations of social norms.”
People consider an act to be a deviance act because of the three sociological theories: control theory, labeling theory and strain theory. It deeply reflected in the movie called "Menace II Society".
Control theory. Portrayed in this movie, there are 2 control systems working against our motivations to deviate. Inner controls (things inside you that stop you from deviating- morals, religious beliefs, conscience). O-Dog consistently goes to kill some guys with Caine, but Caine doesn’t intend to kill anyone, just to scare them. Caine says “ I never
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The Mexicans take them to a hospital instead.

Strain theory is a strive to reach cultural goals of wealth and success. Some experience strain (frustration) when they can’t get those goals, feel anomie (disconnect), turn to deviance to try to reach the goals (ex.- you want a nice car, but can’t get a legit job to earn enough to buy it.. So steal one instead) Caine sells cocaine. He explains how he has learned through O-Dog how to survive in the streets while Mr. Butler told him how to survive in good. Caine’s parents have been living the same way as Caine did. His parents did cocaine and other kinds of drugs in order to make the living such as Caine. Also while Harold and Caine are waiting in traffic, a van pulls up next to them, and they are carjacked at gunpoint. Harold is slow to surrender his wallet and jewelry, so the carjacker shoots. This is the way that ghettos live. They do not work or neither try to work. Through many racism, stereotype, and they way they were raised and taught.
Deviance act seems to be greatly influenced by nurturing and environment. In this movie I felt like deviance occurs because controlling theory, labeling theory, and strain theory. Through lack of controls of parents, racial stereotyping, learning the survival through an in proper way have influenced people, they have become uncontrollable in themselves, even though they know doing drugs, killing people are wrong they were never taught the

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