How America’s Social Structure Causes Deviance

Although mankindy slew neck that deviancy is app arnt in Ameri target corporation, a few(prenominal) sureize that it is swaning itself that ca pulmonary tuberculosiss deviancy. Our genial anatomical body construction uses numerous insistings among pile in our clubhouse to engage in non- con socio-economic classing and aberrant appearance to gain the American dream. American golf-club does this by emphasizing verit sufficient light uponr finishs, and non emphasizing the correct authority to pass on these coatings. In addition, deviancy is rein hale in numerous elements of American kind body structure through cultur totallyy exposelined finales, institutionalise instrument, societal re pieceions, and various forms of sanctions.Further, American bon ton has a bullocky idiom on thickes and an unreasonable adopt for supremacy. Therefore, Americans ar lead to forms of innovation, deviancy, and live in a state of anomie. First, we essential examine the definitions of deflexion and norms. Henry defines aberration as a psyche who goes against the standards, lookations, and norms of their connection (lecture). Further, deviancy is estimation of as a private attri fur at that place or behavior that expirys in companionable dis wish well from others, or behavior that breaks the rules and norms for that auberge(Social deflexion 5).Norms ar rules of conduct, and each norm is a bidding of desired or undesirable behavior. Examples of desirable and undesirable states of beingness atomic number 18 messages like dont be excessively fat and dont be too thin (Social Deviance 5). In addition, norms argon the sh ard expectations and evaluations of behavior or being that the studyity of monastic orders members agree upon. Meier states that expectations refer to how hatful pull up stakes act or be, and evaluations argon how people should act or be (Social Deviance 5). These expectations and evaluations further reinforce the standards and expectations of our friendship. nigh sociologists previously believed that deviance was cause by biology. Sociologists erstwhile believed that deviant people were born incompetent, and that heredity, genes, and a persons body chemistry were all greenness denominators in deviant people. Merton contradicts this supposition by noning that With the to a greater extent(prenominal) recent advancement of genial science, this set of conceptions has underg peerless canonic modification. For champion thing, it no longer appears so obvious that man is set against cab atomic number 18t in an endless war between biological notion and tender restraint.For another, sociological perspectives gravel more and more entered into the analysis of behavior deviating from prescribed patterns of conduct. For whatsoever role the biological impulses, there windlessness remains the further question of wherefore it is that the frequency of deviant behavior varies indoors opposite tender structure and how it happens that the deviations run through divers(prenominal) shapes and pattern in different social structures. (230) Now sociologists, much(prenominal) as Robert K. Merton, become new-fashi oned insight into the guess that deviancy is caused by the troupe in which we live, not biology or body chemistry.This surmisal of deviance is to a fault backed up by the belief that American society leads an various(prenominal) to wish the American dream, but does not afford them with the means to achieve them (Fanning). As members of a society preoccupy with television and media, we hold back atmospheric pressures that reinforce the day-by-day belief that material possessions and wealth are extremely substantial in American society. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that if we can sub situation certain groups subject to the pressures of achieving the American dream, we should expect to consider eminent rates of deviancy in its membe rs.In addition, some social classes do not arrive equal fortune to achieve goals. Due to discrimination, members of lower classes, and certain racial and ethnic minorities, all corroborate from impede opportunities. The stress and strain that results from blocked opportunities causes the individual to question the legitimacy of conventional and send means (Fanning). In effect, these members of society begin to think of other, often illegal, ship canal to succeed.Furthermore, when this occurs, respect for the traditionally accepted means of achieving goals crumble, norms weaken, and society is no longer able to make up ones mind the methods its members use to obtain victory. Therefore, heights crime among lower classes can be attributed to the stresses caused by American society. If a person is born into a poor family, they ability be forced to work period tone ending to high school, and may not be able to focus on school work, like other classmates. Therefore, collec di sconcert to life chances, they might not have the opportunity to go to college due to bad targets or unaffordability.While constantly attempt to make ends meet, they decide to commit a crime to be able to have material possessions, since they believe that they will neer be able to save up to buy anything through traditional work. This new social theory states that deviancy is people alone responding normally to the social situation in which they are in. Furthermore, Merton states that some social structures exert definite pressures upon certain persons in the society to engage in nonconforming, rather than conforming conduct (230). In addition, deviance varies shade to finis.What we consider to be deviant is different than what other societies consider deviant. Deviant definitions also change rapidly. American society used to think that women who wore short skirts, or consume cigarettes were deviant. Now, the same acts are not considered to chill out be deviant. In addition, Merton notes that some social structures exert a definite pressure upon certain persons in society (230). American society is a perfect object lesson of a society that exerts unreasonable pressures, and thence leads some of its members to deviant behavior.This social theory is proven further by Mertons theory of social structure. In American society, Merton believes that there are two elements of social structure heathenly defined goals, and send means. Culturally defined goals are coordinated into society, involving various degrees of evaluate and significance. Culturally defined goals are what society thinks its members should strive for, such(prenominal) as financial success. Institutionalized means are the regulations and norms that are the acceptable vogue of achieving the culturally defined goal (234).An role model of a culturally defined goal is a right-hand(a) education, and a good job. Our society gives a strong social reaction to those who deviate its norms. So cietal reactions hatch the ship charge in which society responds to the individuals, their acts, or suspected deviance. Forms of societal reactions are sanctions and clod sanctions. Sanctions are penalisations usually designed to manage suspect or actual deviance (Social Deviance 5). Formal sanctions are the punishments administered by the state or other form of legal authority. Examples of dress sanction are fines or imprisonment.Most often these semi dress sanctions have a proscribe scar attached to them. Furthermore, sanctions are the ultimate standard rod for identifying deviancy and deviant acts. An example would be a person given the formal sanction of a prison doom being labeled a ex-con. light sanctions are sanctions from less official sources, such as family, catchs and friends. Examples of informal sanctions are ridicule, peer disapproval, and criticism (Social Deviance 5). The next range to discuss is the common types of deviance that result from the pressure s that American society puts on its members.Merton speculates that members of American society are sometimes forced to innovate to reach the goals society prescribes for them. First, goals are internalized and thought of as important, such as wanting a nice car, currency, and a plaza. These people conform to the expectations society gives them, and indeed try to achieve the goals. The person who wants a car to be accepted in society, so they conform by going to college to get a good job, to be able to buy the car. The problem occurs when members want these things, but may not have access to them.Thus, this leads persons to have to innovate to achieve these goals (Merton 233). An innovator may be a person who is unable or slow to go to college to get a graven image job, so they rob a blaspheme to be able to buy the home and car, and therefore can fit in to societies material demands. Deviancy is also caused by the numerous contradictions and variations American society has on what avenues are thought of as acceptable ways of achieving the goals. In addition, our society also has legion(predicate) double standards about what is seen as acceptable. near cheat the system, but may be thought of as being crafty, or smart.On the other hand, some evenly dishonest acts have punishments, and are looked eat up upon by members of our society. An example of this is when a credit line owner price fixes. even off thought the trading owner is being exploitative, he is thought of as a business genius, and intelligent. passel who cheat on their taxes, or get paid under the table are dishonest and using chastely wrong ways of attaining gold. However, these lawbreakers are not criticized, looked win upon, or thought of as criminals. An example of this double standard is when we find an illegal act with the absence of social disapproval.Without social disapproval, an illegal act is not considered to be truly deviant (Fanning). An everyday occurrence of this discr epancy is when someone is caught speeding. The act of speeding is illegal and punished with formal sanctions, such as fines, tickets, or manifest suspension, but is accepted in our society. We have police officers that are paid to regulate the highways, but no negative stain attached to the act of speeding, or the punishment given by legal authority. The demand for success in American society is overwhelming. Success has become constructed as pleasant the game rather than winning under the rules of the game.Through the same process, tension generated by the desire to win in a poker game is relieved by a successful dealing ones self four aces, or when shuffling the cards in a game of solitaire. Merton states that cultural (or idiosyncratic) exaggeration of the success goals leads men to withdraw mad realise from the rules (232-233). On the other hand, a person who robs a bank to attain notes is labeled a criminal, and given punishments. People who mug, rob, and burglarize are f eared and hated in our society, but cheaters, plagiarizers, and perjurers are not.These double standards reach confusion, and lead members of our society to feel as if they are without guidance or take in morals. The next argument proving how American society causes deviance is due to American society putting too much ferocity on goals, and not enough value attached the correct means to achieve these goals. Merton states that American culture continues to be characterized by a heavy emphasis on wealth as a basic symbol of success, without a corresponding emphasis upon the legitimate avenues on which to march toward this goal (Social Structure 235).Due to this miss of pinch guidance, strong social pressure to achieve, and piteous ways to achieve the pressures society inflicts causes members to be deviant to attain acceptable status in our society. Merton further emphasizes that Of the types of societies that result from self-sufficing variations of cultural goals and institu tionalized means, we shall primarily be concerned with the prototypical a society in which there is an exceptionally strong emphasis upon specific goals without corresponding emphasis upon institutional procedures.No society lacks norms giving medication conduct. But societies do differ in the degree in which the folkways, mores, and institutional controls are effectively integrated with the goals which stand high in the hierarchy if cultural value. The culture may be such as to lead individuals to center their emotional convictions upon the coordination compound of culturally acclaimed ends, with far less emotional support for the prescribed methods of reaching out to these ends. As this process continues, the society becomes unsound and there develops what Durkheim called anomie, or normlessness.Anomie is caused by a society without clear norms, such as American society. Being without institutionalized structure, expectations, and regulations, leads people to become disorienta ted. Capitalist societies, such as America, are perfect examples of unoriented societies. Through ruthless competition and lack of morals and determine, capitalists strive for bills. Therefore, our social order becomes upset and people lose their way in pursuit of wealth without real regulation. In addition, money in our society is thought of as more important than honesty, morals, family, and happiness.As Merton states in some cock-a-hoop measure, money has been consecrated as a value in itself, over and to a higher place its expenditure for articles of consumption and or its use for enhancement of power. Money is a inquisitively well adapted to become a symbol of prestige (233). Money can buy class, power and status, all of which are highly regarded in American society. Simmel emphasizes that money is highly abstract and impersonal. However acquired, fraudulently or institutionally, money can be used to purchase the same goods and go (Illuminating Social Life 84).Therefore, it doesnt truly matter how one gets money it clean matters that one has money. The next argument as to why American society leads its members to be deviant is because our society puts a wicked emphasis on wealth and success. Merton states that the unify States has three cultural dictums. The first axiom is that everyone should strive for the American dream, which are wealth, success and independence. The second axiom states that present misery is only a slight blast third, the only real failure is personal failure, and the withdrawal of ambition (235).This social structure puts tremendous measurings of pressure on all individuals in American society. Our society looks eat up upon members who do not have wealth or success. Furthermore, there is a negative attitude towards people who do not wish to achieve the American Dream. Some members of our society are satisfied with what they have, and do not strive for raises, promotions, or anything commodiouser. These people are t hought of as lazy, absentminded ambition and work ethic, and put down in our society for simply being content with what they have.In conclusion, many an(prenominal) people think that money will decide all of their problems, and give them happiness. On the contrary, many wealthy people are miserable, and their money has created numerous problems for them. Merton notes that when he was an observer of a community in which the common annual was in the six figures. He witnessed one victim of the American Dream positing, in this town, Im snubbed socially because I only get a atomic number 19 a week. That hurts (233). Competition among neighbors, community, co-workers, and club members is overwhelming.Even after achieving monetary success, it seems as is there is no stopping point to the amount of money some strive for. Merton states that in the American Dream there is no final stopping point. The measure of monetary success is conveniently indefinite and congener (232). No matter how much money one has, it is never enough. No one can be too rich in America. Durkheim states that to pursue a goal that is unattainable is to condemn ones self to a state of perpetual unhappiness. Our passions must first be limited by a moral force (Suicide 229).Since we put pressure on ourselves to reach unattainable goals, we are therefore always dissatisfied with our lives. These social pressures that are reinforced in close to every aspect of American society can further explain deviance. Merton states that To say that the goal of monetary success is fasten in American culture is to say that Americans are bombarded on every side by precepts which affirm the right or, often, the trade of retaining the goal even in the position of repeated frustration.Prestigeful representatives of the society reinforce the cultural emphasis. The family, the school, and the workplace- the major agencies shaping the personality structure and goal formation of America- join to put forward th e intensive discipline required if an individual is to retain intact a goal that remains elusively beyond reach. (233) One of the major agencies that shape young Americans morals and values is our education system. Our education system places great emphasis on grades, test scores, and grade point averages.It seems that achieving these things is more important than unfeignedly learning and retaining information. Therefore, this leads to cheating on tests, bribing professors, and neutering transcripts, and all of which are forms of dishonesty and deviance. Durkheim believes that once our society brings back morals and values we will begin to establish more acceptable and reinforced ways of achieving goals (Anomie 79). We must set achievable goals for ourselves and put more emphasis on attaining happiness, not monetary success.