Social Control, Conformity And Resistance: How Sociologists Explain Deviance And Non-conformity, Including Subcultures, Under-socialisation, Marginalisation, Cultural Deprivation And Social Resistance. (Copy)
Meaning of Deviance and Non-Conformity
- Deviance = any behaviour that breaks social norms or expectations
- Non-conformity = behaviour that does not follow dominant values, rules or standards
- Deviance is socially constructed:
- What is deviant in one context may be normal in another
- Norms vary by culture, time period, gender, age, class and setting
- Sociologists explain deviance using social factors rather than biological ones
- Deviance can be:
- Positive (innovation, social change)
- Negative (crime, harmful behaviour)
- Explanations focus on:
- Socialisation
- Cultural environment
- Peer influences
- Class inequalities
- Identity formation
- Structural inequalities
Subcultures as an Explanation for Deviance
Meaning of Subcultures
- Subcultures = groups within society with distinct norms, values, styles and behaviours
- Subcultures may:
- Reject mainstream norms
- Develop alternative lifestyles
- Resist authority or dominant culture
- Create their own status systems
Why Subcultures Develop
- Need for identity, belonging, respect
- Response to inequality (class, race, gender)
- Peer influence
- Lack of success in mainstream society
- Desire for excitement, rebellion
- Influence of media, fashion, music
Types of Deviant Subcultures
- Delinquent subcultures – vandalism, truancy, petty crime
- Gangs – violence, territorial behaviour
- Anti-school subcultures – rejecting academic achievement
- Spectacular youth subcultures (punks, goths, mods) – symbolic resistance
- Resistance subcultures – political activism, protest groups
- Drug-use subcultures – rejecting legal norms
Theoretical Explanations
Cultural Transmission Theory (Shaw & McKay)
- Crime learned in neighbourhoods where deviant values dominate
- Deviance passed through generations
- Lack of social cohesion increases deviant subcultures
Cohen – Status Frustration
- Working-class boys unable to achieve middle-class success in school
- Create delinquent subcultures with alternative status hierarchy
- Deviance becomes a source of pride
Cloward and Ohlin – Differential Opportunity
- Different neighbourhoods provide different illegitimate opportunities
- Three types of deviant subcultures:
- Criminal (organised crime)
- Conflict (gang violence)
- Retreatist (drug use)
Hebdige – Subcultural Resistance (CCCS)
- Youth subcultures resist capitalism and class oppression symbolically
- Style (hair, clothes, music) becomes form of rebellion
- Punks → chaos, anti-establishment
- Mods → consumer style rebellion
Feminist Critique
- Traditional subculture studies ignored girls
- Girls often resist patriarchy through bedroom cultures, style, sexuality
Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change AS Level Sociology Full Scale Course
Under-Socialisation as an Explanation for Deviance
Meaning of Under-Socialisation
- Under-socialisation = inadequate learning of norms, values and behaviours required for social conformity
- Individuals do not internalise societal expectations
- Result: difficulty in controlling impulses, cooperating, understanding consequences
Causes of Under-Socialisation
- Family neglect or inconsistent parenting
- Lack of discipline or emotional support
- Absence of strong role models
- Chaotic households
- Abuse, trauma, instability
- Extreme deprivation (feral or isolated children)
- Exposure to deviant role models
- Failure in education system
Functionalist View
- Family failure → breakdown in value transmission
- Schools fail to integrate children → deviance increases
- Lack of integration leads to anomie (Durkheim)
- Under-socialised individuals do not accept shared values
Interactionist View
- Under-socialisation makes individuals more likely to be labelled deviant
- They do not learn strategies to manage impressions
- Lack of communication skills → misinterpretation of norms → deviance
Examples
- Children raised in violent households → normalise aggression
- Neglected children → lack empathy or self-control
- Street children → socialised into survival behaviours (theft, resistance)
- Juvenile offenders often have histories of disrupted primary socialisation
Consequences
- Poor impulse control
- Rejecting authority
- Struggle with cooperation
- Higher likelihood of joining deviant subcultures
- Difficulty in understanding long-term consequences
Marginalisation as an Explanation for Deviance
Meaning of Marginalisation
- Marginalisation = exclusion from mainstream society due to class, ethnicity, poverty, disability or other inequalities
- Marginalised groups:
- Have limited access to jobs and education
- Experience discrimination
- Feel alienated and powerless
- Lack legitimate opportunities
Why Marginalisation Leads to Deviance
- Individuals feel disconnected from society → reduces commitment to norms
- Lack of opportunities → turn to alternative means (crime, gangs)
- Alienation fosters resentment → more likely to resist authority
- Weak attachment to institutions → low conformity
Marxist Explanation
- Capitalist system marginalises working class and minorities
- Inequality forces individuals into survival-driven deviance
- Police target marginalised communities → reinforcing deviant identity
Left Realism (Lea & Young)
- Relative deprivation + marginalisation + subculture = deviance
- Marginalised youth create deviant subcultures to cope with exclusion
- Crime is often a rational response
Feminist Explanation
- Women marginalised through patriarchy → deviance may arise from oppression
- Women engaging in sex work often result of economic and gender marginalisation
Examples
- Urban ghettos with high unemployment → gang culture
- Ethnic minorities facing racism → resistance subcultures
- Homeless individuals → survival crimes
- Youth with no economic future → deviant identity
Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change AS Level Sociology Full Scale Course
Cultural Deprivation as an Explanation for Deviance
Meaning of Cultural Deprivation
- Lacking the norms, values, knowledge, skills and attitudes valued by mainstream society
- Often connected with working-class, minority or deprived communities
- Cultural deprivation = lacking the social capital needed for success
How Cultural Deprivation Produces Deviance
- Lack of mainstream norms → difficulty conforming to rules
- Lack of educational support → school failure → deviant identity
- Parents unaware of school expectations → weak supervision
- Restricted speech codes (Bernstein) → communication issues → labelling
- Cultural mismatch between home and school → alienation
Key Theorists
Cultural Deprivation Theory (Education)
- Working-class families less likely to:
- Read to children
- Provide educational toys
- Offer structured routines
- Value long-term success
- Leads to school failure → deviance as alternative status
Murray – New Right
- Underclass lacks moral values → crime and antisocial behaviour
- Absent fatherhood leads to weak discipline → deviance
- Welfare dependency → poor role modelling
Evaluation
- Cultural deprivation theory criticised:
- Blames victims
- Ignores structural inequality
- Over-generalises
- Still useful for understanding socialisation failures
Examples
- Students unable to access language expectations of school → frustration → rebellion
- Children from chaotic homes → truancy → delinquency
- Media-driven consumerism without economic ability → theft, deviant subcultures
Social Resistance as an Explanation for Deviance
Meaning of Social Resistance
- Deviance as deliberate rejection of norms, authority or dominant culture
- Can be individual or collective
- Often linked to identity, inequality or political struggle
Types of Social Resistance
- Passive resistance
- Ignoring rules, lateness, silent non-cooperation
- Symbolic resistance
- Fashion, music, style, body modification
- Active resistance
- Protests, civil disobedience
- Collective resistance
- Social movements, riots, political groups
- Youth resistance
- Anti-school subcultures, gangs, drug cultures
Theoretical Perspectives
Marxist View
- Resistance = response to inequality and exploitation
- Working-class youth reject school authority (Willis – “the lads”)
- Crime = political rebellion against capitalism
Interactionist View
- Deviance emerges from labelling
- Once labelled, individuals resist by embracing deviant identity
- Resistance becomes self-fulfilling prophecy
Feminist View
- Women resist patriarchy through sexual behaviour, style, political movements
- Deviance may reflect gender inequality → domestic abuse survivors, homeless women
CCCS (Birmingham School)
- Subcultures = symbolic resistance to capitalism
- Punks, mods, skinheads react to economic struggle
- Style communicates rebellion
Examples
- Students rejecting school rules as resistance
- Minority youth resisting racist policing
- Feminist protests challenging sexist laws
- Punks resisting consumer culture through DIY style
- Hip-hop culture as resistance to racial inequality
- Workers striking against exploitative employers
Written and Compiled By Sir Hunain Zia, World Record Holder With 154 Total A Grades, 7 Distinctions and 11 World Records For Educate A Change AS Level Sociology Full Scale Course
Interconnection Between All Factors
Subcultures + Marginalisation
- Excluded youth create subcultures to gain identity and belonging
- Deviance becomes a collective solution to powerlessness
Under-Socialisation + Cultural Deprivation
- Poor primary socialisation → weak attachment to norms
- Cultural deprivation → school failure → deviant identity
Resistance + Ideology
- When mainstream ideology feels oppressive → deviance becomes political statement
Marginalisation + Resistance
- Social exclusion leads to rebellion
- Lack of legitimate opportunities → alternative lifestyles
Subcultures + Resistance
- Youth subcultures often express symbolic or political resistance through style and behaviour