Social Control, Conformity And Resistance: How Sociologists Explain Deviance And Non-conformity, Including Subcultures, Under-socialisation, Marginalisation, Cultural Deprivation And Social Resistance. (Copy)
1. Deviance & Non-Conformity
| Concept | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Deviance | Behaviour that breaks norms | Truancy, theft |
| Non-Conformity | Failure/refusal to follow expectations | Rejecting school rules |
| Why Important | Shows how individuals respond differently to socialisation | Students ignoring uniform |
2. Subcultural Explanations
Meaning
| Term | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subculture | Group with distinct norms/values different from mainstream | Gangs, punks, street groups |
How Subcultures Cause Deviance
| Mechanism | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Alternative Values | Reject mainstream norms | Valuing toughness over obedience |
| Peer Support | Deviance rewarded in the group | Respect gained by breaking rules |
| Identity Formation | Subculture becomes main identity | “Gang brotherhood” |
| Status Frustration | Working-class youths form groups after school failure | Cohen’s theory |
3. Under-Socialisation
Meaning
| Concept | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Under-socialisation | Individual not fully taught norms/values | Lack of discipline at home |
Why It Leads to Deviance
| Reason | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Weak norms | Person doesn’t internalise rules | Child never taught boundaries |
| Poor emotional control | No guidance in childhood | Aggression, fighting |
| Weak attachments | No commitment to society | Higher risk of delinquency |
Sociologists
| Perspective | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Hirschi (Control Theory) | Weak bonds → deviance |
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
4. Marginalisation
Meaning
| Concept | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Marginalisation | Being excluded from social, economic or cultural opportunities | Unemployed youth, minority groups |
How Marginalisation Leads to Deviance
| Mechanism | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of opportunities | People resort to deviance | Theft due to poverty |
| No voice or power | Turn to non-conformity | Protests, riots |
| Feeling “outsider” | Reject mainstream norms | Street crime as alternative |
| Anomie | Normlessness → deviance | Durkheim’s theory |
Associated Theories
| Theory | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| Marxism | Capitalism produces exclusion → deviance |
| Left Realism | Marginalised groups commit crime due to inequality |
5. Cultural Deprivation
Meaning
| Concept | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Cultural Deprivation | Lacking norms, values, experiences needed for success | Children without books, lacking vocabulary |
How It Causes Deviance
| Mechanism | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Educational failure | Leads to frustration | Dropouts forming subcultures |
| Weak social skills | Struggle to integrate | Poor behaviour in school |
| Limited role models | Adopt deviant behaviour | Learning crime in neighbourhood |
| Restricted language codes | Affects communication | Bernstein’s theory |
Sociological View
| Perspective | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Functionalism | Poor primary socialisation → deviance |
| New Right | “Broken families” create under-socialised youth |
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
6. Social Resistance
Meaning
| Concept | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Social Resistance | Conscious rejection of norms, rules or authority | Students protesting school policies |
Forms of Resistance
| Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Passive | Quiet, subtle non-conformity | Skipping homework |
| Active | Open defiance | Protests, walkouts |
| Individual | Personal refusal | Rejecting gender norms |
| Collective | Group action | Student movements |
Why Resistance Happens
| Reason | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Unfair rules | Norms seen as oppressive | School punishments viewed as biased |
| Identity assertion | Proving individuality | Dressing differently |
| Inequality | Reacting to discrimination | Ethnic minorities rejecting stereotypes |
| Rejection of labels | Fighting negative expectations | “Troublemaker” label → rebellion |
7. Interactionist Explanations
Labelling Theory
| Key Idea | Example |
|---|---|
| People become deviant when society labels them deviant | Student labelled “lazy” → stops trying |
How It Causes Deviance
| Mechanism | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Self-fulfilling prophecy | Person lives up to label |
| Deviant career | Label pushes person into deviant group |
| Master status | Label becomes 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
8. Structuralist Explanations
Functionalism
| Concept | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Deviance is normal + necessary | Shows boundaries, promotes change |
Marxism
| Concept | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Deviance caused by class inequality | Poverty → crime |
| Laws controlled by ruling class | Criminalise poor, not rich |
Feminism
| Concept | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Deviance linked to patriarchy | Control of women → resistance |
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
9. Summary Table
| Explanation Type | Key Idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subcultures | Alternative norms | Gangs, youth groups |
| Under-socialisation | Weak early learning | Lack of discipline |
| Marginalisation | Exclusion → deviance | Poverty, unemployment |
| Cultural deprivation | Lack of cultural tools | Educational failure |
| Social resistance | Rejection of norms | Protests |
| Labelling | Identity shaped by labels | “Bad student” label |