The Sociology of Deviant Behavior

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses and analyzes the occurrence of deviant behavior in the context of life on the street. The paper contends that street life is predominated by people who live in poor inner-city neighborhoods. The paper reviews Elijah Anderson's book, "Code of the Street," that studies this very phenomenon. Applying the basic concepts associated in the study of the sociology of deviant behavior, the paper argues that Anderson's analysis of street life in "Code of the Street" puts into context the labeling theory of deviant behavior, wherein people's attitudes and behavior are associated with the labels that other people give them as deviants in society. The paper discusses this issue extensively, providing references to both Schaefer and Anderson's discussions on deviant behavior.

From the Paper:

"Despite the establishment of these social norms and rules, there are still individuals who do not conform, or "deviate," from the established norms and rules in the society. Schaefer (1998) identifies deviance as a "behavior that violates the standards of conduct and or expectations of a group or society" (160). Directly linked with the study of deviant behavior is the concept of social control, which regulates human behavior within society. Thus, deviance may include some form of social control in order to inculcate in society that deviant behavior are undesirable for the society. Social control may be formal or informal, wherein the former imposes a legal procedure, such as imprisonment, or simply, by making the individual an "outsider," isolated from his/her society and not welcomed to interact with other people."

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