SYG 200 SXU Deviancy And Crime In Society Discussion
1. What determines when or if a behavior is regarded as deviant? For example, is drug use always deviant? What are some everyday behaviors that we engage in now in the U.S. that might be considered deviant if they took place in a different setting or a different time?
2. According to the text, from a functionalist perspective, how does deviance function to maintain society? What, then, are the social functions of domestic
violence? Of a hate crime?
3. What are some examples of white-collar crime in medicine, advertising, and the law? (Feel free to Google examples) Is white-collar crime less severe than other
types of crime? If so, how?
4. How much access do you have to illegitimate opportunity structures? What kinds are they? Would your level of access be different if you were in a different social
class? A different race and/or ethnicity? Do you think television shows and movies have glamorized illegitimate opportunity structures? If so, how?
5. What social factors might account for fluctuations in rates of imprisonment? What factors might account for disproportionate incarcerations of African
Americans? How do political ideologies affect policies on imprisonment?
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