Entering a Deviant Career

1
Entering a Deviant Career

• There are different ways of entering a deviant
  career. Length of time for example (Some are
  entered cautiously, others are like a baptism)
  
• Some people enter into deviance on their own. A
  vast majority do it through the encouragement and
  assistance of others
  
• Most often people become involved in their
  deviance through a change in their circle of
  friends. New peer groups that are similarly
  involved in a particular activity take over as
  the more important association (drug culture,
  alternative rock cultures)

2
Joining a Gang as an Example of Entering a
Deviant Career

• Previous research has attributed joining a gang
  to three different reasons
  
• 1. Those who hold that there is a natural
  association point of view. Groups of boys
  interacting with each other decide to formalize
  their relationship to reduce fear and anxiety
  associated with their socially disorganized
  neighborhoods. To create order out of chaos.

3
Joining a Gang Cont.

• 2. The sub-culture of blocked opportunities.
  Young males experience trouble gaining employment
  or status. Gangs are an attempt to compensate for
  blocked opportunities to escape social
  depravation
• 3. Focuses on the problems in identity
  construction. Some suggest that individuals join
  to build a personal identity by gaining status
  and self-worth.

4
Incentives for Joining

• Individuals reasons
• Material incentives Gangs would provide an
  environment that would increase their chances of
  earning money. They can make more money by
  themselves, but more consistent money within the
  gang. Also, they may join for financial security
  
• Recreation The gang is similar to fraternities
  and other social clubs (elks, moose), in that the
  gang is the primary social institution in their
  neighborhood. They usually have a clubhouse where
  parties are held. Source of drugs, alcohol, and
  women
• A place of refuge and camouflage Individuals are
  no longer seen as individuals, but are anonymous
  within the group
  

5
Individual reasons cont.

• Physical protection Gangs can reduce the fear of
  taking on physical threats by themselves. They
  now have a gang behind them
  
• A time to resist Resist growing up and taking on
  responsibility, at least their parents or the
  ideal type of adherence to society norms
  
• Commitment to community Especially in close
  neighborhoods, it can be a tradition. Similar to
  the obligation of joining the military.
  Representative of patriotism - the neighborhood
  comes first
• All of these are not necessarily exclusive of
  each other

6
Gang reasons - Organizational Recruitment

• The most common is that of a fraternal type of
  recruitment. It is cool, hip, bad, to be in the
  gang. Parties are often held after announcing
  openings within the gang. Prospective members are
  told about the benefits (drugs, women, money) and
  the rules of the gang. Individuals who want to
  join the gang are then subject to a selection
  process. Merits such as loyalty, trustworthiness,
  and the ability to fight are commonly held in
  high regard

7

• The obligation type of recruitment involves
  persuading the individual that it is their duty
  to join. Also plays on the need to be within a
  gang to be protected. If the potential member
  doesnt respond, negative tactics may be used
  such as you wont be a part of the community,
  your family will be disappointed in you, the
  community will look down on the whole family now.
  These are especially found in Irish, Italian,
  Puerto Rican gangs on the East Coast because of
  the intensely tight neighborhoods
• The coercive type of recruitment involves using
  force, or the threat of force to join a gang. If
  a gang is in trouble with another gang, they will
  recruit members at whatever cost. Moving into
  another area will promote this type

8
The Evolving Process of Deviance

• Peoples involvement in deviance is an evolving
  process. The experience is always shifting and
  changing
  
• Some research has documented the participation in
  deviance as similar to having a career
  
• Even though hitmen, prostitutes, drug dealers,
  shoplifters differ in the characteristics of
  their activities, they have some structural
  similarities in the way the progress through
  their career effects the level of involvement

9
Differences in Careers

• There is one difference that should be noted
  however between deviant careers and legitimate
  ones. Legitimate work typically follows a
  particular structural pattern, but deviant
  careers are flexible and varied
• Once in their career, shifts can be lateral,
  downward, upward, gradual and controlled vs. fast
  and loose, repetitive vs. dissimilar, continuous
  vs. one-time and then shifting into another phase

10
How participants manage their deviance

• How do they they maintain their relationships
  within the deviant communities?
  
• How can they manage their safety from agencies of
  social control?
  
• How do they balance their deviance with their
  non-deviant aspects of their lives?