Course Sociology of Deviance

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Course Sociology of Deviance

• Gulzat Botoeva

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Structure of presentation

• Aim of the course
• Course structure
• Assignments

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Aim of the course

• Provide with theoretical perspectives as tools
  for understanding of deviance

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Course structure

• Introduction
• Rule breaking
• Micro-level rule making
• Macro-level rule making
• Exploring some topics in interdisciplinary
  approach

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Rule breaking non sociological theories

• Demonic
• deviant are people who are sin
• Classical
• deviant people rationally calculate and if assume
  that it is benefiting them conduct deviant
  behavior
• Pathological perspectives
• crime is caused by biological defects that
  characterize a certain proportion of the society.

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Rule breaking Sociological theories

• Social disorganization
• Deviance as a result of disorganization of main
  structures of the society.
• Control
• central principle is that deviance results from
  an absence of social control or restraint
• Anomie
• Normlessnes by E. Durkheim
• Strain between goals and tools of an American
  society, R.K. Merton
• Functionalist theory
• Deviance as functional, and dysfunctional to
  society

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Micro-level rule making

• Labeling theory deviance as a status.
• Stigmatization.
• Career deviance
• Managing stigmatization.
• Individual and collective stigma management.

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Macro-level rule making

• Conflict theory

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Assignments

• Screening of the film The One Flew Over the
  Cuckoo's Nest
• Reflection papers (3), final essay (1)
• Field research project

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Film The One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

• We watch and discuss a movie The One Flew Over
  the Cuckoos Nest
• It helps students to see how some sociological
  concepts work in the society
• For example, Labeling of someone, and work of
  total institutions such as mental hospital

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Written assignments

• 1. I ask students to choose an essay question
  during the first 4 weeks.
• 2. After which they have to make list of
  references for chosen question, which they have
  selected from electronic databases, or from
  sociological journals.
• 3. They have to write three reflection papers,
  where each will be based on one article from the
  list.
• 4. They incorporate ideas from reflection papers
  to the first draft of the essay and then submit
  the final version at the end of the week.

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Written assignments

• Thus, students start to think about their paper
  at the beginning of the semester.
• They do not rush for searching sources and
  material on chosen topic.
• I also give them comments for their reflection
  papers where they can learn more
• I found that in this way there are more students
  asking question during lectures and seminars
  because they are already working on certain
  topics.

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Field research study of deviance

• In this assignment I ask students to conduct a
  social deviant act. However, it should not be an
  act which goes against of moral principles or
  formal rules.
• So, they have to observe reaction of people
  toward deviant act and also their own feelings
  during the field project process.
• In their presentations they have to describe the
  act itself, the rationale for choosing it and
  apply sociological concepts for explaining
  behavior of people and themselves.

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Field research study of deviance

• I have adopted this assignment from another
  Syllabus on Deviance
• I use it very useful for students to understand
  some abstract ideas
• In particular, it is good in terms of making
  students think about what behavior would be
  deviant but without formal punishment.
• They also feel the reaction of others and
  sometimes effects of labeling.
• During this assignment they also analyze
  empirical observations and explain them with
  sociological concepts.

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Thank you for your attention!