The Causes Of Deviant Behavior, Psychological Approach And...

Deviance is a kind of behaviour which is contrary to the dominant norms and values of society. In reality, there are many different theories to explain the causes of deviant behaviour, including biological approach, psychological approach and sociological approach. This essay will be using two criminological perspectives which are the biological and sociological explanations to analyse the causes of crime in depth, and evaluate the two perspectives and the related criminological evidence. Sociology encompasses a very wide range of theoretical perspectives, especially crime and deviance, in which sociological criminologists particularly focus on emphasising crime as a social phenomenon, and examine how cultural and social elements causing criminal behaviour. Specifically, strain theory is one of the sociological explanations which states that certain strains or stressors would create pressure for non-conformist behaviour. The strain theories include genre of types, such as anomie theory (Merton, 1938), relative deprivation theory (Crosby, 1976; Davis, 1959; Gurr, 1970; Runciman, 1966), general strain theory (Agnew, 1985 and 1992) and institutional anomie theory (Messner and Rosenfeld, 1994). Emile Durkheim (1895) was the founder of the modern strain theory of crime and deviance. Durkheim’s (1895) anomie theory emphasised that crime is a necessary function in society because it provides a force for social change and developed the public’s ’collective conscience’ which helpsShow MoreRelatedThere Is A Wide Array Of Theories About The Cause Of Crime1102 Words   |  5 Pagesa wide array of theories about the cause of crime ranging from predisposition to environmental factors. Research and development of these delinquency theories have progressed and been categorized by biological, psychological, and sociological theories. A major biological theory is Richard Dugdale’s t heory of inheritance. There are several psychological theories with two of them being intelligence theory and Sigmund Freud’s personality trait theory. Sociological theories includes Emilie Durkheim’sRead MoreThe Theory Of Body Types, And The Y Chromosome Theory1194 Words   |  5 Pages100 - Introduction to Sociology March 26, 2016 Deviance Many different theories exist regarding deviance. Biological, psychological, and sociological perspectives have applied their different thought processes to produce many theories. Some of these ideas have been discredited, however some remain significant today. Sociological theories differ from biological and psychological theories by looking at external factors rather than internal ones. Biological theories on deviance are the result ofRead MoreDeviance Essay756 Words   |  4 PagesDeviance is an action or behavior that violates social norms, including a formally enacted rule, as well as informal violations of social norms. Deviant behavior is any behavior that is contrary to the dominant norms of society. Norms are rules and expectation by which members of society are conventionally guided. Social norms differ from culture to culture. Deviance can be criminal or non-criminal. There are many different theories on what causes a person to exhibit deviant behavior. Some explanationsRead MoreTheories on Crime1253 Words   |  5 Pagesbasically described as the study of crime through which the causes, prevention, and correction of offenses are examined. While this process can be extremely difficult, especially for students, the analysis of the causes of crime is significant to sociology and criminology. The difficulties associated with the study of crime originate from the numerous challenges in developing theories that explain human behavior. In relation to crime, human behavior varies because participants differ in backgrounds, experiencesRead MoreThe Nature And Structure Of Criminal Behavior1707 Words   |  7 Pagesorigins of deviant behavior in the society. However, in order to understand the nature and structure of criminal behavior, there is need to understand a myriad of factors, such as societal functions, beliefs, norms, values, as well as sanctions . All these are part of a system in the society, and they play a significant role in influencing the behavior of individuals. For this reason, scholars have come up with social theories, which aim to explain why some individuals indulge themselves in deviant actsRead MoreSociological Approaches Of Mental Illness1367 Words   |  6 Pagesindividuals who portray qualities of what we may consider as people with mental illness, where their thoughts, feelings, or behaviors violate own or others expectations (the violation of social norms). This sociological approach is frequently debated where the individual is being conceptualized as either sick or deviant which then reflects on their deviant behavior. Deviant behaviors should not determine whether someone is mentally ill or not. There are individuals who are mentally sick, such as pedophilesRead MoreDeviant Behavior1512 Words   |  7 Pageswas then I realized and nevertheless questioned myself, if I know it is wrong why do I do it? And am I accepting my own deviant behavior? Throughout this paper I hope to present to you and myself various explanations in which I have personally related to being causes of deviant behavior in today’s society. Deviance is defined as a violation of rules or norms. Deviant behavior usually evokes formal and informal punishment, restrictions, or other controls of society. These formal and informal controlsRead MoreThe Crime Of The Criminal Justice System845 Words   |  4 Pagesthe criminal justice system. Some of this theories are the Biological studies, Psychological theories, and last the Sociological theory all are used as different methods of explaining why crime exists. Biological theories are the biological explanations of crime. A famous theorists Cesare Lombroso, founder of the Italian school of Positivist Criminology. His biological explanation of crime, was that criminal behavior were genetic and that individuals who take part in crime, can be recognized byRead MoreThe Sociological Perspective On Medical Conditions1687 Words   |  7 Pageslimited to using an individual’s body and pathogens to explain poor health. On a different note, the sociological perspective takes on a different approach to explain medical conditions. The sociological perspective focuses on the external influences, rather than then internal influences, such as the social environment, institutions, and relationships to assess and explain illness. The sociological perspective contains the following theories to support its assessment of illness and they are: stigmaRead MoreSociology and Deviance Essay2077 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å"Becoming a deviant involves a soci al process of definition†. The purpose of this essay is to show how this sociological perspective can assist in understanding drug taking in society. In the essay I will discuss the notion of deviance and will demonstrate that people do not become deviants on the strength of their behaviour alone, but by the sanctions of a society whose norms that the offender has deemed to have violated. I will examine approaches to deviance through biological, psychological and sociological