Sociology › Section G · Deviance, crime, and social control › Topic G.2
Theoretical perspectives on deviance and crime
Why do people break rules, and why are some rule-breakers punished far more than others? Sociology's three main perspectives each offer theories of deviance, and each points to different causes and different remedies.
In this topic
- Durkheim and the functionalist starting point
- Merton's strain theory
- Worked example: Merton's five adaptations
- Social disorganisation and collective efficacy
- Conflict theory: power and the law
- Unequal penalties: crack and powder cocaine
- Labelling theory
- Techniques of neutralisation
- Learning deviance and social bonds
- Worked example: one case, several theories
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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