Sociology 2259 Lecture Notes - Friedrich Engels, Conflict Theories, Structural Marxism
9 Feb 2013
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Critical theories of deviance: conflict theories, power-reflexive theories, feminist theories. Conflict theory of deviance: macro-level approach, conflict theory of deviance includes 3 basic elements: Focus on formal social control of deviant behaviour. Social order is maintained through management of conflict between different groups in society. Society is divided into groups with competing interests. Influenced by: labelling theories, research on social inequality (racism, sexism) and social injustice, social and political upheavals of the 60s and 70s. Sees crime/deviance as rational behaviour due to the nature of society. Core struggle (austin turk: dominant group must convince powerless group that norms/rules are legitimate, coercing doesn"t work. In order to convince the powerless of the current rules, dominant class uses: ideology, hegemony, power, authority, results in the powerless having a false consciousness . Fascination with individual deviants deflects our attention from social structure and power . Sociologists should be focusing on covert institutional violence .
