SOC101Y1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Control Theory
Document Summary
The sociology of crime and deviance is not one coherent discipline but rather a collection of relatively independent versions of sociology. They are unified by a common subject rather than a common approach. The sociology of deviance is a collection of different independent theories. Radical sociology would emphasize on the oppression and alienation caused by the institutions of a capitalist society. Deviance in this sense is a form of liberation from the forces of conformity. Control theory, will depict institutional restraints as indispensable to a properly conducted society. Deviance in this sense is a form of protection from the wilder state of man. Functionalist sociology portrays deviance as an unrecognized and unintended structure of social order. Deviance in this sense enforces morals and values and/or performs a function that no other institution performs (prostitution preserves marriage; takes care of sexual needs of an army).
