SOC 2070 Chapter 3: Chapter 3.docx

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 2070
• Professor: Norman Dubeski

Document Summary

Constructionism: focuses on the creation of social categories, the imputation of deviance to those categories, why certain rules exist, and what the dynamics of enforcement are. Social constructionist approach permits inquiry into false accusations, it is secondary that the accused person didn"t do it. The enterprise of persecution and condemnation is independent of the enactment of behaviour of which deviants are accused. Social control: efforts to ensure conformity to a norm. Every time people do something to induce someone to engage in behaviour they believe is right, they are engaged in social control. To the constructionist, social control is the central concept. Throughout human history, all societies everywhere have set and enforced norms: rules about what their members should and should not do. Implied in a norm is the expectation that violators are punished. Lack of norms in a society would result in a state of collapse.