How do deviants reconcile their behavior with society's norms? This set of 10 lectures examines the complex topic of deviance and how major sociological theories have attempted to define it and understand its role in both historical and modern society. Professor Wolpe introduces deviance as “a complex, often ambiguous, social phenomenon that raises numerous questions about how a varied and often arbitrary set of characteristics can be used to name the same idea.” Intended for those with some understanding of sociology, these lectures trace Western theories of deviance from classical demonism to constructionism. Along the way, you'll get a chance to investigate a range of fascinating, thought-provoking, and sometimes even frightening topics and issues. You'll discover the relationship between deviance and criminology, and come to terms with three major sociological perspectives on deviance in human society. You'll explore the concept of demonism, with divides the world into good and evil, and see how it's often been used to explain and categorize bad behavior when no other explanations are available. You'll learn about the influence of science on sociological thought as proposed by a range of important thinkers, as well as the impact of this science on everything from the IQ controversy to the eugenics movement to Social Darwinism. Professor Wolpe has crafted an engaging series of discussions that are sure to have you looking at the world around you (and the people in them) in a new way.
Explaining Social Deviance
01: The First Step—Asking the Right Questions
In this opening lecture, the topic of deviance is introduced as a complex social phenomenon that raises numerous questions about how a varied and often arbitrary set of characteristics can be used to name the same idea.
02: Demonism—The Devil's Children and Evil Empires
Classical demonism illustrates the absolutist perspective of deviance by dividing the world into good and evil. Classical demonism has re-emerged as an explanation for deviance in modern society. Modern demonism continues to divide the world into opposing forces; those who know what is right and those who do not.
03: Deviance as Pathology—I'm OK, You Are Twisted
The pathological perspective of deviance is based on the assumption of a difference between those who are deviant and those who are not. Scientific thinking attempts to explain this difference through racial hierarchy, heredity, intelligence, and genetics; despite its contention that deviance must be viewed empirically, it is still highly moralistic and discriminatory.
04: Social Disorganization—Deviance in the Urban Landscape
The first sociological theory of deviance emerged from the University of Chicago in the 1920s. Despite its inherent bias and circular logic, the social disorganization theory established fieldwork and empirical research as mainstays of sociology. It was also the first theory to suggest that individuals are influenced by the structure of the social world in which they live.
05: Functionalism and Anomie—Why Can't We All Just Get Along?
Functionalism suggests that deviance is necessary for a society to create moral boundaries and a collective conscience that goes beyond any individual. Two different but influential views of deviance and anomie are explored: Emile Durkheim's view which states that deviance prevents anomie, and Robert Merton's view that anomie is a result of deviance.
06: Learning Theory—You Have to be Carefully Taught
The premise of learning theory is that deviance is not an isolated process; people are socialized into particular behavior patterns and norms of the subculture to which they are exposed. Learning theory attempts to explain the roles that differential association and identification play in the socialization process and how adopted behaviors are reinforced and rewarded.
07: Control Theory—Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child
The principle of control theory is that people are inherently motivated to deviance, and it is only because of social bonds and the fear of punishment that they do not act on these instincts. The role control theory has played in both historical and contemporary thinking on deterrence is also explored.
08: Labeling Theory—Is Deviance in the Eye of the Beholder?
Labeling theory suggests that there is no fundamental difference between someone who is deviant and someone who is not; people simply act, and it is society that determines whether or not behavior is deviant. This theory provides insight into how nonvoluntary, noncriminal behaviors such as mental illness become viewed as a form of deviance.
09: Conflict and Constructionism—Every Step You Take, I'll Be Watching You
Competing interests that are part of all human interactions are the focus of constructionism and conflict theories. The explanation of deviance as pathological or as a result of certain social interactions gives way to a view of deviance that is more explicitly ideological in nature. To understand deviance, it is not the “deviant” who needs to be analyzed; it is the creation of deviance that must be deconstructed.
10: Case Studies—Sex and Science
Because every society devotes much time and energy to determining what is sexually proper and what is taboo, this lecture discusses sexual deviance as an example of how the theories discussed in this course continue to resonate in modern thought. It is the role of science in society and the responsibility of each individual as “moral entrepreneur” to constantly negotiate the meaning of deviance.
Overview Course No. 675
About
Dr. Paul Root Wolpe is the Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Bioethics, the Raymond F. Schinazi Distinguished Research Chair in Jewish Bioethics, a Professor in the Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, and Sociology, and the Director of the Center for Ethics at Emory University. Dr. Wolpe also serves as the first bioethicist for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, where he is responsible for formulating policy on bioethical issues and safeguarding research subjects. Professor Wolpe did his undergraduate work in the sociology and psychology of religion at the University of Pennsylvania and went on to earn an M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D from Yale University. He previously taught at the University of Pennsylvania in the Departments of Psychiatry, Sociology, and Medical Ethics. He was a Senior Fellow of Penn's Center for Bioethics and directed the Scattergood Program for the Applied Ethics of Behavioral Health and the Program in Psychiatry and Ethics at the School of Medicine. In 1996, Professor Wolpe was named Outstanding Professor at Penn by the Panhellenic Council. Professor Wolpe is coeditor of the American Journal of Bioethics (AJOB), the premier scholarly journal in bioethics, and editor of AJOB Neuroscience. He also sits on the editorial boards of over a dozen professional journals in medicine and ethics. He is the author of the textbook Sexuality and Gender in Society and the end-of-life guide In the Winter of Life, and he has written more than 100 articles, editorials, and book chapters in sociology, medicine, and bioethics. Professor Wolpe appears frequently in the broadcast media, including MSNBC, CBS and ABC Evening News, Dateline, and 60 Minutes.
