Deviance The social understanding of normality and abnormality varies across cultures and throughout history. Studies indicate that, on the whole, Western correctional institutions do not correct criminal offenders. On their release from prison, most resume a life of crime.
Some functionalist sociologists say that society needs or, at least, indirectly benefits from crime and high recidivism rates. Criminality keeps large sectors of the labor force employed, especially those connected to law enforcement and the justice system. Others say that to passively accept the supposed functional aspect of criminality is to deny the possibility of a crimeless world or, at least, one in which crime is not pandemic to society.
Postmodern thinkers like Michel Foucault note the relativity of the term deviance and suggest that its meaning is derived through social power. For Foucault, power discursively marks off the ‘deviant’ from the ‘normal.’ In so doing the deviant becomes marginalised-that is, deprived of the goods, opportunities, rights, privileges and other enjoyments that the normal person is entitled to. This process may occur somewhat automatically as various professionals become consciously or unconsciously convinced of their own authority in determining the normal, the moral and the legal.
Theories of corruption point to the hypocrisy of societies that incarcerate low-status, petty criminals with heavy sentences while government leaders and business elites caught engaging in illegitimate activities are given a proverbial slap on the wrist. » Turning against the self
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