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THEORIES OF DEVIANCE AND SOCIAL CONTROL
FALL 2014
Lectures:
MON 1:00 & WED 11:30 - HUMPHY AUD
Instructor:
Vincent F. Sacco
Office:
Macintosh-Corry Hall, Rm. D525
Phone:
(613) 533-6000 ext. 74492
e-mail:
saccov@queensu.ca
Office Hours: Wenesday 2:00 – 3:00 pm, Thursday 11:00 am – noon or by appointment
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
This course focuses on the theoretical foundation examining the process by which activities
are defined as deviant: such activities as ‘sexual deviance’, ‘mental illness’, and ‘political
deviance’. The major etiological approaches to the study of deviants are also considered.
PREREQUISITE : A grade of C- in SOCY 122/6.0.
EXCLUSION: No more than 6.0 units from SOCY 274/6.0; SOCY 275/3.0; SOCY 276/3.0
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
In this course, we focus on deviance theories. Each topic is organized around a particular
theoretical question which is intended to organize our thoughts and our approach to the
readings. Admittedly, in many cases, our answers to these questions are quite tentative.
While it makes a great deal of practical and pedagogic sense to approach the course material
in this way, the student needs to keep in mind that knowledge rarely conforms to the
organizational categories we attempt to impose upon it. You will see at many points in the
course that some issues and themes emerge under more than one topic heading. As well,
you will see that while our expressed purpose is the study of deviance, we end up talking
about crime a great deal. This is because the two fields cannot be separated easily –
especially at the theoretical level. Indeed the field of criminology predates the field of
deviance studies by several decades.
GOALS OF THE COURSE:
This course is intended to introduce students to the sociological study of deviance. The more
specific objectives of the course are as follows:
1.
to encourage the student to think critically about the taken-for-granted character of
deviance, crime, law and social control
2.
to overview the range of questions in which sociologists of deviance are interested
3.
to describe the theoretical diversity that characterizes the contemporary sociological
study of deviance
4.
to encourage the application of sociological perspectives on deviance to an
understanding of everyday life.
5. to provide students with opportunities to improve their writing and analytical skills.
REQUIRED READING:
Traub, S.H. and C.B. Little. 1999, (eds.) Theories of Deviance.
Vander Ven, T. Getting Wasted: Why College Students Drink So Much and Party so Hard. New
York: NYU Press.
These books are available for purchase at the Campus Bookstore and for loan at the Reserve
Desk at Stauffer library. The Traub and Little book is the text for the course. The final
examination will include material relating to Getting Wasted.
Please be advised that the literature on the sociology of deviance is vast and
students are encouraged to read widely. I will be happy to recommend addition al
readings to you relevant to specific interests which you might devel op in the class.
With respect to the readings, you should note that before the course is over you will have read
almost all of both of these books. You should also note that at some points you might sense
disagreement or inconsistencies in terminology from one reading to another or between the
readings and the lectures. This is not a reason to be alarmed. It is normal and natural and to
some degree reflects the dynamic character of deviance studies and rapidity of the field's
growth.
The course uses Moodle to share Powerpoint slides from lectures, as well as posting of: the
course outline, tutorial assignments, and teaching assistants’ office hours.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION:
The final grade for the course will be based upon the following:
a) Test 1 written in class (October 29) -25 percent of final grade
b) Written assignment due (November 14) – 40 percent of final grade
c) Take Home exam. Handed out at the end of the term and worth 35% of the final grade. The
Take-home will be based on the entire term’s required readings and classroom material.
Tips for Success: This is a challenging course and students will need to apply themselves. Be
responsible for your learning: attend classes, take detailed lecture notes, complete assigned
readings, and develop good study habits. Do not undermine your learning by multi-tasking
during class. Failure to follow this sound advice will negatively impact grades. You should take
some comfort in the fact that the instructor and the teaching assistants will make every effort
to help you succeed in the course. We ask that you do likewise.
PLEASE NOTE ALL COURSE ASSIGNMENTS ARE INTENDED TO PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY
FOR STUDENTS TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR MASTERY OF COURSE MATERIAL AS DISCUSSED IN
GLASS AND IN READINGS. PAPERS, EXAM ANSWERS ETC. WHICH DO NOT DEMONSTRATE
THIS MASTERY WILL NOT BE REGARDED AS HIGHLY AS THOSE THAT DO.
CLASS POLICIES AND INFORMATION:
Class Etiquette:
Cell phones, pagers, Blackberries, internet surfing, watching videos, playing computer games,
checking e-mail, text messaging, and listening to music are disruptive to other students in class.
This behavior is also disrespectful toward the professor. Please be courteous to your classmates
and professor and turn off all such devices before the class starts. Notebook computers are to
be used exclusively for the purposes of taking notes during class and other electronic devices
may be used only if you have permission from the professor.
Academic Accommodation:
Students with a disability, who require academic accommodation, need to register with the
Counseling and Disability Resource Centre. Academic accommodation letters need to be
provided to course instructors no later than fourteen (14) days after the first day of class. It is a
student’s responsibility to register with the Counseling and Disability Resource Centre and to
request academic accommodation, if required.
The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy legislation disallows the practice of
having students retrieve assignments and exams from a public place (e.g., outside a professor’s
office, the department office, etc.) or posting grades on office doors or on-line. Examination
results must be returned to students individually, during class or during the professor’s office
hours.
Useful websites:
http://www.queensu.ca/artsci/advising/index.html
-hcds.org/
www.asus.queensu.ca/acsfacts
DETAILED COURSE OUTLINE
T&R = Traub and Little. The numbers refer to chapter numbers
Topic 1 – Introduction to the Field: What is Deviance?
T&R – Introduction, 34
Topic 2 - Early Deviance Theory
Lombroso, Cesare. Criminal Man (read Chapter 1 – “The Born Criminal”)
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/29895/29895-h/29895-h.htm
Topic 3 – Functionalism
T&R – 1, 3, 4, 5
Topic 4 – Social Disorganization
T&R – 6, 8, 9, 10
Topic 5 – Anomie
T&R – 11, 12, 13, 14
Topic 6 – Differential Association and Neutralization
T&R – 16, 17, 18, 20
Topic 7 – Control Theory
T&R – 22, 23, 24, 25
Topic 8 – Labeling and Deviance
T&R – 26, 27, 29, 30
Topic 9 – Politics and Class in the Study of Deviance
T&R – 32, 35, 36
Topic 10 – New Directions in Deviance Theory
T&R – 38, 39, 43
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT
LENGTH: NOT TO EXCEED 10 DOUBLE-SPACED TYPEWRTTEN PAGES (exclusive of cover page,
but including references).
DUE: November 14th, 2014
With respect to the completion of this paper, please note:
• The paper has a clearly specified due date. Late papers will incur a 10 percent
penalty. After a one week (7 days) period, papers will not be accepted. This rule
about late papers will only be waived for medical or compassionate reasons and it
will be essential in all cases to supply documentation. You should be aware that
the penalty cannot be waived because other assignments are due or because of
what traffic analysts call "volume delays". Rather than asking for an extension of
"a couple of days", it would be more sensible to start work on the project a couple
of days earlier.
• Style, citations and references must be consistent with departmental requirement
as described on our homepage:
http://www.queensu.ca/sociology/?q=programs/undergraduate/style
• Feel free to consult me or your teaching assistant regarding this project.
Students should not be surprised or alarmed if the instructor or teaching assistants
request a meeting to discuss the paper.
CONTENT OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
By this point in the course you should have acquired an understanding of the sociological bases
of deviant behaviour. The paper gives you an opportunity to demonstrate this understanding.
Please keep in mind that this assignment, like all course assignments is intended to allow you to
demonstrate your knowledge of course material. An essay which does not do this – no matter
how interesting or how creative – must be judged an unsuccessful effort.
Essay Topics
Essays must be written on one of the topics set out below as no outside topics will be
permitted for this essay.
TOPICS
Exotic dancers
Deviance in the military
Drug user/addicts
Alcoholics
Homeless people
Young offenders
Prostitution
White-collar criminals
Artists (musicians, painters etc.)
Biker gangs
School cheaters
A specific for of deviant sexual behavior
Mental illness
Organized crime
Terrorists
Child abuse
Spousal Abuse/family violence
Police deviance
ESSAY INSTRUCTIONS
In the introduction to your paper, please explain why the topic is important and worth further
investigation.
The paper should also include a conclusion which summarizes your argument and offers any
additional commentary.
When writing your paper consider the following questions relating to the sociology of deviance.
Please note that Questions 1-4 should help you focus your essay to ensure that you cover all of
the relevant areas. However the primary task of this paper is to apply one or more of the
theoretical perspectives (see question 5) on deviance (as discussed in class lectures and in
your textbook) to one of the above essay topics.
1) Describe why the behaviour is considered deviant. (This might appear more obvious in some
cases than in others).
2) How do these deviants view their own behaviour? For example, do they regard their
deviance as a one-time aberration or see it as a deviant career? Justify your answer.
3) In your view, what impacts (both positive and negative) does the deviant behaviour have on
society?
4) In what ways has society responded or reacted to the deviance?
5) Provide an analysis of the deviant behaviour from the perspective of ONE OR MORE of the
sociological theories on deviance set out in the text and discussed in lectures.
Remember Question #5 above is the most important as you must apply one or more theoretical
perspectives to the topic you have chosen. Your comparison should involve explanations
associated with different categories of theory and not two theories selected from within the
same category. It is essential that you use empirical sources (books, journal articles, etc.) to
support your thesis. In other words, what do the key academic scholars in the area have to say
about the topic? To what extent do they agree? This essay is worth 40% of your final grade. If
you have difficulty choosing a topic or organizing your essay please make an appointment to
see the Instructor well in advance of the due date.
A grading rubric will be made available shortly.
Please note:
1. It is acceptable to use the pronoun “I” if you deem it necessary.
2. Sub-headings provide a useful way of organizing your paper and transitioning from
topic to topic
3. Please observe university regulations regarding academic integrity.
4. Be careful to appropriately cite any material use
5. Feel free to consult us if you have any questions.
EXAMINATIONS
There are two tests in the course. The first one will be written in class on October 29th and the
second will be a take-home. The first test will be a combination of multiple choice and short
answer questions. For examination purposes, students are responsible for assigned reading
and classroom material (including films, guest speakers etc.).
CLASS POLICIES AND INFORMATION:
Exam and Term Paper Policies:
With respect to these course requirements, please note:
1. Students will not be allowed to replace or supplement these assignments with
alternative or additional work.
2. It is assumed that students have read and are familiar with the University policy on
academic integrity.
3. Students must complete ALL of the course work in order to complete the course.
All components of this course will receive numerical percentage marks. The final grade you
receive for the course will be derived by converting your numerical course average to a letter
grade according to Queen’s Official Grade Conversion Scale:
QUEEN’S OFFICIAL GRADE CONVERSION SCALE
Grade
Numerical Course Average (Range)
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
90-100
85-89
80-84
77-79
73-76
70-72
67-69
63-66
60-62
57-59
53-56
50-52
49 and below