By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assignment criteria: Competency 1: Apply sociological theory to the study of contemporary deviance issues. Discuss the key arguments in a scholarly article or book about a contemporary issue related to the study of deviance. Explain how strain or social disorganization theory applies to the deviant behavior. Competency 3: Analyze how perceptions of deviant behavior are influenced by social status and power. Describe how social status and power influence the perceptions or treatment of deviant behavior. Competency 5: Analyze methods of social control used to enforce conformity and punish deviancy.
Readings In your text, Deviance and Social Control: A Sociological Perspective, read the following: Chapter 4, “Anomie/Strain Theory,” pages 132–146. Reading 10, “Becoming a Stickup Kid,” pages 147–151. Reading 11, “Durkheim’s Concept of Anomie and the Abuse at Abu Ghraib,” pages 151–170. Reading 12, “A General Strain Theory of Terrorism,” pages 171–185. Chapter 5, “Social Disorganization Theory,” pages 187–200. Reading 13, “Rethinking Crime and Immigration,” pages 201–208. Reading 14, “Life and Death in the City: Neighborhoods in Context,” pages 208–214. Reading 15, “The Importance of Both Opportunity and Social Disorganization Theory in a Future Research Agenda,” pages 215–219.
Assess the advantages and disadvantages of current or proposed measures of social control used to limit or punish the deviant behavior. Competency 7: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for professionals in sociology. Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate APA format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics. For this assignment, you will choose a scholarly article or book that focuses on a contemporary form of deviant behavior or an issue related to the study of deviance, and analyze it using the sociological perspectives, concepts, and theories covered in this course. Scholarly articles for this assignment are defined as those that can be found in peer-reviewed journals from Capella Library databases, such as the SOC Index and Academic Search Premier databases.
Feel free to obtain books from your local library or the Capella Library. Both the Summon search tool on the library’s home page and the eBooks on EBSCOhost database are good search tools for locating books. Your chosen article or book can be about any current issue related to deviance, including those issues we have already discussed in the course or specific forms of deviance such as cyberbullying or other kinds of cyberdeviance, domestic violence, drug abuse, white-collar crime or corporate deviance, gang violence, and street crime. For more ideas, consult the Research Topics and Resources document, linked in the Resources. Be sure to answer the following questions in your essay: What are the book or article’s primary focus and the key arguments the authors make? Do the authors provide enough information or data to support their conclusions?
Of the two sociological theories you read about this week—strain and social disorganization theories—which do you think works best for understanding the behavior described in your chosen article or book? If you think neither applies, provide a clear explanation why. What role does power or social status play in how the deviant behavior is conducted, perceived, or treated? For example, would the class status of the people behaving in deviant ways influence how those people are treated, whether by other members of society or the criminal justice system? Consider not only the behavior itself but also how those who are engaging in the behavior are perceived or treated by society and how they view their own behavior. What methods of social control, whether informal or formal, are being used to control or punish the deviant behavior? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of existing or proposed measures of social control. What would you propose doing to address the issue? Note that the questions above should be answered in narrative form rather than question and answer format. In others words, do not just restate the questions and list answers.
Write an essay, with a clear introductory paragraph, body, and conclusion, using the article or book and course materials to support your points and conclusions. For this essay, ensure you: Analyze a current scholarly article or book about a contemporary issue related to the study of deviance. Apply strain or social disorganization theory to the deviant behavior. Describe the role of status and power in shaping the perception and treatment of the deviant behavior. Assess the merits of forms of social control geared toward preventing, reducing, or punishing the deviant behavior. Assignment Requirements To achieve a successful experience and outcome, you are expected to meet the following requirements: Written Communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message. APA Formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to current APA style and formatting standards. Page Requirements: 2–3 typed, double-spaced pages. Font and Font Size: Times New Roman, 12 point. Submission: Attach document in Microsoft Word format.
