Question 1
According to Degher and Hughes, the Identity Change process takes place via four processes. These four steps are the Initial status, recognizing, placing and the new status. The identity change process treats the identity change process from a career point of view. It therefore addresses both external and internal features of this identity change process. According to Hughes and Decker, the new status adoption process mainly occurs through two sequential cognitive or internal processes. First is the recognition. Here the individual makes a realization that his current status or condition is inappropriate. For instance, an individual realizes that he is extremely judgmental of others and strives to change this behaviour. Second is “placing”. Here, the individual attempts to locate a fresh status that is indeed more appropriate. The individual for instance decided to stop being judgmental and starts to take more time to learn about other before judging them. Degher and Hughes suggest that the two cognitive or internal processes are triggered or stimulated by status cues. In addition, they are also mediated through the same virtue which actually exists in the external environment.
Response to these status cues means that an individual makes recognition of the fact that his initial status is not appropriate and therefore locates a status that is more appropriate. The status cues can be passive or active. The active cues are mainly transmitted via interaction while the passive cues are actually sought out by an individual. One other social status feature is their extent of self-evidence. This refers to the level or degree to which a certain individual in possession of objective status characteristics knows or is ware that certain status labels are applicable to them. Because recognition actually occurs as a response mechanism to status cues, a status self-evidentiality influences the kinds of cues which will have the most pronounced role in the identity change process.
Degher’s and Hughes identity change process finds a lot of applicability to other deviant activities also and not just in obesity. I personal accept this model because it is hugely possible. As such, I do not believe that the identity change process can occur in another way.
Question 2
Conforming behaviour refers to the activity of matching the attitudes, behaviors and beliefs to widely acceptable or group norms. The tendency to conform behavior mainly emanates from faint unconscious influences. Alternatively it may occur from overt or direct social pressure. Conforming behaviour may occur when one is other’s presence or when one is alone. The major reason why people conform to behaviour is so as to acquire some kind of security within a certain group. For instance, it may a group exhibiting similar aspects such as culture, religion, education status or even age. This is because in most instances, non-conformity of behaviour may lead to social rejection.
Primary deviance – This is a behavior that is contrary to social norms. It is usually hidden from other people although the person committing the deviant act usually thinks that he or she is doing the right thing. As a result, this type of deviance does not result in stigmatization. The primary deviance is usually a temporary feature. An example of a primary deviance is where a five year old child whose mother has a habit of buying him chocolates from a local stand. One day, when his mother is not looking, he takes two chocolates and puts it in his pocket. The stand man sees him and the boy gets in trouble with the mother. However, the stand man does not call the police because he justifies it as childhood behaviour.
Secondary deviance- On the other hand, secondary deviance is refers to a behaviour considered deviant by the society and is usually as a result of institutional labeling as deviant. For example, a child who starts committing crime at a young age and who is sent to prison for a couple of years when he attains the age of 18. Even after release, he or she is still labeled by the society as a thief. This makes it hard for him to gain employment and as such, he reverts to his criminal ways.
Question 3
Deviance is a very dynamic concept. In its most basic definition, it refers to the behaviors or actions that essentially violate the common social norms. This violation can include the violation of formally enacted laws and rules (for instance crime, murder and assault) or violations that are informal. The society usually defines what is considered deviant and also what is acceptable or not deviant. Therefore, the definitions of deviance usually vary among various communities. Some place more stringent rules on some aspects while in some communities, the same aspects have relatively relaxed rules. Deviance is usually a relative issue. Therefore, its standards change occasionally. Loner deviance is a type of deviance where the individuals involved live in isolation or feels isolated from the rest of the society members. They usually have no immediate community to associate with community and tend to always tend to perform private acts. An example of such type of deviants is those who perform self- injuries like slitting their wrists. Due to the lack of subcultures among this deviant group, the lone deviants usually have limited spaces and places to learn justifications and rationalizations to defuse their acts. However, the internet has recently opened up opportunities for dealing with these lone deviance individuals. Various cyber communities that assemble individuals with similar loner deviance tendencies have sprung up. These online communities then proceed to give advice to the participants and also avail a platform where they can voice out their frustrations and opinions. An example of such an online community is one that I came across on Facebook that supposedly assembles self-injurers. The group is made up of 200 members who use the platform to talk about their loner deviance behaviour. Some explain why they engage in such behaviour while others seek ways of curbing this behaviour. The administrators of the page occasionally bring along a psychiatrist who occasionally counsels the participant.
In my opinion, such online communities are very are very positive and effective because they provide the subculture that is usually lacking in the society to participants of the loner form of deviance.
Question 4
The hierarchy within methamphetamine producing groups is usually very defined. At the bottom of the chain are the “simple users” who are the individuals who normally abuse the drug. This is followed by three consecutive hierarchies which are the ‘dope ho’s, the shoppers and the “gas men/juicers. These three comprise of the distribution chains of the drug. At the top of the chain is the cook who is the most powerful of the hierarchy. He is the one who produces the drug to be taken to the market and distributed.
Methamphetamine is a drug that has gained a lot of popularity among drug abusers recently. The production of the group has therefore risen significantly in the last few years.
The main reason why this sub cultural group has such a well organized hierarchy, both vertically arranged and highly organized is so as to protect their deviant activities. The methamphetamine business is a very profitable one and the participants realize that by organizing the structure of the group, they will be able to keep the business running.
The methamphetamine group is usually different from other groups because it is more organized and is generally comprised of smarter individuals. Unlike other less organized groups exhibiting deviant behaviors, this group is actually comprised of individuals who primarily have the profit motive and as such, they will do anything to protect this motive.
Gender plays a huge role in this. Women are normally considered to be fewer suspects and are therefore mostly used as carriers or cookers. In addition, many methamphetamine producing businesses are family owned. It is very common to come across a husband and a wife running a meth lab together or even distributing their products together.
Question 5
Types of deviant acts
- Infractions of Sex Code and Laws
This is a deviant acts that infringes on the established rules and laws regarding various sex aspects and issues. Here an individual commits an act that contradicts the accepted norms of sex, both formal and informal. Examples of acts in this category include rape, prostitution, homosexuality, sex transplant, adultery, pornography, nudism and sadomachism.
- Infractions of liberty, property and against state.
This is where the acts commited are in contradiction are to established state laws and are therefore criminalized. The structure of these acts is such that involvement in action to being considered a deviant behaviour is also considered illegal and one may therefore face the action of the la. Examples of deviant acts in this category include abortion, corruption, wife battering, child abuse, piracy, vandalism, human rights violations and other criminal activities such as theft, arson, murder, genocide and kidnapping.
- Infraction against self
These are also known as victimless acts and the implications of such acts are prominently felt by the individual himself. Such deviant acts involve committing abnormal actions on one self or engaging in self hurting behaviour. Examples of acts in this category include gambling, smoking, drug abuse and suicide.
Question 6
In comparing Chapter 39 ad 45 and the podcast “Pimp Anthology”, more similarities than differences emerge. First of all, it emerges that women in all three are recipients of unimaginable physical and emotional torture. In Pimp Anthology, a man tells of his experiences as a pimp.
All the women in the Chapters and the podcast are exploited for money. They are forced to engage in the deviant behaviour of prostitution. Although some may have entered the business voluntarily, some of the things they are forced to go through are completely involuntary. In fact, this is the primary difference between the women’s experiences. In the Chapter’s most of the women actions are completely voluntary but in Pimp Anthology, the women actions are involuntary and some unanimously imposed on them by the reckless pimps. Chapter 39 and 45 show the relationship between men and women as being relatively cordial although the men ego’s tend to rise sometimes and they therefore attempt to impose various things on women. However, the podcast exhibits total women domination. The “pimps” exploit the women for their self profit and their relationship tp the women is the authoritative and subject relationship.
It usually starts with seduction of the sex workers by the pimps where they offer them connection, security and money. The sex worker initially has power in this relationship but as the relationship proceeds, thee powers continuously diminish and their primary activities are controlled by the pimps. They often become subjected to both physical and emotional manipulation. Chapter 39 and 45 show although it is relatively easy from women to get out of this deviant behaviour, but in the podcast, it is shown that is hard to get out of this deviant behaviour.
Question 7
Deviant career can be considered to be a form of secondary deviance. Here, the secondary deviance exhibited by an individual is continued or extended and thus becomes an individual’s job or his primary economic activity. The person accepts the label of deviance forwarded to him. An example of a deviant career is drug dealing. The process of fully integrating into this career follows several stages. The first stage involves becoming acquainted with the deviant behaviour, for instance the individual is introduced into the drug world by close friends. One the person is introduced a fully integrated and officially joins the business. Later the society learns of the individual’s activity and labels him or her as deviant. In the third stage, the attitude of the society changes, for example they start showing more restraint when approaching you and there is a general sense of disgust. In the fourth stage, people treat the individual completely differently, for instance they avoid one because he sis drug dealer and advice their peers, children and friends to avoid one. IN the final stage, one realizes that the mind of the society is already made up and the will always label you as deviant. The individual thus internalizes the deviant label of “drug dealer” and gets fully into the business where he makes it his primary economic activity. My example of drug dealing represents an example of deviant career that is relatively easy to get into. However getting out of the career is a different story. This may because of the motivation of money from this career or simply due to the fact that it is a very dangerous business.
References
Adler, Patricia A, and Peter Adler. Constructions of Deviance: Social Power, Context, and Interaction. 7th ed. Australia: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.
