Topic > Social Construction of Crime and Deviance

The life of a human being is governed by the social norms and rules created within society. According to Anthony Giddens there is another side to the story and that is the norms and rules that are broken Giddens 1989. A crime is known as an act against the law which then results in punishment for what has been committed. For example, if a person sells drugs abroad and profits to support their life and family, this is known as a crime in the UK because they are doing something that is illegal. Another example of crime would be the working class serial murder of an elderly woman at the bus station for financial gain and some for thrill seeking. Not all people who commit crimes are prosecuted, and not all people who commit crimes are arrested. Crime is selective as there are different levels of crime and therefore it is not singular. This shows that not everyone has the same treatment and therefore this is somehow selected. If a black man was caught red-handed, he would be directly entered into the system and likely never seen again. Just because of their race does not mean that a light-skinned individual has nothing going on their side. Policies are more likely to affect those living in poorer communities. Becker said police worked within the bounds of certain preconceptions and stereotypes and what was considered a "problem." This shows that it is not a measurable behavior. For example, if a group of women were drinking and having fun outside an event building, the police would not stop them unlike a group of men doing exactly the same thing. Instead, they would have been amused by the group of women. This shows that not everyone is treated the same. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay On the other hand, deviance does not have a simple definition in the sociological context. Downes and Rock state that deviance can be considered prohibited or known as controlled behavior that attracts punishment. Such behaviors include murder and rape, which are unacceptable and prohibited in many cultures and are subject to severe punishment. Deviance is mostly hidden and hidden from the public eye, so it has a sneaky character, is often undercover and can be found, hidden in normal environments such as in workplaces or at home. Take the example of serial killer Douglas Vinter, 39, who was convicted of stabbing and strangling his wife three years after being released from prison. It seemed that this person was a normal family man, yet in private he indulged in the murder of his wife. Besides that. He was able to use his normal social behavior skills and appear innocent. No one would know what he did because he wasn't caught. This shows that a form of behavior can be classified as deviant but can be seen as normal. Sociologists believe that crime and deviance are socially constructed. This is often due to the ruling class. If someone behaves in an unpleasant and mediocre manner while in court, then it is deviance because they behaved in a way that was outside of normal behavior. Howard Becker said that deviant acts are the ones that have been labeled. What makes something deviant is how people react to what is done. For example, if a famous person is caught carrying out criminal activities, they are labeled and known for it and therefore the only thing deviants have in common is that they have been.