Deviance and Crime

Deviance and Crime
In any given society, there are norms that are expected to be followed by its members. However, there are individuals who go contrary to these expectations and chart their own paths which further cause destruction and disorder to the society (Denisoff, 1973). Deviance modes of behavior significantly depart from social norms and tend not to conform to the social values. Such behavior can be either curbed through punishments or reinforced if the society tolerates them. Like in the case expressed in the film The City of God, characters in the gang called ‘Tender Trio’ cause a lot of disturbances to the society. They destruct the normal running of businesses and create tension in the city with their gun shots whenever they go stealing. Such criminal behavior can easily be arrested if the civilians or the society cooperate with the police. However, this is not the case in The City of God, where these thieves split part of their loot and share with the city civilians and in return they get protected from such acts of criminality. The society, therefore, takes part in contributing to criminality owing to the mere fact that they protect criminals. The media also advance the acts of criminality, since news reporters consider the news that benefits them rather than those of the social good. Rocket, who was in the position of exposing the corrupt cops to the public, decides to conceal these evil acts letting the corrupt corps to go scot-free.
Deviant behavior is, to a greater extent, not a result of individual character but rather a trait which comes up due to social pressure. Deviant behavior is not just considered to be deviant itself, it is rather concluded by the response the society has in connection to a particular act. In the case when the society finds it normal for an individual to steal, then the act of stealing may be considered a normal thing provided that one is not affected. To make this concept understandable, the lady in the movie gets raped after her boyfriend is killed, but there is no swift action that is taken to curb such an act. It is also worth noting that in a society where social disorder has taken root, reclaiming social order is difficult and may take time. When social norms are disregarded, the society becomes chaotic and one act of criminality leads to another. In the movie, criminal offenses like stealing produce a visible effect and the society protects the thieves by sharing in the bargains of stolen property. This act graduated to killings, where in the course of robberies innocent people fall victims to death. The society equally suffers the effect of social injustice and disregard to social norms. The police can easily be bribed to take part in organized crimes, while the citizens who should be protected by the police are scared. Therefore, their property and lives are neglected due to the disorder that has been collectively caused by the social negligence. Sociologists have, therefore, established that social norms are not based on morality but rather on social preferences.
People engage in deviant behavior for different reasons, there are those who are socially frustrated and therefore seek to satisfy some needs. For example, one may steal due to the desire to have wealth or to satisfy basic want of life. In connection to satisfying ones needs, a gentleman from The City of God kills a man in order to have his girlfriend who is later raped. This is done owing to one character’s effort to reach the lady that he desperately wanted but did not succeed. Pain and the desire to revenge also sparkles criminality and deviant behavior. In the movie, different people engage in deviant action just to revenge.
Social Stratification
This is a concept that sociologist uses to categorize people in different classes. In any given society, people form groupings based on their political affiliation, religious beliefs, and economic status. Social stratification is the situation where power, socio-economic class and such order of relational state of inequalities distinguish people. The urge to belong to a particular group is a motive that drives people’s behavior and their way of life. In the movie, young men, labeled themselves in their gangs to enable them have an esteemed identity. After the gang broke, the individual members had no common thing that they shared again, therefore, everybody had to find their ways in which some joined religious groups and others joined other social groupings. It is still the issue of class and social placement that dictate the decision of journalists as to what material he will publish in the magazine. According to sociologists, social stratification carries four concepts: social stratification is carried over from one generation to another. This is true as it is also reflected in the movie. When the narrator met the thief who was chasing the hen, he quickly recalled of the event that used to take place long time ago and he narrated how the events of criminality have unfolded over time. It is also believed that social stratification is universal, but it varies from society to society. This is true because issues such as rape and theft characterize every society that people live in today.

More read on https://essaysworld.net/.