Question

What is the difference between deviance and Crime. What is social control?

How is crime and punishment handled in society towards different social groups and organizations?

Answer 1

Deviance means not according to the norm. Whereas crime is an act of hostile aggression towards others with an intention to cause physical harm or hurt.

Social control refers to normative influence that a society or culture places on individual by nurturing certain values, beliefs, accepting or rejecting the behavior. For example, in India, Honor killings are done by families of boy and girl who flout cultural norms of caste marriages.

Social groups and organisations in a society exist in hierarchy. And studies indicate that majoritarian culture tend to influence this institutions and hence delivery of justice. For example, crimes are most often committed by blacks in America as per criminal records. There might be other reasons for the same like stereotypes nurtured by society against blacks which cops also internalize, poor socio-economic backgrounds and lack of opportunities that predispose, peer group influence etc.

And the punishments meted out are accordingly biased. And there are many forms of punishments meted out. Like banishing out from community, or people gathering around the person reminding him of good deeds done to generate remorse and guilt for crime done.