Defining Terms

So you may ask yourself what exactly are these theories and concepts?
Below we have provided a description of how each concept is broken down and the definition behind them.

Erving Goffman: Impression Management
Routines and patterns of interaction (being worthy)

Looking Glass Self
 -The Looking Glass Self consists of 3 elements:
1. First one must imagine their own appearance
2. Next, they imagine what others are thinking about his or her appearance
3. Then, they make a choice based on the feelings they get from imagining others opinions of them.

Deviance
- Actions or behaviors that may violate cultural norms.
-Who decided what behaviors, beliefs, and conditions will be defined as deviant?
-------Communities, and Particular circumstances

1. Merton's Strain Theory:  This theory says that society gives us certain templates for acting properly.  Society gives us appropriate goals and a "correct" means of achieving those goals.  The deviance comes into play when people decide to either reject the goal, the means of achieving the goal, or both.

2. Cloward & Ohlin's Relative Opportunity Structure:  This structure teaches that the amount deviance depends on the presence of illegal or other deviating activities in one's life.  The more deviation surrounding a person, the more deviance that the person usually commits.

3. Sutherland's Differential Association:  This theory attempts to explain deviation by correlating it to a social process.  Sutherland claims that by hanging out with deviance-prone groups, one will learn deviance and thus commit more acts of deviance.

4. Hirschi's Control Theory:  This theory of deviance is very similar to Cooley's looking glass self approach.  Hirschi argues that one imagines the consequences of one's deviance, then decides to act based on that.  He then further breaks this down into four sub categories to further explain why people deviate.

  • Attachment:  Strong relationships encourage conformity and vice versa. 
  • Commitment:  A greater commitment to legit opportunity means greater advantages of conformity.
  • Involvement:  The more one involves himself with legitimate activities, the less likely he is to deviate.
  • Belief:  This final category comes down to one's personal beliefs.  Do you have a strong belief in conventional morality?  Respect for authority?  If yes, then one is less likely to deviate.


Subculture
-A cultural group within a larger culture that has its own structure and beliefs.

Gender
- The characteristics we recognize as being masculine or feminine. Typically a socially constructed identity. Not synonymous with sex.



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