Key Assumption

◦People know

◦Deviation: a conscious decision

“The Effective Environment”

◦ Actual circumstances

◦ & interpretation

Biography ◦ Our social background

Effective environment & biography shape:◦ Affinity◦ Willingness

Everyday life: ◦ where we are now

Role of others◦ Friends: role models ◦ Provide reasons, rationales◦ Support

Commitment◦ Commitment to conform, P of deviance◦ Inverse relationship

Hirschi

Definition of self◦ “Am I the kind of person that would do that?”

Deciding to deviate◦ Overcoming moral constraints

Techniques of neutralization, again (Sykes & Matza)

Metaphor of the Ledger: (Klockars, 1974) ◦ one bad act in an otherwise good record

Claim of Normality: (Henry, 1978)◦ yes, it's illegal, but . . .

Rule’s moral significance is trivialized Denial of Negative Intent (Moss, 1990)

◦ Acknowledge harm, but claim that the harm was not intentional "just having fun", "never meant for it to go so far"

Claim of Relative Acceptability (Moss, 1990)◦ others' behavior is worse than the action in

question

Willingness is NOT commitment Willingness has to be renewed (people

change)◦ People aren't deviant for all time◦ Biography is always in the making

People evaluate their deviant experience◦ Good? bad?

Motives (affect decision initially and whether to continue)◦ $◦ Recreation◦ Status

Motives (cont’d)◦ Political

protest; desire to change meanings ◦ Problem-Solving

Moral emotions: humiliation, indignance To maintain in a stressful situation Self-help

◦ Interpersonal/Social The deviance maintains a relationship

Emphasis on “Agency” and Choice◦ Irony: Common ground with Classical Theory

BUT – ◦ Still focused on moral entrepreneurs and agents

of control