11

The Production of Deviance The Production of Deviance in Capitalist Societyin Capitalist Society

Ch. 5, Steven SpitzerCh. 5, Steven Spitzer

22

Deviance within capitalist societyDeviance within capitalist society

the capitalist mode of production has two key the capitalist mode of production has two key features:features: it forms the foundation or it forms the foundation or infrastructure infrastructure of societyof society it contains internal contradictions it contains internal contradictions

Marxist theory illustrates the relationship Marxist theory illustrates the relationship between specific contradictions, the problems of between specific contradictions, the problems of capitalist development, and the production of a capitalist development, and the production of a “deviant class” “deviant class”

33

Infrastructure & SuperstructureInfrastructure & Superstructure

superstructuresuperstructure: : the ideologies that dominate a the ideologies that dominate a particular era, all that "men say, imagine, particular era, all that "men say, imagine, conceive," including such things as "politics, conceive," including such things as "politics, laws, morality, religion, metaphysics, etc." laws, morality, religion, metaphysics, etc." emerges from and reflects the ongoing development emerges from and reflects the ongoing development

of economic forces (infrastructure)of economic forces (infrastructure) in class societies, the superstructure preserves the in class societies, the superstructure preserves the

hegemony of the ruling class through a system of hegemony of the ruling class through a system of class controls, which are institutionalized in:class controls, which are institutionalized in: family, church, private associations, media, schools & the family, church, private associations, media, schools & the

statestate key function of the superstructure is the regulation key function of the superstructure is the regulation

and management of “problem populations”and management of “problem populations”

44

Problem populations become eligible for Problem populations become eligible for management as deviant when they management as deviant when they disturb, hinder, or call into questiondisturb, hinder, or call into question::

capitalist modes of appropriationcapitalist modes of appropriation social conditions of productionsocial conditions of production patterns of distribution & consumptionpatterns of distribution & consumption capitalist socialization processes capitalist socialization processes ideology which supports capitalismideology which supports capitalism

55

problem populationsproblem populations

tend to share social characteristicstend to share social characteristics most important is the fact that their behavior, most important is the fact that their behavior,

personal qualities, and/or position personal qualities, and/or position threaten threaten thethe social relations of production social relations of production in capitalist in capitalist societiessocieties

are not synonymous w/deviant populations are not synonymous w/deviant populations some members of problem populations are some members of problem populations are

successfully transformed into supporters it successfully transformed into supporters it capitalist order; the rest are “candidates for capitalist order; the rest are “candidates for deviance processing” (68)deviance processing” (68)

66

Problem populations are created in Problem populations are created in 2 ways2 ways

directly, as a product of the contradictions directly, as a product of the contradictions of capitalismof capitalism by creating a “relative surplus population,” i.e., by creating a “relative surplus population,” i.e.,

people who are unemployed and disposable, people who are unemployed and disposable, whose labor is not required for the systemwhose labor is not required for the system

indirectly, through disturbances in the indirectly, through disturbances in the system of class rulesystem of class rule when institutions, e.g., mass education, fails when institutions, e.g., mass education, fails

to promote the values of bourgeois/capitalist to promote the values of bourgeois/capitalist societysociety

77

Official social control creates two Official social control creates two kinds of problem populationskinds of problem populations

social junksocial junk social dynamitesocial dynamite

88

social junksocial junk

a group that fails to participate in the roles a group that fails to participate in the roles supportive of capitalist societysupportive of capitalist society

they are viewed as costly yet relatively harmless they are viewed as costly yet relatively harmless by the dominant classby the dominant class

e.g., the officially administered aged, the e.g., the officially administered aged, the handicapped, the mentally ill and mentally handicapped, the mentally ill and mentally disableddisabled

social control is managed by the therapeutic & social control is managed by the therapeutic & welfare state, i.e., programs like Social Security, welfare state, i.e., programs like Social Security, Medicare, and MedicaidMedicare, and Medicaid

99

social dynamitesocial dynamite

a group with the potential to call into a group with the potential to call into question established relationships, esp. question established relationships, esp. relations of production and dominationrelations of production and domination

poses a more acute problem that requires poses a more acute problem that requires rapid and focused expendituresrapid and focused expenditures

tends to be more youthful, alienated, and tends to be more youthful, alienated, and politically more volatile than social junkpolitically more volatile than social junk

Social control is handled by the Social control is handled by the legal/criminal justice systemlegal/criminal justice system

1010

Ch. 4: Blowing Smoke: Status Ch. 4: Blowing Smoke: Status Politics and the Shasta County Politics and the Shasta County

Smoking BanSmoking Ban

Ch. 4, Justin L. Tuggle and Ch. 4, Justin L. Tuggle and Malcom D. Holmes, pp. 53-66.Malcom D. Holmes, pp. 53-66.

1111

Is the association of tobacco with lower-Is the association of tobacco with lower-status persons a factor in the crusade status persons a factor in the crusade

against smoking in public places?against smoking in public places? Historically, attempts to control psychoactive Historically, attempts to control psychoactive

substances have linked their use to categories of substances have linked their use to categories of relatively powerless people:relatively powerless people: marijuana & Mexican Americansmarijuana & Mexican Americans opiates & Asiansopiates & Asians alcohol & immigrant Catholicsalcohol & immigrant Catholics

Recent evidence has shown that occupational Recent evidence has shown that occupational status, education, and family income are related status, education, and family income are related negatively to current smokingnegatively to current smoking Relationship of occupation & education to smoking have Relationship of occupation & education to smoking have

become strongerbecome stronger

1212

Moral entrepreneurs vs Moral entrepreneurs vs status quo defendersstatus quo defenders

Moral entrepreneurs crusading for ban Moral entrepreneurs crusading for ban argued that secondhand smoke damages argued that secondhand smoke damages public health and that people have a right public health and that people have a right to a smoke-free environmentto a smoke-free environment

Status quo defendersStatus quo defenders countered that countered that smokers have a constitutional right to smokers have a constitutional right to indulge wherever and whenever they see indulge wherever and whenever they see fit fit

1313

Differential Punishing of African Differential Punishing of African Americans and Whites Who Americans and Whites Who

Possess Drugs: A Just Policy or a Possess Drugs: A Just Policy or a Continuation of the Past?Continuation of the Past?

Ch. 10, Rudolph Alexander, Jr. Ch. 10, Rudolph Alexander, Jr. and Jacquelyn Gyamerahand Jacquelyn Gyamerah

1414

The origins & course of differential The origins & course of differential punishing of African Americanspunishing of African Americans

Under slavery in the US, controlling slaves Under slavery in the US, controlling slaves required slave owners to subject slaves to required slave owners to subject slaves to sanctions for behaviors that were not offenses if sanctions for behaviors that were not offenses if committed by Whites, e.g., committed by Whites, e.g.,

leaving the plantation without a passleaving the plantation without a pass being out of one’s quarters after curfewbeing out of one’s quarters after curfew being in a group of more than 5 slaves without a being in a group of more than 5 slaves without a

White man presentWhite man present owning firearms or animals, buying alcohol, owning firearms or animals, buying alcohol,

giving medicine to Whites, working in a giving medicine to Whites, working in a drugstore, working in a print shopdrugstore, working in a print shop

1515

Differential punishing, post-SlaveryDifferential punishing, post-Slavery

Wanting to increase the #s of Africans in prisons in order to control Wanting to increase the #s of Africans in prisons in order to control them more effectively, Southern states enacted a series of laws, them more effectively, Southern states enacted a series of laws, e.g., e.g., several states increased penalties for stealing livestock, making it grand several states increased penalties for stealing livestock, making it grand

larcenylarceny To counter this trend, Congress passed the To counter this trend, Congress passed the 1414thth Amendment Amendment, ,

specifically, its “equal protection clause”specifically, its “equal protection clause” adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction

Amendments Amendments Equal Protection Clause requires each state to provide equal Equal Protection Clause requires each state to provide equal

protection under the law to all people within its jurisdictionprotection under the law to all people within its jurisdiction basis for basis for Brown v. Board of EducationBrown v. Board of Education (1954), Supreme Court (1954), Supreme Court

decision that precipitated the dismantling of racial segregation in USdecision that precipitated the dismantling of racial segregation in US also contains a Citizenship Clause and Due Process Clausealso contains a Citizenship Clause and Due Process Clause

But differential punishing continuedBut differential punishing continued