Sociological Perspectives of Deviance Over The Life Course Research Paper

Sociological Perspectives of Deviance Over The Life Course - Research Paper ExampleLaub and Robert(1990, p600) noted that the study shortcoming of criminologists approach to crime is that they ignore the early childhood characteristics of crime and as a result, it has become challenging to assemble a relationship in the midst of child and adult offenses in the society. In the human development stages, empirical research has established that criminal carriage begins from childhood and attains its peak during adolescence, continuing ulterior in life, as a person grows older. Moreover, labor market and social stability are important factors that influence development of deviant behavior afterward in life (Laub and Robert, 1990, p604). This paper investigates how criminal deviant behavior changes over ones life course, by looking into strain and self-control possibility in the theoretical criminology perspective. Sociological theories of criminal deviant behavior In the contemporar y society, the culture of a given community determines what behavior is normal or deviant through established norms and determine (Blumstein, et al, 1986, p53). This implies that a behavior considered deviant in one society could be acceptable in another. Blumstein et al(1986, p32) noted that norms and values constitute to the moral code of a culture that determines whether certain(a) behavior is good or bad, and if it is right or wrong. In order to establish whether an action is normal or deviant, it is important to not only consider the action, but the place, the character of the person and the culture or the society that the action is done. Therefore, from a sociological point of view, deviant behavior is a conduct that does comply with the values and norms of the society in question (Hagan, 1989, p66). There is great disparity amongst normal and deviant behavior in view of different societies, but some actions are universally regarded as deviant, such mass murder, genocide, d efiling children just to pattern a few. However, there is no scientific framework of establishing whether a given action is normal or amounts to deviance. As a result, sociologists affirm that there is a higher moral order that establishes whether a certain behavior is deviant, regardless of the cultural belief or conviction about the normality of the behavior (Hagan, 1989, p69). For example, certain behavior such as child abuse is presently considered deviant irrespective of cultural beliefs that justified punishment of child as a sort of imparting discipline. Deviance behavior is a normal in every society and it presents opportunities for the larger society to unite with intention of countering the deviant group (Caspi, 1987, p 1215). The unity of purpose is essential for continuous survival of any group. It is common for members in society to take each other granted when everything is working ordinarily resulting to weakening of social interdependence. However, emergence of so cial deviance behavior in society rekindles their unity, and it compels the society to recommit to social controls that hold the society together. Moreover, deviant behavior