SOC/100 v8 Reading Guide: Deviance, Social Stratification, and Inequality SOC/100 v8 Page 2 of 2 Reading Guide: Deviance, Social Stratification, and Inequality This reading guide covers Chapters 7, 9, 11, and 12 in your textbook: Griffiths, H., Keirns, N., Strayer, E., Cody-Rydzewski, S., Scaramuzzo, G., Sadler, T., Vyain, S., Bry, J., & Jones, F. (2015). Introduction to sociology (2nd ed.). OpenStax College, Rice University. Review these notes to assist with your assignment this week. DevianceDeviance and Social Control Deviance: behavior that does not conform with cultural norms or social standards · Deviance depends on a person’s culture and subculture; deviant actions may not be considered deviant in a different place or time. · For example, actions such as smoking indoors, playing loud music, or being nude in public can be considered deviant or not, depending on when and where they happen. Deviance and Crime: Formal and Informal Sanctions Informal sanctions: forms of punishment for mild violations of social norms · Examples of mild violations: cutting in line, eating with your fingers at a nice restaurant, texting during a film in a movie theater · Examples of informal sanctions: nasty looks, rude comments, isolation from social groups Formal sanctions: forms of punishment for serious violations of social norms that are written laws · Examples of serious violations: murder, rape, theft, speeding · Examples of sanctions: fines, jail time, criminal recordTheoretical Perspectives on Deviance · Functionalist perspective · A functional society needs deviance to reaffirm current social norms and to set boundaries for social control and morality. · Conflict theorist perspective · Deviance and crime are caused by social and economic factors created by a wealthy elite class of people in power who maintain the status quo in society, decide what is deviant, and determine who gets criminalized for deviant behavior. · Symbolic interactionist perspective · Deviance is behavior that is learned from social interactions with other people, either as a response to others’ reactions or by modeling their deviance. Social Stratification Social stratification: society’s way of categorizing people by socioeconomic status, ranked by tiers based on factors that reflect an unequal distribution of resources · Sociologists recognize that social stratification is a society-wide system that makes inequalities apparent. Class system: a way of describing the level of someone’s social standing based on their individual accomplishments and social factors · Examples of class systems in the U.S.: lower, middle, and higher income · Primary characteristics of each class serve as social boundaries between them. · Socioeconomic status (SES) in a class system determines individuals’ life outcomes. Wealth: the value of assets owned by a household · Wealth enhances one’s life chances by creating opportunities and desired stature, command over labor and businesses, and the abil.

1. SOC/100 v8
Reading Guide: Deviance, Social Stratification, and Inequality
SOC/100 v8
Page 2 of 2
Reading Guide: Deviance, Social Stratification, and Inequality
This reading guide covers Chapters 7, 9, 11, and 12 in your
textbook:
Griffiths, H., Keirns, N., Strayer, E., Cody-Rydzewski, S.,
Scaramuzzo, G., Sadler, T., Vyain, S., Bry, J., & Jones, F.
(2015). Introduction to sociology (2nd ed.). OpenStax College,
Rice University.
Review these notes to assist with your assignment this week.
DevianceDeviance and Social Control
Deviance: behavior that does not conform with cultural norms
or social standards
· Deviance depends on a person’s culture and subculture;
deviant actions may not be considered deviant in a different
place or time.
· For example, actions such as smoking indoors, playing loud
music, or being nude in public can be considered deviant or not,
depending on when and where they happen. Deviance and
Crime: Formal and Informal Sanctions
Informal sanctions: forms of punishment for mild violations of
social norms
· Examples of mild violations: cutting in line, eating with your
fingers at a nice restaurant, texting during a film in a movie
theater
· Examples of informal sanctions: nasty looks, rude comments,
isolation from social groups
Formal sanctions: forms of punishment for serious violations of
social norms that are written laws
· Examples of serious violations: murder, rape, theft, speeding

2. · Examples of sanctions: fines, jail time, criminal
recordTheoretical Perspectives on Deviance
· Functionalist perspective
· A functional society needs deviance to reaffirm current social
norms and to set boundaries for social control and morality.
· Conflict theorist perspective
· Deviance and crime are caused by social and economic factors
created by a wealthy elite class of people in power who
maintain the status quo in society, decide what is deviant, and
determine who gets criminalized for deviant behavior.
· Symbolic interactionist perspective
· Deviance is behavior that is learned from social interactions
with other people, either as a response to others’ reactions or by
modeling their deviance.
Social Stratification
Social stratification: society’s way of categorizing people by
socioeconomic status, ranked by tiers based on factors that
reflect an unequal distribution of resources
· Sociologists recognize that social stratification is a society-
wide system that makes inequalities apparent.
Class system: a way of describing the level of someone’s social
standing based on their individual accomplishments and social
factors
· Examples of class systems in the U.S.: lower, middle, and
higher income
· Primary characteristics of each class serve as social
boundaries between them.
· Socioeconomic status (SES) in a class system determines
individuals’ life outcomes.
Wealth: the value of assets owned by a household
· Wealth enhances one’s life chances by creating opportunities
and desired stature, command over labor and businesses, and the
ability to pass along status to children.
· Wealth is less equally distributed and more concentrated than
income; wealth begets wealth and is more stable across

3. generations from parentsTheoretical Perspectives on Social
Stratification
· Functionalist perspective
· Different social classes exist because they serve a purpose
needed in society.
· Social roles that are more important for the functioning of
society receive greater rewards. For example, doctors are part of
a higher-class status than janitors based on their importance,
due to society’s need for them.
· Conflict theorist perspective
· Inequality is systematically created and maintained by those
with control over resources.
· Advantages are based on characteristics such as class, race or
ethnicity, or age.
· Symbolic interactionist perspective
· Social standing is affected at a micro-level in everyday
interactions with people who typically share the same social
group.
· People often show symbols of their social status through
preferences in style or appearance.
Race and Ethnicity
Race: a socially defined category based on perceived physical
differences between groups of people
· Social construction of race: the belief that race is not
biologically identifiable; race is a social construct because
racial categories change over time
Ethnicity: a socially defined category based on a group’s shared
cultural factors, such as language, religion, nationality, or
history
Minority group: any group of people singled out from the rest of
society to be treated differently or unequally
Stereotype: an over-generalized belief about a group of people
who share a characteristic
Racism: a set of beliefs and practices about the superiority of
one racial or ethnic group over another

4. Prejudice: a biased thought process based on flawed
assumptions about a group of people
Discrimination: actions taken against individuals to treat them
unequally because of their race or ethnic group; usually
motivated by prejudice
Privilege: benefits or advantages that some people enjoy
because they are part of a dominant group that receives
preferential treatment over othersTheoretical Perspectives on
Race and Ethnicity
· Functionalist perspective
· Racial and ethnic differences exist because they serve an
important function in society; racial inequality can strengthen
bonds between in-group members through pushing away out-
group members.
· Conflict theorist perspective
· Conflict between racial and ethnic inequalities arises when the
dominant group perceives a threat from a minority group to
their power and control over scarce resources.
· Symbolic interactionist perspective
· Everyday interactions between members of the dominant group
reinforce their assumptions about the racial or ethnic identities
that symbolize minority groups.
Gender, Sex, & Sexuality
Sex: biologically determined physiological differences between
males and females
Gender: a person’s internal perception of their gender as
determined by role differences in our society and culture
· Gender differences are a product of socialization and other
forms of social control.
· Traditional masculine vs. feminine gender role stereotypes are
reinforced agents of socialization.
Sexism: the prejudiced belief that one sex is superior to
anotherTheoretical Perspectives on Gender, Sex, & Sexuality
· Functionalist perspective
· Gender roles function to regulate sexual behavior and ensure

5. cohesion in a marriage and stability in a family.
· Changes in gender roles undermine social institutions and are
therefore dysfunctional to society.
· Conflict theorist perspective
· Socially dominant groups actively work to promote their views
of sexuality and can deny social and economic advantages to
subordinate groups, causing conflict between groups over
resources.
· Symbolic interactionist perspective
· Gender roles are learned social behaviors that are reinforced
through symbols of “femininity” or “masculinity” that society
shares.
Copyright 2020 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2020 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.