Final Paper: Scientology - Deviant Behavior

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GurFghqrag99

Humanities

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Overview

Submit your Final Paper to the dropbox in a Word or .rtf document, using APA format. Include a title page and your final bibliography. Papers are required to have at least five sources from academic books or journal articles in APA format. Papers should be double spaced, with at least 6 pages of text (bibliography page and title page do not count as part of the page requirement). STANDARD MARGINS (1 inch) AND FONTS (Times New Roman, 12 pt). Submit to Dropbox

Instructions

  1. Submit, in the dropbox, your final paper of at least 6 pages of text. This should include information addressing all six of the assigned questions below, together with a well-argued introduction about your findings.
  2. Your Final Paper should answer the following questions;

    • Explain what makes the group deviant.
    • Is the group organized? If so, what does the organizational structure look like?
    • Explain how the group differentiates itself using cultural concepts (norms, language, rituals, etc.).
    • What do people "get" out of being in the group?
    • Is participating in this deviance a choice or is it "forced upon" people?
    • Use theories of deviance to explain the actions of the group.
  3. Papers are required to have at least five sources from academic books or journal articles in APA format.
  4. Papers should be double spaced, with at least 6 pages of text (bibliography page and title page do not count as part of the page requirement). STANDARD MARGINS (1 inch) AND FONTS (Times New Roman, 12 pt).

Textbook:

Thio, Alex, Jimmy D. Taylor, and Martin D. Schwartz. Deviant Behavior. Boston: Pearson, 2013. Print.

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Explanation & Answer

Attached.

Running Head: SCIENTOLOGY – DEVIANT BEHAVIOR

Scientology – Deviant Behavior
Name
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SCIENTOLOGY – DEVIANT BEHAVIOR

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Introduction

Deviance is behavior recognized as a characteristic of violating norms and rules and often
departs from social expectations significantly. Many people deviate from the social norms and
beliefs due to their desire to achieve goals using means that are unaccepted by the society. Others
want to fulfill their individual desire of status, money or recognition in the society. Some of these
behaviors are aggravated by the lack of social control, criminal role models and the society
norms and values. These deviants often form groups which are organized in structures along the
lines of conformity and rationality and are usually grouped depending on the needs of the group.
Studies have revealed theories that explain these structures and deviance such as strain theory,
structural functionalism theory among others.

Explain what makes the group deviant

According to sociologists, deviance is not explained in terms of individual behavior, but it
is looked at in terms of group processes and judgments or social responses of groups towards the
behavior of others. Group deviance can be interpreted in various forms since social norms vary
from one culture to another. However, various behaviors are classified as deviant by many
cultures such as binge drinking, prostitution, nose-picking in public, nudity in public, theft,
robbery, suicide, and rape among others (Ballantine & Roberts, 2009). Deviant behavior among
groups can be caused by;

1.

Strain

According to Robert Merton, deviance can be caused by tensions that exist between
various cultural goals and the means available to achieve these goals. He used strain theory to

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SCIENTOLOGY – DEVIANT BEHAVIOR

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explain that strain in society may encourage deviance when societal goals and norms such as the
American Dream exert pressure on individuals. When these people are forced to achieve societal
goals, they may work within the structure of society, or they may become members of the
different culture in an attempt to achieve the set goals. For example, the United States provides
employment and education to facilitate the society to achieve cultural goals. However, when
individuals are faced with the reality of insufficiency and inability to achieve the dream, they feel
strained, and they adapt to various deviant groups by either becoming conformists, rebels,
innovators, ritualists or retreatists (Hanser, 2012).

2.

Lack of social control
Edwin Sutherland’s in his theory of differential Association explained that crime is likely

to occur in areas that lack social institutions and organizations of social control. He explained
deviance by various factors such as age, race, location and social class and observed that high
cases of deviant behaviors such as crime are learned from interactions with people. Through
communication, people learn techniques, attitudes, values, and motives of criminal behavior
(Kidwell & Martin, 2005).

3.

Role models

In life, it is human nature to learn from other people through interaction with peers, role
models and other members of the society that one associate with. Therefore, when people
associate with people they...


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