Moral
entrepreneurs:
those who
construct
moral
meanings and
associate them
with certain
acts
Draw on institutions,
agencies, symbols,
ideas,and
communication to
audience
Facets of deviance
Rule creating:
politicians,
teachers,
parents, school
admin, and
business leaders.
They create
public morality
through a
process of stages
Stage 1:
Awareness of
the problem
Stage 2:
Convincing
others
Rule
enforcing:
police,
prosecuters,
judges
Differential social power
Labeling:
some groups
have more
social power
than others,
the yset the
definitions of
deciance and
impose labels
on people
Resisting
labeling:
some
groups are
powerful
enough to
resist labels
Social construction of drug scares
Drug scares and drug laws:
not simply a reflection of
problems people are
experiencing
7 Elements to
drug scares: a
kernel of truth,
media
magnification,
moral
entrepreneurs,
professional
intrest groups,
historical
context of
conflict, link
drug use for a
variety of
social
problems
Drug scare frequency in America: All too
frequent due to 3 reasons. We blame
drugs for social problems. American
society is capitalist society, emphasis on
self control, We live in a consumer culture
Status politics and the creation of deviance.
Socially
constructed ,
creates political
competition
Moral crusades:
Dominated by members of
upper social class: may be
assimilative or coercive
Assimilative: sympathy for
deviance; higher moral plane
(Education)
Coercive: deviants viewed as denying
moral superiority of reformers (Law
and Force)
Bad reputations: Someone
labeled as deviant may
experience negative
stereotypes, lead to blocked
opportunities, and tighter
social control
Good reputations:
convey advantages
( Halo Effect)
Claim
smackers:
compete in
social
problems.
Sometimes
they rework
their claims
in order to
make them
more
persuasive
Blow back: unanticipated
negative consequences of
social action
Gang: 3 or more people
engaged in criminal activity
either collectively or
individually
Broken
window theory:
focus on
enforcement
efforts on
minor offenses
to prevent
social and
physical
disorder and
thus reduce the
level of overall
crime
Police
misconduct:
excessive force,
illegals treated
worse, 80% of
misconduct occurs
during an arrest
and takes place in
the evening time.
Incarceration
trends: 2 million
currently
incarcerated;
longer sentences;
greater range of
offenses; little
planning for
release, limited
future
employment, 40%
return within 3
years
Medical kickbacks: payments from one
party to another in exchange for
referred business or other money
producing deals.
Fee splitting: when
one physician
receives payment
from a surgeon or
other specialist in
exchange for patient
referrals.
Self referrals: involve sending
patients to specialized medical
facilities in which the physician
has financial interest.
Prescription violation: over
prescribe or misprescribe drugs
to patients resulting in serious
illness or death.
Unnecessary treatments: recommended
to patients because of financial gain for
the doctor not the patient.
Sexual misconduct: sex may be exchanged
for professional service.