Positivist & Constructionist Perspective

pptx

School

Broward College *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

4361

Subject

Sociology

Date

Feb 20, 2024

Type

pptx

Pages

Uploaded by alyssatrevino96

Positivist & Constructionist Perspective Alyssa Trevino CCJ3601: Deviant Behavior Professor Mark Noe

The Positivist Perspective • The positivist perspective believes that deviant behavior is caused by forces beyond an individual’s control. • Explain deviance by using such concepts as wife abuse, broken homes, unhappy homes, lower- class background, economic deprivation, social disorganization, rapid social change, differential association, differential reinforcement, and lack of social control (Thio et al., 2019).

Positivist Perspective Assumptions This perspective is based on three assumptions: absolutism, objectivism and determinism. • Absolutism : deviance is absolutely or intrinsically real. • Objectivism : deviant behavior is an observable object in that a deviant person is like an object that can be studied objectively. • Determinism : deviance is determined or caused by forces beyond the individual’s control (Thio et al., 2019).

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Absolutism • The positivist perspective holds deviance to be absolutely or intrinsically real. • Because they consider deviance real, positivist sociologists tend to focus their studies on deviant persons and deviant behavior, rather than on those who label others deviants, such as policy makers and law enforcement personnel (Thio et al., 2019).

Objectivism • Positivist sociologists assume that they can be as objective in studying deviance as natural scientists can be in studying physical phenomena. • Try to follow the scientific rule that all their ideas about deviant behavior should be subject to public test. • To display the objective reality of these concepts, positivists use official reports and statistics, clinical reports, surveys of self-reported behavior, and surveys of victimization (Thio et al., 2019).

Determinism • Deviance is determined or caused by forces beyond the individual’s control. • Positivist sociologists follow natural scientists and take on the deterministic view and apply it to human behavior. • Believe that regardless of how much a person exercises free will by making their own choices and decisions, the choices and decisions do not just happen but are determined by some causes (Thio et al., 2019).

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Positivist Perspective Example 1 Anthony Templet • In 2008, Anthony Templet was abducted from his family home by his father, making him a missing person for more than a decade. Templet's mother and sister didn't know whether he was alive or dead. While under his father Burt's supervision, he was isolated and abused. His father never registered him at a school, keeping him hidden from the rest of the world. Burt regularly physically, mentally and emotionally abused Templet. • On June 3, 2019, after an altercation with his drunk father, Anthony Templet shot Burt three times. His father died from the injuries (Martin, 2022).

Example 1 • According to the positivist perspective, Anthony Templet is not a deviant individual. Years of abuse and isolation at the hands of his father is the "force beyond his control" that led him to kill his father.

Positivist Perspective Example 2 Charlie Sheen • Celebrity Charlie Sheen's bizarre behavior and lifestyle could be labeled as deviant. He is known for his relationships with prostitutes and porn stars, domestic violence, drug use and just overall strange behavior (Thio et al., 2019). • Sheen went as far as to shoot his ex-fiance, Kelly Preston (LIVE, 2021). • Sheen was diagnosed with HIV in 2011 (ABC News, 2017). • He was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder (ABC News, 2011). • His father and brother are both famous actors; Sheen has been in the limelight since he was only nine years old.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Example 2 A positivist theorist would determine that outside factors caused the deviant behavior Sheen exhibited. The positivist theorist would base the determination upon the following factors: • Mental illness • Diagnosed with a life-altering disease • Pressure of being an A-list celebrity

The Constructionist Perspective • The constructionist perspective believes that deviant behavior is a voluntary act, stemming from an individual's conscious choices and actions (Thio et al., 2019).

Constructionist Perspective Assumptions • Like the positivist perspective, the constructionist perspective is based upon three assumptions: relativism, subjectivism, voluntarism. • Relativism : deviant behavior by itself does not have any intrinsic characteristics. • Subjectivism : deviant behavior is a subjective, personal experience and the supposedly deviant person is a conscious, feeling, thinking, and reflective subject. • Voluntarism : deviant behavior is a voluntary act, an expression of human volition, will, or choice (Thio et al., 2019).

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Relativism • Deviant characteristics do not come from the behavior itself; they come from some people’s opinions. • In a nutshell, an act only appears deviant because some people think it is deviant. • Because deviance is not considered real, constructionists stray from studying it (Thio et al., 2019).

Subjectivism • Deviance is a subjective experience and therefore should be studied with subjectivity and empathy. • Appreciate and empathize with each individual or group. • Studying humans as objects goes against contructionists' humanist values. • Constructionists believe there is a massive difference between humans and non-human beings and things. • Humans feel and think; therefore, they are discernible from animals, plants and things that cannot feel and think (Thio et al., 2019).

Voluntarism • Deviant behavior is a voluntary, self-willed act. • Constructionists analyze how social control agencies define some people as deviant and carry out the sanctions against them. • Constructionists also analyze people who have been labeled as "deviant" (Thio et al., 2019).

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Constructionist Perspective Example 1 Randy Kraft • Randy Kraft, also known as the Scorecard Killer, is known for raping and killing 64 people (16 of those confirmed) over a twelve-year period. • Kraft was born in Long Beach, CA in 1945 and raised in Orange County. • He had 3 sisters and two loving parents. He often recalls bowling with his father and eating strawberries with his mother (Janos, 2019). • Randy had an IQ of 129, played the saxophone in his high school band, and had many friends. He graduated in 1963 and then went on to attend Claremont College (Newton, n.d.).

Example 1 • By all accounts, Randy Kraft seemed to lead a very normal and happy childhood. Nothing that would indicate he would later commit these heinous acts. • There were no indications of any mental illness. • So, why did he commit all these crimes? According to the constructionist perspective, Randy Kraft chose to commit these crimes. There was no reason for it, other than he wanted to.

Constructionist Perspective Example 2 Polygamy • Polygamy can be defined as "a marriage in which a spouse of either sex may have more than one mate at the same time" (Definition of Polygamy, 2019). • Many people in the United States would say they consider polygamy a deviant act. However, individuals in West or Central Africa would not agree. It is common practice where they live.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Example 2 • According to the constructionist perspective's assumption of relativism, an act only appears deviant because some people have deemed it deviant. • “Constructionists strongly emphasize this relativistic view, according to which, deviance, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder” (Thio et al., 2019, p. 8). • That being said, polygamy is only "deviant" because society decided it is.

Which Perspective Is Right? • Both the positivist and the constructionist perspectives are important to understanding deviant behavior and why it happens. • Each view has valid points. Yes, it is up to the individual to weigh out their options and make a choice on how they will behave. However, outside forces have an impact on who a person is and the choices they make.

References • ABC News. (2011, April 22). Bipolar bandwagon: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Charlie Sheen go public with disorder. ABC News . https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/demi-lovato-catheri ne-zeta-jones-charlie-sheen-bipolar/story?id=13427787 • ABC News. (2017, January 11). Charlie Sheen opens up about his battle with HIV: “I feel like I’m carrying the torch.” ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/charlie-sheen-open s-battle-hiv-feel-carrying-torch/story?id=44641951

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

References • Definition of Polygamy. (2019). Merriam-Webster.com. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polygamy • Janos, A. (2019, September 5). How to explain Serial killers who come from good homes. A&E. https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/serial-killers-who-came-from-go od-homes • LIVE, H. F. (2021, December 31). Top ten craziest Charlie Sheen moments. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/top-ten-craziest-charlie-sheen- moments-2011-2

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

References • Martin, L. (2022, August 16). The true dark story of the murder in, “I just killed my dad” and Anthony Templet’s involvement. Esquire. https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/a40816255/i-just-killed-m y-dad-true-story-murder-of-anthony-templet/ • Newton, M. (n.d.). Changeling — Randy Kraft, the Freeway Killer — Crime Library. Www.crimelibrary.org . https://www.crimelibrary.org/serial_killers/predators/kraft/2.h tml#:~:text=Randy%20Kraft%20was%20born%20in • Thio, A., Taylor, J. D., & Schwartz, M. D. (2019). Deviant behavior (12th ed.). Pearson.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Related Documents

CNL 525 week 4 assignment.docx

2.3.12 Section Quiz.pdf

Module 5 Journal .docx

WK3Assgn1 Grossman.docx

SWK 661 6.2 Assignment Literature Review.docx

6.3 Journal Assignment.edited.docx

SWK 661 6.2 Assignment Literature Review 2.edited.docx

Week 4 Journal-Deviant Behavior.docx

APA 1.docx

TED 407 Discussion Guide 3- Anderson Morgan.docx

Class Assignment #2-Community Relations.docx

Milestone 2_ Final Project Outline (1).docx

Recommended textbooks for you

Social Psychology (10th Edition)

Sociology

ISBN:9780134641287

Author:Elliot Aronson, Timothy D. Wilson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers

Publisher:Pearson College Div

Introduction to Sociology (Eleventh Edition)

Sociology

ISBN:9780393639407

Author:Deborah Carr, Anthony Giddens, Mitchell Duneier, Richard P. Appelbaum

Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company

The Basics of Social Research (MindTap Course Lis...

Sociology

ISBN:9781305503076

Author:Earl R. Babbie

Publisher:Cengage Learning

Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Scien...

Sociology

ISBN:9780134477596

Author:Saferstein, Richard

Publisher:PEARSON

Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach (13th Edition)

Sociology

ISBN:9780134205571

Author:James M. Henslin

Publisher:PEARSON

Society: The Basics (14th Edition)

Sociology

ISBN:9780134206325

Author:John J. Macionis

Publisher:PEARSON

SEE MORE TEXTBOOKS

Recommended textbooks for you

Social Psychology (10th Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:9780134641287
Author:Elliot Aronson, Timothy D. Wilson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers
Publisher:Pearson College Div
Introduction to Sociology (Eleventh Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:9780393639407
Author:Deborah Carr, Anthony Giddens, Mitchell Duneier, Richard P. Appelbaum
Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company
The Basics of Social Research (MindTap Course Lis...
Sociology
ISBN:9781305503076
Author:Earl R. Babbie
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Scien...
Sociology
ISBN:9780134477596
Author:Saferstein, Richard
Publisher:PEARSON
Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach (13th Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:9780134205571
Author:James M. Henslin
Publisher:PEARSON
Society: The Basics (14th Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:9780134206325
Author:John J. Macionis
Publisher:PEARSON