Deviant Behavior
...f society can often be unfavorable to individuals in unfavorable circumstances. People who are frustrated with their feelings of inferiority caused by high-class society develop a subculture, one that allows the use of delinquency to gain status. Those raised in a low-class home and neighborhood may also use crime as a means of revenge – vandalizing or robbing one who enjoys a much higher social status. Even if a person does not experience bitterness about his or her low social standing, he or she may still be very inclined to commit criminal acts if surrounded by several individuals engaging in them. Though not a direct cause of criminal behavior, race often invites unfair legal scrutiny. Minorities often live under crime-inducing conditions such as poverty because of the long-term effects of racism. Racial profiling is one reaction to the statistics of crime rates. Law enforcement officials often feel negatively about lower-class people and minorities, and these feelings persuade them to treat such individuals harshly. Cyclically, poor people of color feel that they are judged and unfairly accused by police officers and fall to harassing them. Energy used in this ongoing battle prevents the police from concentrating on all criminals, including those who are white and middle-class. As a result, corporate and white-collar crime is swept under the rug on which the poor minorities must sleep. Karl Marx’s conflict theory shows how the perpetual struggle exists between those who have power and those who do not. First, Marx states that life is not defined by harmony, but rather by dissention. This holds true on the grounds that all members of society do not share the same morals and ideas of appropriate behavior. Secondly, Marx tells us that relationships among individuals and groups are feeble and not able to withstand a struggle for power. Drawing on this idea, one could assume that poorer persons in society would sacrifice just about anything, even a relationship, in order to achieve a higher level of success. While those elite few in power are quite at odds with their numerous counterparts, it is still necessary that the two groups work together. A primary component of a harmonious relationship, says Marx, is the acceptance of the power of those in authority. Following the formation of the different groups is the emergence of the strongest and most influential one. Lastly, when there is a competition for power, each contender will attempt to manipulate the other until one group finally wins. Karl Marx believed that this was where deviance transpired. Each chapter in this section clearly outlines how the different opinions of society as a whole play suc...