It is also possible to have professional networks of contacts and people with whom one has a relationship with. Again, there are web sites that specialize in this form of a network, such as Linked in. Ultimately, people benefit from these networks by being able to take advantage of the opportunities and insights that they might not otherwise have been aware of if someone in their network had not told them about it (How Social Contagion, 2004). Social networks allow a person to vastly extend his or her resources.

What is deviant behavior? Deviant behavior is behavior that is considered the opposite of behavior that is characterized as conforming to some sort of a social norm. However, as there are many different social groups within society as a whole, the definition of what is considered deviant and what is considered normative or conforming behavior switches and may even conflict between groups. Circumstances help to determine what sort of behavior is considered deviant as much as it does that which is considered conforming. In general, legislation and laws help to set standards for social behavior. Any behavior that is at variance with those laws, let alone that which contradicts it, can be considered deviant and is frequently punishable by law enforcement.

However, there are a number of sociological factors that effectively influence what sort of behavior is deemed deviant for a particular social group (Giddens, 2011, p. 151). For a group of young men within inner city American who are routinely discriminated against and come from a low economic standing, selling illegal narcotics may be considered a type of social norm. In this setting, amongst such people in desperate economic downturns (such as those which currently exist) not selling drugs to put food on the table may be considered deviant. Thus, there are a host of factors that determine just what deviant behavior is. This term is largely relative and greatly affected by social groups and external factors pertaining to society such as social status and economic issues. But as a general definition, deviant behavior is that which does not conform to established social normative values.

Not all criminals act out of desperation, however. Still, there is no denying the fact that in a capitalist society, there will always be those who have wealth and advantageous social resources to preserve themselves, as well as those who have no such resources. The latter may commit crimes to help them to enable the basic social desires that all people need to survive, such as food, clothing and shelter. The functionalist theory (Giddens, 2011, p. 151) attests to this reason for some indigent, blue-collar criminals.
However, not all crime is based on these essential needs that people are lacking, which is why helping to implement social measures that can redirect the balance of the wealth to present it more to those who do not have it can only reduce, and not stop crime completely. Some crimes are committed out of greed, such as white collar crimes committed by executives like those who formerly worked for Enron (Valdmanis, 2008). These crimes cannot be stopped by redistributing the wealth in this country. However, implementing social programs such as welfare or affirmative action may help to create the sort of active changes that is necessary to balance out the ills of capitalism. If poor people have the basic essentials that they need, certain lower level crimes that are committed for basic sustenance and survival will inherently be reduced.