Deviance and social control

Bastards of the Party and Social Deviance Theories

Anomie Theory:

The Anomie concept of human social behavior dates back to the turn of the 20th century and sociologist Emile Durkheim. According to Durkheim, the dramatic changes in society brought on by the Industrial Revolution resulted in profound economic changes and fundamental changes in the way many people worked and lived. Those whose means of earning livelihoods were rendered obsolete by the new industrial age found it more difficult to achieve the median standard of living and to participate in "normal society."

More specifically, Durkheim described the source of tension as the discrepancy between the continually improving lifestyles that became achievable through industrialization and what was, in fact, actually achievable for individuals whose economic and social status decreases during that period (Henslin, 2002; Macionis, 2003).

The documentary traces some of the social issues facing African-Americans and the evolution of organized criminal gangs to the social and economic inequalities based on race in the first half of the 20th century and into the Civil Rights Era of the 1960s. The author focuses on the decline of the American family in the black community during the 1970s that followed the collapse of many industrial areas in other parts of the country that resulted in widespread resettlement in California.

In terms of formal American laws and public policy, persecution of African-Americans was strictly prohibited in the early part of the century. However, institutionalized racism undermined any real impact of formal legislation and constitutional law, and made it largely impossible for blacks and many other racial minorities to achieve the increasing standard of life in the United States.

In particular, the documentary details the racist sentiments of former Los Angeles County police chief (1950-1966) William H. Parker and the degree to which the police authorities in Los Angeles contributed to the source of social tension described by Durkheim. Likewise, at the federal level, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also devoted inappropriately intense interest in dismantling the organized gangs that originally developed mainly to provide quasi-police protection to a community where city police remained unconcerned with crime so long as it remained confined to the minority communities.

Strain Theory:

Robert Merton applied Anomie concepts to develop a theory of social deviance partly derived from some of the same tensions or "strains" precipitated by the social and economic factors described by Durkheim a half century earlier (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008; Schmalleger, 2008). Specifically, Merton suggested that the long-term discrepancy between the values and achievements promoted by society and those that were actually achievable to minority and other underprivileged communities generated psychological strains that were a significant cause of social deviance and crime.

Merton also incorporated Durkheim's observations of the difference between intrinsic motivation for work and economic profit and purely superficial extrinsic motivation for the tangible trappings of success and/or social status. Since post-Industrial Revolution social values tended to focus so much more on acquisition and less on contributing to society through work, individuals experiencing psychosocial strains from the lack of available opportunities for legitimate work often sought to acquire the same outward social status through deviant and criminal means (Schmalleger, 2008).

The documentary traced the evolution of organized neighborhood protection and political rights organizations in vast criminal enterprises after the discovery of the economic profit potential associated with selling illicit narcotics. In Los Angeles, a parasitic relationship developed wherein the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) extracted protection money from the gangs while simultaneously increasing their official budget to upgrade their facilities and equipment on the basis of the increasing firepower and sophistication of the gangs.

Social Learning, Conflict Theory, and Labeling Theory:

The documentary provides classic examples of social learning, conflict, and labeling theories. Interviews with adolescent gang members and even pre-adolescent prospective gang members illustrates the manner in which individuals exposed to deviant social values and role models come to identify with them. The interview with the protagonist identifies the trend of naming toddlers by the street names of their gang-affiliated fathers and brothers further perpetuates the predominance of the gang lifestyle in the community.