Assignment 2: Theories of Deviance: Interview Analysis

Not everyone agrees about why some people break rules while others follow them. Now that you have learned some of the main theories of deviance, you are ready to put your sociological perspective in gear and find out what other people’s views are on this topic.

The Unit 6 Assignment has two parts. Part 1 is to conduct two brief interviews. Part 2 is to apply the theory of deviance that you think best describes each respondent’s views on why deviance occurs and how it could be prevented.

Part 1: Interview two people to learn what they think are the main causes of deviance (not just crime, but all rule breaking) in the U.S. society today. Also, ask respondents for their ideas about the remedy for deviance.

These two questions might be helpful to structure your interview. Remember, this is a brief interview, not an in-depth investigation into your respondents’ views.

• What are some of the reasons that you think are behind deviance in today’s society?HINT: Be prepared to explain the difference between deviance and crime, but be sure to tell the respondent that you are interested in all rule-breaking, not just criminal acts.
• What do you think are some effective ways to prevent people from breaking society’s rules?HINT: Encourage the respondent to think about juvenile and adult deviance as they answer this question.

Part 2: In a 2–3 page paper, summarize and interpret each of your respondents’ answers. Use one theory of deviance to help explain each respondent’s answers. For instance, respondent one might have said that kids who hang out with bad kids are bound to turn bad. You might choose differential association theory to help explain this respondent’s answers.

No outside resources are required for this Assignment, but to earn full credit you must use in-text citations (in APA format) to the course materials to substantiate the definitions of the theories that you use to explain your respondent’s answers.

Be sure that your paper is written in essay form and that it includes these elements:

• An introduction that explains the purpose of the interviews, describes who was interviewed (estimated age, relationship to you) and under what conditions (i.e., at work, at home, in public place such as the grocery store, while watching your child’s soccer game).
• A detailed summary of each interview with generous quotes from the respondent. DO NOT just include the script of the questions asked and responses given.
• Two separate paragraphs that apply a theory of deviance to explain each respondent’s ideas about the causes of deviance and how it can be prevented. You may find that the same theory explains both respondents’ views, but you will still need to apply the theory to the detailed responses of each respondent in a separate paragraph.
• A conclusion that summarizes what you learned from the interview process and briefly explains how your views about rule-breaking and its prevention align with those of your respondents.
• You must download and follow the Professional Interview Protocol document. That Protocol requires that you schedule each interview for a specific date and time, that you record and submit your interview notes, and that you do not interview relatives or friends for this Assignment.

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