How do biological and psychological theories of deviance differ ...

[folubunmi]

How do biological and psychological theories of deviance differ from sociological theories? What are some of the major theories aligned with these disciplines?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Compare and contrast aggregate, category, and social group. Give examples of each.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[ky860224]

Answer to Question 1

Biologists and psychologists explain deviance by looking at the characteristics within the individual. Biologists focus on genetic dispositions, while psychologists focus on personality disorders. In contrast, sociologists look for explanations outside the individual and focus on the social factors that influence some people rather than others to break the norms. Biological explanations of crime include theories of intelligence, XYY chromosome theory, and body type theory. Psychological theories include antisocial and personality disorder theories. Sociological theories include differential association theory, labeling theory, strain theory, and others.

Answer to Question 2

Aggregates are individuals who temporarily share the same physical space but do not see themselves as belonging together. An aggregate might be a group of people waiting for a bus or a group of people in an elevator car of a high rise going to different floors for different reasons. A category refers to people who share a common characteristic, regardless of where they may physically located. Examples of categories include all Pittsburgh Steelers fans, all left-handed people, and all university women. A social group requires two or more people interacting with one another who have something in common and believe what they have in common is significant. Aggregates do not share a common interest and do not interact in a meaningful way. A category may share an interest but fail to interact because of physical separation.