Reference no: EM133748649

Question: Scientific inquiry into human social behavior began to emerge during the time of the Enlightenment and has undergone a slow, uneven, often tumultuous development. The methods of scientific investigation are continually being refined, as are theoretical formulations of a wide range of social and behavioral phenomena. Advances in sociological and social psychological theories of behavior have largely occurred during the 20th century.

This chapter considers the following:

foundations of scientific inquiry into deviant behavior, including evidence-based behavioral analysis;
the essential elements of a viable scientific theory; and
early developments and recent theoretical advances designed to explain and predict deviant behavior.
Sociological explanations of behavior discussed in this chapter include:

Classical School of Crime and Deviance
Societal Reaction or Labeling Perspective
Social control theory
Each theory is designed to explain and predict the participation of individuals in various forms of deviant behavior.

The Classical School of Crime and Deviance, rooted in the work of Ceasare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham, provides the foundation for:

Rational Choice Theory
Routine Activities Formulation
Societal reaction or the labeling perspective derives from the early work of Charles Horton Cooley and George Herbert Mead. Among the most influential labeling theorists are:

Frank Tannenbaum
Edwin Lemert
Howard Becker
Howard Kaplan
John Braithwaite
Emile Durkheim's concept of social integration and its consequences gave rise to the development of Travis Hirschi's Social Bonding Theory and his later formulation of Self-Control Theory with Michael Gottfredson.

The developmental, or life-course approach takes into account the emergence, persistence, and possible desistence of engagement in deviant activities across the lifespan.