Societal Deviance - Essay Example

The theory best explains the emergence of sub-cultures in the society. Examples of subcultures include Rastafarians, punks and hippies.Societal deviance usually manifests in two ways:Underprivileged deviance is usually a form of counter-culture associated with the relatively powerless and voiceless among the society. The deviant behavior is usually associated with economic, political and societal frustrations. Underprivileged deviance mostly occurs in the form of random and disoriented crime such as car-jacking, robberies and muggings.

As much as they may seem petty, this deviant behavior translates into detrimental economic losses.Matt Miller narrates about a recent conviction of three robbers suspected of attempting to rob a local a restaurant. They were repeat offenders, with one cited with a criminal record since he was 9 years. When issuing testimonies, one of the suspects lamented that the lack of opportunity, both in education and employment, had forced them to engage in criminal behavior. The offence attracted a 17 ½ year sentence for one of the perpetrators.

This was relatively harsh as privileged crime offenders receive less punishment. Despite bearing relative impact (trauma to the suspects), this crime attracted a stiffer punishment and was presumed just by the larger society.Underprivileged deviance also assumes the form of structure and organization in the form of organized crime. Although less frequent in occurrence, it is associated with the most lucrative rewards. For instance, drug cartels in Mexico.