Deviance and Conflict Theory

Deviance is an important part of studying sociology, deviance is anything that violates a norm and receives a negative reaction from the rest of society. A deviance could be as minor as cutting to the head of a line at the checkout in a grocery store, of as brutal as rape.

One common deviance in American society is drug use. Specifically the use of Cocaine in the form of powder Cocaine and Crack Cocaine. If we examine the deviance of cocaine use from the perspective of a Conflict Theorist, we would likely come to the conclusion that; although Cocaine is not healthy, it is a deviance for other reasons. Specifically it is a deviance because the elite or powerful are using the legal system to uphold the power structure. This can be seen in the difference of severity in penalty between equal amounts of powder Cocaine and Crack Cocaine. "Congress set forth different mandatory penalties for cocaine and crack cocaine, with significantly higher punishments for crack cocaine offenses. There is a 5-year minimum prison penalty for a first-time trafficking offense involving 5 grams or more of crack cocaine or 500 grams or more of powder cocaine and a 10-year mandatory minimum penalty for a first-time trafficking offense involving 50 grams or more of crack cocaine or 5,000 grams or more of powder cocaine." Powder Cocaine is more expensive and generally used by wealthier people, were as Crack Cocaine, which actually has less Cocaine is generally used by poorer people. The discrepancy in penalty when viewed from the perspective of a Conflict Theorist clearly demonstrates a linkage between power and penalty. The rich are penalized less for the same crime.

This video gives an overview of the whole system.