What are the theories in deviance?

There are a few sociological theories on deviance.

Some fundamental ones include:

1) Cultural Transmission Theory

- Deviance is a behaviour learned through interaction, just as conformity.

2) Differential Association Theory

- Explains proccess of Cultural Transmission

- Theorist = Sutherland

- Bad companions = Bad behaviour

3) Control Theory

- Explains deviance as the outcome of a failure in social control

4) Anomie

- Originally Durkheim's suicide study; A condition of confusion that exists in society and individual's when social norms are weak, absent or conflicting.

- Merton applied Anomie to Deviance; Deviance as an outcome of an imbalance in society between socially approved goals & availibility of approved means of achieving them.

5) Status Frustration

- Theorist = Cohen

- Deviance due to blocked opportunities, frustrated with status/role set

Last one,

6) Labelling Theory

- Theorist = Becker

- Deviance as a process by which some people successfully define others as deviant.

Hope that helped and wasn't too confusing =)