I need to write a literature review using the following Research Question:
How does one's self attitude/worth play a role in deviant behavior? The following is my outline. I am having two problems. The articles are so complex that I am having difficulty understanding them. Also, I'm not really sure how to write the lit review. I looked at the lit review article from this site and I still don't get it. For example, I don't understand the whole "synthesis" concept. Are there some easier to understand articles? And, if I start off by defining self, deviance, and then talk about the relationship of the two, then tell how these articles support or not the research question, am I on the right track? Please help! Following is my draft outline.
Intro: Discussions about the basics of deviance will be discussed here and how self impacts deviant behavior. Research question and thesis will also be included in introduction.
Deviance: in social psychology, refers to thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that depart from accepted practices in a society or group. In some cases, behaviors mandated by laws can themselves be deviant, such as driving only the speed limit on some highways. Deviance, then, goes beyond the legal code of a society. In simple terms, it refers to any behavior that violates the norms of a group.refer to widely held beliefs in society, with many so widely held that they are formalized into law, thereafter invoking both deep sentiments and harsh punishments for breaking them. Mores are derived from folkways, rules of behavior and custom passed down through a group or society. Taboos are violations of behavior prescribed through mores. In fact, interactionists generally view deviance as a normal part of the interaction process. Structural and group-centered views of deviance tend to focus on the social conditions that increase the likelihood of breaking laws. In some sense, deviance is a necessary part of the symbolic interaction process of negotiating social reality. Interactionism assumes that individuals decide to maintain (or break) social norms and standards during every interaction. Most relationships start with low levels of intimacy but progress toward more intimate levels through successive self-disclosures of personal information. In the beginning, however, one person must decide to deviate from the norm of acquaintance talk—the relationship cannot progress into something more meaningful unless someone breaks the rules.Over time, he came to accept the label and the stereotypes associated with it. He actually came to embrace the new title, believing that his new values, although different from those of conventional society, are good and true. In this sense, deviance is also about identity formation, or how people come to see themselves as deviant (Herman-Kinney 2003).Interactionists view deviance as a manifestation of social interactions, like any other thought, feeling, or behavior. When an individual decides to deviate from the norms of a group, she will likely incur penalties for making such a decision. If it is a mild infraction—belching in public, for instance—it may receive only a few raised eyebrows or a mild statement such as “Excuse you!� A more serious infraction, such as pushing someone who is in your way, may get a few stern statements like “Hey, watch where you’re going!� or some physical response—perhaps someone pushing you back.The symbolic interaction process allows us to study deviance at different levels. Ethnomethodology helps us understand minor forms of deviance in everyday life. Labeling theory is often applied to explain how individuals come to deviate from more serious norms in society.(BTW this is all lifted from something. I just put it here for filler until I come up with my own words).
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The result of negative self-attitudes that influence a person to embrace deviant response patterns for change in self-attitudes and progression of deviant patterns.
Crocker, J., & Major, B. (1989). Social stigma and self-esteem: The self-protective properties of stigma. Psychological Review, 96(4), 608-630.
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Being stigmatized can lead to deviance.
Ferris, D. L., Brown, D. J., Lian, H., & Keeping, L. M. (2009). When does self-esteem relate to deviant behavior? The role of contingencies of self-worth. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(5), 1345-1353.
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the authors examined the interaction between level (high/low) and type (contingent/noncontingent) of self-esteem in predicting workplace deviance
Owens, T. J. (1994). Two dimensions of self-esteem: Reciprocal effects of positive self-worth and self-deprecation on adolescent problems. American Sociological Review, website removed
, low self-esteem is said to predispose youths to many adolescent problems, since those with low self-esteem may seek status and recognition in non-normative pursuits that lead to stigmatizing labels and secondary deviance.
self-esteem to adolescent social problems was used as a comparative reference point for an analysis of the link between negative and positive self-worth and youth problems.
American Sociological Review, Vol. 59, No. 3 (Jun., 1994), pp. 391-407
How negative self worth can impact adolescent problems including deviance
Conclusion: Through these sources we find that low self worth/attitude can lead to deviance.
I appreciate any help you are willing to provide. Thank you!