The behaviors of characters in the film Menace II Society perfectly bring out the concept of deviance as they violate many social norms. The central character Caine Lawson and others carry around guns, swear incessantly, carry drugs and commit street crimes and kill people unscrupulously on a regular basis. Deviance is defined as the violation of social, cultural and contextual norms something the characters in the film do throughout (Openstax College 148). The question that arises from these characters' behaviors is what motivates them to act in a wrong way? Several theories of deviance explain how and why individuals in society engage in activities perceived as violations of social, cultural and contextual norms. The labeling theory, for instance, suggests that the labels a person is given influences that individual's perception of the self as well as his or her perception of others (Camelot 6). The strain theory on its part looks into the relationship between acceptable goals and possessing acceptable means of reaching those goals while the differential association theory suggests that people learn attitudes, motives, and techniques for criminal behavior through interacting with others (Openstax College 149). Therefore, various factors drive individuals to engage in illegal activities, and they depend on the environment, the set social goals and the type of people one interacts with.
Labeling Theory
The labeling theory suggests that individuals align their behaviors to suit the label that the society has assigned to them. Therefore, if an individual is deemed a criminal for drinking alcohol at a younger age, that person has higher chances of engaging in other acts of crime to fulfill the characteristics of a criminal. The labeling theory best explains why Caine's friend Kevin "O-Dog" Anderson commits the crime at the local store and continues engaging in criminal acts throughout the film. According to the theory, people who violate norms from time to time do so because society has labeled them deviant. Therefore, deviance in such societies is determined not by what the behaviors of the persons considered deviant but by the reactions of people to those behaviors (Openstax College 141). At the store, the Korean cashier reacts to Caine and his friend's purchase of malt liquor by saying he feels sorry for O-Dog's mother (The Hughes Brothers). The cashier already labels Caine and his friends as deviant,
and that motivates O-Dog to commit other crimes including killing the cashier and his wife, robbing the cash register and the clerk's wallet and running away with the surveillance tape (The Hughes Brothers). The events of the film reveal that the younger adults committed primary deviance of buying and consuming beer at a younger age. However, the reaction of the cashier caused the primary deviance to morph into secondary deviance of robbery and murder. The labeling theory states that a person engages in secondary deviance after being labeled as deviant by society because their behaviors change to suit the label behaviors (Openstax College 141). O-Dog's actions following the cashier's insults can be interpreted as a process of fulfilling his "deviant " role in the society. Besides, the secondary deviance becomes O-Dogs master status as he later on in the movie pursues actions that characterize him as a criminal like stealing a car.
Differential Association Theory
The differential association theory focuses on the idea that people learn criminal techniques, and behaviors from the company they keep. Hence, a person whose company is made up of drug users has higher chances of using drugs while that whose friends are robbers has a higher potential of becoming a robber. In the film Menace II Society, the differential association theory
can be used to understand why characters commit crimes in groups. Caine, for instance, is the central character in the movie, but he does not engage in deviant behaviors alone. He is always in the company of others. Take the example of the revenge action against the carjackers who killed Harold, Caine, A-Wax, and O-Dog collaborate in tracking down and murdering the carjackers.
Each of the three takes up a role to kill at least one carjacker an indication that their actions are highly motivated by their friendship and closeness (The Hughes Brothers). Besides, the flashback that follows the crime incidents at the store where Caine and his accomplices bought beer reveals that Caine's mother was a drug addict and she died of drug overdose while his father was a drug dealer who was killed when Caine was a child (The Hughes Brothers). These revelations show that Caine probably learned criminal behaviors while young and his friends have acquired those skills from him. Furthermore, the differential association is seen in O-Dog's action of showing off the surveillance tape he took from the store after killing the Korena cashiers and his wife. O-Dog's friends appear to admire the activities captured in the videotape an indication that they have higher chances of doing the same (The Hughes Brothers). An explanation of the differential association theory states that people learn deviant behaviors from their significant others who include community, friends, family, subculture, and neighbors among others (Camelot 4). Therefore, Caine learned criminal techniques from his family and passed on the same to his friends and neighbors.
Strain Theory
The strain theory suggests that deviance is an inevitable part of the society because members of communities often strive to conform to the societal norms. However, the means that people use to adapt to the norms range from conformity to rebellion based on the opportunities at hand (Openstax College 139). Caine and other characters of his type in Menace II Society rebel and set their own means of achieving social goals. For example, the carjackers who attack Caine's group and kill Harold do so to fulfill the societal goal of owning a car. Since they do not have the money, they resort to a different means of acquiring a car. Similarly, Caine is interested in making lots of money through business and uses alternative means of carjacking a young man, selling the man's gold wire wheels and jewelry which he uses to buy a large quantity of cocaine that he intends to sell as crack. Apart from that, when the police beat up and dump Caine and Sharif in the Hispanic neighborhood, the Hispanic gang members rebel by taking them to the hospital instead of killing them as the police expected. Therefore, the Hispanic gang members go against the social order and overthrow the society's goal of getting rid of criminals by preserving their lives.
Conclusion
Various factors contribute to an individual's engagement in deviant behaviors including, the community expectations, the actions of people one is close to, and the label society gives people. This paper has demonstrated that the labeling, differential association, and strain theories can help explain why some members of the society go against the social-cultural and contextual norms. In most cases, embers of the community push others into deviant behaviors by giving them the label of deviance. Besides, friends, family, and subcultures can shape the behaviors of a person and people use various means including committing crimes to reach the socially accepted goals of a community.
Works Cited
Camelot, A. "Deviance and Social Control". 2018.
Hughes, Allen, and Albert Hughes. Menace II Society. New Line Cinema, 1993.
Openstax College. Introduction To Sociology. Openstax College, 2012, pp. 135-154.
