Interactionalism and the Halo Effect
Interactionalism is a theoretical perspective that uses human interaction to derive social processes; the halo effect is a cognitive bias where ambiguous judgment is deduced from concrete information. Chambliss uses the theories to analyze different experiences of the saints and the roughnecks in accordance with the societal perceptions and the actual behavior of the two groups to show disparity. In his analysis, the saints are considered good people in the society, despite the fact that they cheat in exams and involve themselves in numerous questionable behaviors (Chambliss 25). The saints are regarded as being morally upright due to their high social status while the roughnecks are automatically dismissed as being uncouth due to their low social status.
Current Social Perceptions
Chambliss’s analysis still applies in the current times. People associate wealth and class with morals, explaining why it is easy for the rich to get away with crimes as opposed to those with low status. Race and ethnicity also affect social perceptions. The numerous injustices against people with color in various western nations prove that the society views the whites as being more deserving and superior to the former. A key example is police brutality cases among the black community in the US since they are automatically considered to be dangerous, while their white counterparts get better treatment.
Resisting Formal Authority and Merton's Theory of Deviance
There is the need to resist formal authority in some instances, since the increased cases of misjudging results in unfair consequences. People might find it hard to resist the controls for fear of getting in trouble, as the society requires individuals to follow rules and regulations promptly without fail. Knowing the law and societal norms are amongst the best ways of resisting the pressures of society since people will know how to defend themselves accordingly. Merton's theory of deviance is a notion that the society may be set up in a way which encourages too much deviance. Extreme piercing is a form of deviance that is considered a rebellion. The society always praises people who are different and outstanding, encouraging persons to involve themselves in practices such as extremely piercing themselves to stand out.
Work Cited
Chambliss, William J. "The saints and the roughnecks." Society 11.1 (1973): 24-31.
