During this fourth week, we are examining why most people tend to conform in most of their social interactions, while others deviate from the existing social norms.
Review Asch’s Research and describe why the individuals in the Asch experiment usually gave the same answer when they probably knew that it was wrong. How do social control and social bonding
explain conformity? While the pressure to conform is intense, people continue to deviate. Using either Merton’s Strain Theory or Becker’s Labeling Theory, explain why some people choose
to become deviant. Finally, major crimes occur in our society. Pick a current event (local or national) and describe the crime. Analyze the crime in terms of Durkheim’s four major functions of deviance.
