The history of the United States was irretrievably marred on January 6, 2021, when an improper and criminal usurpation of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., occurred. The event, famously referred to as the Capitol Riot, was an outrageous strike at the core of the country’s legislative power. This paper will delve into the social aspects of deviance, crime, and punishment in the context of the Capitol Riot. Through the elaboration of critical theories presented in the course, this paper can explain the socio-sociological factors that led to this incident. Symbolic Interactionism, Strain Theory, Labeling Theory, and Deterrence Theory will bring forth the crucial perspectives to the Capitol Riot by providing a solid grasp of the social intricacies and their effects on legal consequences and restoration of social order.
Deviance and Symbolic Interactionism
Deviance in sociology is any behavior contrary to the prevailing social norms. Symbolic Interactionism takes this one step further and has a deeper understanding of the roles of symbols and interactions in creating deviant behavior. During the Capitol Riot, the participants, drawn from the notions of democratic norms, acted in contravention of democratic norms. The symbols, like flags and chants alsoalso demonstrated a shared re-formation of deviance, during which rioters redefined their actions as patriotic rather than deviant (Callahan and Ledgerwood, 2). Thus, the above implies that symbols and social context are paramount in dictating perceptions of deviance during this first-of-its-kind occurrence.
The Strain Theory and the Capitol Riot Case
Strain Theory posits that deviance exists when an individual perceives a discrepancy between the prescribed rules of behavior and the resources available to them to pursue the rules. Implementing the concept in question, the Capitol Riot is seen from the angle of where the rioters saw injustice in the 2020 election as one of the strains. They were convinced that the elections were fraudulent, whichand caused anger, so they engaged in offending actions to express their dissatisfaction. The theory is presented as a model of how societal stresses, especially in politics, bring people to commit those acts that violate the status quo. This is mainly related to the perceived injustice in society, which is implicated in deviance during the Capitol Riot.
Crime and Labeling Theory
The Capitol Riot included both deviant and criminal acts. According to the labeling theory, the social responses to deviance shape an individual’s life course (Aala et al., 101). The legal repercussions of the riot will shape the societal labels attached to the person in question. How the labeling process is interpreted becomes the basis for understanding the remaining consequences for people charged with the Capitol Riot, highlighting the theory’s purpose in explaining the society’s backlash and the long-term implications of the criminal behavior to this effect.
Punishment and Deterrence
The consequences of the Capitol Riot have rekindled the debate about the efficiency of punishment and deterrence. The reaction to the perpetrators by the legal system can echo the level of punishment that society orients towards deviant behaviors. Deterrence hypothesizes that punishment of sufficient harshness and certainty determines the individuals’ decisions to commit crimes. We will use the response to the Capitol riot as the basis for a study that will evaluate the value of legal consequences on future political violence acts.
The Conclusion
The storming of the U.S. Capitol in January 2021 illustrates why deviance, crime, and punishment matter if examined sociologically. Events may be viewed from the perspective of how they are understood by Symbolic Interactionism, Strain Theory, Labeling Theory, and Deterrence Theory, and this would give one a holistic view of sociological concepts in play. The ramifications are far-reaching, inviting a dialogue that questions the state and essence of democracy, societal norms, and the purpose of punishment in maintaining law and order.
Works Cited
Aala, Lemuel, et al. “Psychosocial Impacts of Labeling on Reintegrated Offenders.” College of Criminology Research Journal, vol. 8, 2017, research.lpubatangas.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/CRIM-2017-007.pdf.
Callahan, Shannon P., and Alison Ledgerwood. “On the Psychological Function of Flags and Logos: Group Identity Symbols Increase Perceived Entitativity.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 110, no. 4, Apr. 2016, pp. 528–550, https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000047.
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