The Saints and Roughnecks Article

I read this article last semester in my Deviant Behavior class and it mainly focuses on male delinquency. Like already mentioned by my classmates, both of these two groups committed deviant acts but were viewed differently because the other group had access to more things like transportation. They were also viewed differently by their community because one group always gets caught and the other seemed to find their way out or get away with it.

I saw symbolic interaction in this article. Symbolic interaction deals with meanings, symbols, perceptions, and relationships. In this article, since the Roughnecks mainly committed illegal acts within their community, they were viewed as not making it far in life or not having a bright future. The Saints were seen in a different light because they were able to drive elsewhere and commit deviant acts there where no one they know and recognized could see. Functionalism can be related as well. The Saints did well in school and they got away with going out during school hours. The Roughnecks didn't do so well and the teachers didn't look at them as high achievers. I think Conflict theory can be related as well because the fact that the Saints had access to transportation and the Roughnecks didn't had a lot to do with why they were viewed differently by society.