Final answer:
Spitzer's Marxian Theory of Deviance, rooted in conflict theory, emphasizes the role of ideology in maintaining societal norms and the legal system that upholds the power of the ruling class, exploring how capitalist structures contribute to deviance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Spitzer's Marxian Theory of Deviance is grounded in the conflict theory paradigm of sociology. This theory focuses on the dynamics between social and economic factors as the causes of deviant behavior. Specifically, it examines how societal structures, chiefly the capitalist system, contribute to crime and deviance and perpetuate power differentials between social classes. As such, Spitzer's theory emphasizes the role of ideology (A), particularly the capitalist ideology that underpins societal norms and the legal system, and how this serves to sustain the status and power of the ruling class. Through this lens, deviance is understood as behavior that challenges the status quo, which is typically defined by the powerful at the expense of others. This perspective does not neglect economic factors (B), but rather views them as central to understanding deviance. Spitzer certainly does not advocate for deviant behavior (C), nor does he downplay social class distinctions (D), as these distinctions are seen as fundamental to the understanding of societal dynamics and the origin of deviant behavior within a capitalist society.