2.3 Sociological theories

Question 1

Consensus theories

Answer 1

Society works together in harmony & institutions all co-operate

Question 2

Conflict theories

Answer 2

Society doesn’t work well & institutions conflict

Question 3

Functionalism

Answer 3

Focus on structure of society & underlying cause of crime

Question 4

Durkheim’s functionalist theory

Answer 4

Stable structure based on shared norms/values/beliefs - most people conform & do not deviate (criminals - do not conform & are inadequately socialised, subcultures w/different values)

Question 5

Functions of crime (Durkheim)

Answer 5

1) Boundary maintenance (reminder of boundary between right & wrong/reaffirming values)
2) Social change (challenging existing norms & values/will initially seen as deviancy)
3) Safety value
4) Warning light (deviancy indicates issues in society)

Question 6

Strength of Durkheim

Answer 6

Useful (first to recognise positive functions of crime such as reinforcing right & wrong boundaries)

Question 7

Limitations of Durkheim

Answer 7

Validity (unable to know how much deviance in society is the right amount to function)
Reductionist (only accounts for functionality for criminals, not victims)

Question 8

Merton’s Strain Theory

Answer 8

Societal goals (rich and successful)
Blocked opportunities -> unequal chance to be rich & successful leads to strain between goals + legit access -> crime and deviancy

Question 9

5 groups of society (Merton)

Answer 9

• Conformists - legit achievement
• Innovation - accept goal but illegal methods
• Ritualism - give up on success
• Retreatism - dropouts reject goals & means
• Rebellion - reject existing goals & means & replace with ones to change society

Question 10

Strength of Merton

Answer 10

Useful (shows how both normal & criminal behaviour stem from the same goals -> conformists & innovators both pursue money success by different means)

Question 11

Limitations of Merton

Answer 11

Validity/Generalisability (ignores crime of the wealthy & over-prediction of amount of working-class crime)
Reductionism (focuses on utilitarian crimes [theft] and ignores crimes with no motive/gain [vandalism])

Question 12

Marxism

Answer 12

Unequal structure of capitalist society shapes behaviour (split into bourgeoisie [ruling capitalist] & proletariat [working class exploited by capitalists])

Question 13

Most likely to commit crime according to marxism

Answer 13

Proletariat (law & justice system -> social control keep working class in their place & keep the divide)

Question 14

Reasons for criminality (Marxism)

Answer 14

Capitalism causes crime, law making/enforcement is biased & ideological functions of crime + law

Question 15

Capitalism causes crime (Marxism)

Answer 15

• Exploitation leads to poverty (crime needed to survive)
• Consumer goals pushed through advertising (desire to obtain leads to crime)
• Inequality leads to alienation & frustration (non-utilitarian crimes)
• Need to gain more profit (crime amongst capitalists [tax evasion])

Question 16

Law making/enforcement is biased (Marxism)

Answer 16

• Serves interest of bourgeoisie
• Protects property of capitalists (proposed by William Chambliss)
• Selective law enforcement (against the working class)

Question 17

Ideological functions of crime & law (Marxism)

Answer 17

• Ideas that conceal inequality of capitalist society
• Place blame on working class
• Shifts attention away from crimes in bourgeoisie
• Health & safety laws to benefit workers (makes them accept capitalism)

Question 18

Strength of Marxism

Answer 18

Credible (corporate crimes rarely prosecuted -> explained by bias of law enforcement & making against the working class & favourability of the upper)

Question 19

Limitations of Marxism

Answer 19

Reductionist (focuses on class & ignores relationships between crime & other inequalities such as gender or ethnicity)
Validity (not all capitalist societies have high crime rates -> Japan homocides are 1/5 of the USAs)

Question 20

Labelling theory (interactionalism)

Answer 20

Social constructs (no act is deviant or criminal until deemed it by society), if people are treated/labelled as criminals then they become criminals (self-fulfilling prophecy -> labelled after secondary deviance leads to joining subcultures & being rejected by society)

Question 21

Other labelling theory points

Answer 21

• Selective law enforcement: targetted by stereotyping
• Differential enforcement: harsher on those matching stereotype
• Deviance amplification spiral
• Rejection of crime stats: measure police doing but not criminality

Question 22

Strengths of labelling theory

Answer 22

Useful (shifts focus onto how police create crime via stereotyping -> explains over-representation of working class and minorities in crime stats)
Practical application (shows how attempts to control deviance can trigger spiral & create more)

Question 23

Right realism

Answer 23

Conservative political outlook that sees crime as a growing problem & results to practical solutions to reduce crime (control & punishment)

Question 24

Factors that produce crime (right realism)

Answer 24

Biological difference between individuals, inadequate socialisation, offending being a ration choice

Question 25

Biological difference between individuals (right realism)

Answer 25

Wilson & Herrstein -> differences makes some individuals more likely to commit crime

Question 26

Inadequate socialisation (right realism)

Answer 26

Effective socialisation -> reduced chance of offending due to being taught correct values & self-control
Nuclear family -> best agency of socialisation

Question 27

Offending is a rational choice (right realism)

Answer 27

People are rational beings with free will -> deciding to commit crimes is based on rational calculations of consequences

Question 28

Strength of right realism

Answer 28

Credible (Feldman - people make rational decisions on if the reward is high & risk low to commit the crime)

Question 29

Limitation of right realism

Answer 29

Reductionist (high focus on young males, fails to explain white collar crime (focused on street crime), ignores increasing gap between rich & poor)

Question 30

Left realism

Answer 30

Socialist political outlook focused on inequality in capitalist society being the root cause of crime with victims being disadvantaged groups where crime rates are highest & police take crimes against them less seriously, believes crime will be reduced by equality

Question 31

Factors that produce crime - Lea & Young (left realism)

Answer 31

Relative deprivation, subculture, marginalisation

Question 32

Relative deprivation (left realism)

Answer 32

How badly deprived someone feels in relation to others due to:
- Media pumping messages urging to aspire to material possessions (lead to crime to acquire)
- More unequal society due to cuts in benefits, unemployment, job insecurity & low pay (lead to crime to have money)

Young - relative deprivation downwards -> people better off resent those worse off (explains hate crime)

Question 33

Subculture (left realism)

Answer 33

Group’s way of solving problem of relative deprivation -> illegitimate means to reach materialistic goals (crime)

Question 34

Marginalisation (left realism)

Answer 34

Lack of organisations to represent working class interests & lack clearly defined goals -> powerlessness -> leads to rioting/violent crimes

Question 35

Surveillance theories

Answer 35

Idea of monitoring people to control crime, proposed by Foucault -> modern society is increasingly controlled by self-surveillance & that people behave as if constantly being watched (Panopticon)

Question 36

Synoptic surveillance

Answer 36

Mathiesen -> everyone watches everyone (exercises self-discipline)