3.2 Explaining Class & Crime Flashcards
How would marxists explain working class crime through selective law enforcement?
Powerless groups such as the working class are criminalised
Marxists say working class being alienated leads to what?
Frustration and aggression
Then crime
Marxists say capitalism is criminogenic what does this mean?
It creates crime
Marxists say the working class are scapegoated what does this result in?
Being targeted and arrested
How does cicourel (interactionist) explain working class crime?
Police have typifications of the typical offender which contain a class bias
What did Becker say being labelled (arrested, prosecuted) was based upon? (Interactionism)
Partly your background and interactions with police
Interactionists say that for the middle class justice is what?
Negotiable
Interactionists - when moral entrepreneurs create new laws who are the ones quite often outsiders?
The working class
How would Wilson (right realists) explain working class crime?
Men temperamentally aggressive Working class culture emphasises immediate gratification and no self control
How would hirschi (right realist) explain working class crime?
The working class have weaker social bonds
How would Murray (right realist) explain working class crime?
Benefits lead to single mothers raising boys without a male role model
They are inadequately socialised and lack a male role model leading to crime
How would Murray (right realist) explain working class crime in relation to the absent fathers?
Lack of role within employment and family
Turn to crime to prove masculinity
How would rational choice theory (Wilson - right realism) explain crime?
We chose to commit crime benefits vs risk If the cost is low and living in a working class area where people are less likely to report it chances of being caught are low and people are more likely to commit crime
How would left realists explain crime through bulimic society?
Binge on adverts promoting materialism and consumerism Working class have no way of obtaining brands and goods so they turn to crime to get them
How would left realists explain working class crime through relative deprivation?
People view themself deprived in comparison to others this creates frustration and anger which they express with crime
How would cohen (subculturalist) explain working class and crime using status frustration?
Status frustration among w/c leads to delinquent subcultures giving status & rewards for crime e.g attention
How would miller (subculturalist) explain working class crimes?
Focal concerns amongst young working class males could lead to crime e.g toughness and autonomy
How does working class crime link to the crisis of masculinity? (Subculturalists)
Lack of traditional w/c jobs
Young w/c boys lack the means to express masculinity
Turn to crime and violence to express masculinity
How would Merton (functionalist) explain working class crime through means?
Working class don’t have access to good and higher education to get a good career and make money
(Merton - functionalist) as the working class don’t have the means they are more likely to do what?
Innovate
Turn to utilitarian crime to achieve goals
(Merton - functionalist)
Strain can lead to anomie how does this lead to crime?
Sense of normlessness
People don’t know how to behave
Resort to crime
One criticism of explanations is they overpredict crime, what don’t they explain?
Why majority of working class don’t commit crime
One issue of crime is that a large amount of crime remains unreported what does this mean?
We don’t know who the real offenders are they may not be overwhelmingly working class
One final criticism is evidence of what?
Middle class crime which goes unrecorded or is dealt with outside of the CJS
