Ac 2.3 Describe Sociological Theories Of Criminality

Question 1

Social structure theories- functionalism
What do functionalists believe about crime?

Answer 1

Believe that some crime will always exist in every society, and it serves A function non some people

Question 2

Social structure theories- functionalism
What is Mertons strain theory?

Answer 2

Suggests there is an implicit strain in society where everyone strains to achieve their goals. We try to achieve twee goals using any means available.
Most People use conventional methods to achieve alms such as getting A qualification, A job, money
If People can’t use conventional methods Merton States it may be functional For that person to turn to crime

Question 3

Social structure theories- functionalism
What does Merton assume to be The main goals in life?

Answer 3

Personal wealth and money

Question 4

Social structure theories- functionalism
What does Merton mean By ‘means’?

Answer 4

Née opportunities to achieve goals such as A good education and job opportunities

Question 5

Social structure theories- functionalism
How are some People in society blocked in achieving their goals?

Answer 5

May be No jobs
Not have qualifications to get A job
Can’t afford training
Don’t have housing- May need for jobs appalcation

Question 6

Social structure theories- functionalism
What alternative ‘means’ exist that People might use to get them goals?

Answer 6

Crime - drug dealing, theft, prostitution

Question 7

Social structure theories- functionalism
What are The four deviant responses to strain?

Answer 7

Innovation
Ritualism
Retreatism
Rebellion

Question 8

Social structure theories- functionalism
What is innovation?

Answer 8

Some People use innovative (New) ways to achieve goals - burglary, fraud

Question 9

Social structure theories- functionalism
What is ritualism?

Answer 9

Some People reject The goals and simple go through The monos of The means

Question 10

Social structure theories- functionalism
What is retreatism?

Answer 10

Some People reject The goals and Te means, rejecting material wealth and conventional means
Addiction to retreat from life

Question 11

Social structure theories- functionalism
What is rebellion?

Answer 11

Some People reject mainstream goals and means - terrorist working towards diffrent goals

Question 12

Social structure theories- Marxism
What’s crimogenic capitalism?

Answer 12

Marxists believe crime will only exist In capitalist societies- this society promotes consumerism and greed, competitiveness, distrust, inequality, extreme rich/poor.
Call capitalist societies crimogenic- if you teach people these values they will commit crime.
Society promotes consumerism so we want new stuff all the time, leads to people stealing to get new stuff.

Question 13

Social structure theories- Marxism
What’s selective law enforcement?

Answer 13

Capitalist societies are run to benefit those in charge-bourgeoisie and the proletariat is exploited and oppressed.
Bourgeoisie control economy, public services, media, police and law.
In our society only proletariat will be caught and prosecuted of crime because of selective law enforcement. - bourgeoisie make laws that reflect their own interests and make proletariat scapegoats for ALL crime.
Marxists argue that activities of rich are more damaging to society yet there is no laws against them- bourgeoisie control law from positions of power, MPs and judges, get these roles because of private education and social contacts- pass power from generation to generation to keep the law in the hands of the bourgeoisie.
Control law through their control of police and courts- working class more likely to be stopped and searched, arrested, prosecuted, found guilty and given longer sentences.
THEORY- all people living in capitalism are likely to commit crime because the society we live in promotes crimogenic values but proletariat are more likely to be convicted to selective law enforcement and scapegoating.

Question 14

Interactionist theory- labelling theory
What’s labelling theory?

Answer 14

Suggests nothing is criminal or deviant things are socially constructed to be criminal or deviant. We can only know what is deviant by looking at how its understood by the people involved and the public who label it as criminal or not.

Question 15

Interactionist theory- labelling theory
What’s labelling?

Answer 15

If someone is deemed to have broken rules the people responsible for labelling acts are moral entrepreneurs- hold power to dictate which. Acts are criminal.
Police officers, judges, teachers and social workers have the power to label someone as deviant.

Question 16

Interactionist theory- labelling theory
What’s negotiation?

Answer 16

Once someone is labelled as a criminal they may try to negotiate and reject this label. Those with good lawyers Amy be able to negotiate better and avoid labels.
Think sometimes moral entrepreneurs use stereotypes to decide who should be labelled and who shouldn’t.

Question 17

Interactionist theory- labelling theory
What’s self fulfilling prophecy?

Answer 17

If a label is successfully attached a person may end up conforming to the label because everyone now treats them as a criminal.
Can’t get a job so turn to crime- become the thing moral entrepreneurs labelled us.

Question 18

Interactionist theory- labelling theory
What’s moral panic and media amplification?

Answer 18

The media can make the public overly concerned about small problems by exaggerating problems while reporting. This leads to moral panic- public becomes panicked by by media exaggeration. This leads to more action from the police, further arrests and tougher sentences.

Question 19

Realist theories- left realism
What is left realism?

Answer 19

Left wing- community focused, higher taxes and higher benefits, linked to labour, believes poor need to be helped.
Argee with Marxism that the people at the bottom of society should be helped, don’t agree that the solution to crime is a communist revolution.
Think of a solution to crime within capitalism, suggest there is three things that cause people to turn to crime.

Question 20

Realist theories- left realism
What are the three things which cause people to turn to crime?

Answer 20

Marginalisation
Relative depravation
Subcultures of criminality
Left realists suggest crime happens when someone experiences one or all of these.

Question 21

Realist theories- left realism
What is marginialisation

Answer 21

When people feel left out socially politically, or economically they may turn to crime.
The socially excluded may become bully’s or violent, politically excluded may turn to riots, economically marginalised may turn to theft.

Question 22

Realist theories- left realism
What is relative deprivation?

Answer 22

When people feel poor in comparison to others they may turn to crime to get what others have

Question 23

Realist theories- left realism
What are subcultures of criminality?

Answer 23

People who are surrounded by criminal culture will start to see crime as normal and acceptable.

Question 24

Realist theories- right realism
What is right realism?

Answer 24

Has been linked to the Conservative Party and the Republican Party, believe strict social control is necessary and we shouldn’t tolerate even minor crime.
Poor should help themselves, lower tax lower benefits, individual focus.

Question 25

Realist theories- right realism
What is the broken windows theory?

Answer 25

( Wilson and Kelling)
Its the main right realist theory, suggests crime will flourish in areas that seem uncared for and where social control is weak. People want to fit in so in areas with high levels of crime more crime will be attracted.

Question 26

Realist theories- right realism
What is environmental decline?

Answer 26

An experiment to show how environmental decline leads to crime right realists left two cars in a similar area. One car was perfect even tho it was left for 3 weeks. Second car that was left for 3 weeks was damaged by researchers before it was parked. They broke one window and when they came back they saw the car was very damaged and vandalised. The researcher said this was because the initial damage showed the car could be damaged without punishment.

Question 27

Realist theories- right realism
What’s the slippery slope argument?

Answer 27

Once a small amount of crime is allowed then more will follow- someone who commits a small offence is likely to commit more serious offences unless they are stopped and punished.
EXMP- smacking will weed will lead to more weed and then lead to more serious drugs and then to class A drugs.
Right realists think this argument is true - cause of serious crime is the tolerance of minor crime.

Question 28

Realist theories- right realism
What is social control?

Answer 28

In order to stop being people being criminal right realists think that environments must look as though they have high levels of social control. High levels of police patrols, arrests and deterrence.
Prison sentences should be longer.