AC 2.3 (describe sociological theorys of criminality) Flashcards
Social structure.
The upper class (bourgeoisie) are at the top of society and the working class (proletariat) are at the bottom of society.
What does the social structure say is the cause of crime?
Capitalists.
It sees the disadvantaged social class is a primary cause of crime and that criminal behaviour begins in youth.
Crime is largely a result of unfavourable conditions in a community.
Karl Marx.
Father of marxism.
Said that capitalist class exploit the working class.
Marxists.
Marxists see crime as something made by the ruling class and use it as a means of social control.
Institutions are there to encourage people to conform.
They say that different social classes are policed differently - the working class are heavily policed in the expectation that they will commit more crimes.
Marxists believe that the government fabricate statistics to suit their purposes and gain public support and that 42% of their statistics are false.
What crimes do Marxists believe are focussed on more.
Crimes committed by the working class are focussed on more (burglary and street crime) and crimes such as white collar crime (usually committed by the upper class) are ignored.
Emile Durkheim.
Functionalist.
Father of sociology.
Said that everything in society has a function and that crime is inevitable.
Functionalist approach.
Not every member in society can be equally committed to the collective values and beliefs.
In every society there will be individuals who deviate from norms.
Society contains different social groups with different beliefs.
Shared norms are weakened - anomie
Anomie.
Normlessness. Shared norms are weakened.
4 functions of crime.
Boundary maintenance - shows people what is right and wrong.
Social change - if laws are continuously broken, then it shows that there needs to be a change (homosexuality laws)
Safety valve - David argues that prostitution acts to release men’s sexual frustrations, therefore other crimes don’t have to be committed (rape).
Warning light - too much crime can show that society is breaking down and something needs to be done.
Case that is and example of boundary maintenance.
Shannon Matthew’s.
Her mother faked her disappearance for financial gain, however society came together with searches and marches which showed that people thought that kidnapping was wrong.
This shows how crime serves a function.
Robert Merton.
Strain Theory.
Strain theory.
Most people will conform to the rules of society and try to achieve their goals legitimately. There is 4 possible deviant ways of adapting.
4 possible deviant ways of adapting for Strain Theory.
Innovation - these people accept the goal they are trying to achieve but find illegal ways to get there (drug dealing).
Ritualism - do not have goals, are happy in their dead end jobs.
Retreatism - people who reject both goals and means (vagrants, drug dealers).
Rebellion - replace the goals and the means with their own ideas (hippies).
Howard Becker.
Interactionist.
Labelling theory.
Labelling Theory.
Interactionists reject official statistics on crime - they believe that they are socially constructed.
Becker said ‘deviance is in the eye of the beholder’ which means that crime is subjective and is based on decisions from those who are higher up (agents of control).
Lembert - primary deviance and secondary deviance.
Once an act had been labelled as deviant the deviant actor may see themselves as a deviant person and adopt this as their ‘master status’ - thinking that they are a criminal which can lead to the person living up to their label and behave in this way.
- the media can contribute to this by demonising those who have been labelled as deviant - this creates moral panic.
Agents of social control hold stereotypes about who is more likely to commit crime - creates a bias against the less powerful groups in society (young, poor, ethnic minorities).
