AC 3.2 sociological

Question 1

Functionalism and subcultural theories - Durkheim - strengths

Answer 1

• was the first to recognise that crime can have positive impacts on society e.g., reinforcing boundaries of what is right and wrong
• has moved away from the impression that the deviant are psychologically or biologically abnormal

Question 2

Functionalism and subcultural theories - Durkheim - weaknesses

Answer 2

• claims that society needs some deviance to function but doesn’t provide any way if knowing what the right amount is
• doesn’t explain why some people are more prone to deviance than others
• doesn’t explain why certain forms of deviance appear to be associated with particular groups

Question 3

Functionalism and subcultural theories - Merton - strengths

Answer 3

• shows how both normal and deviant behaviour can occur rom trying to reach the same goals
• he explains the patterns shown in official statistics e.g., working class rates are higher as they have to achieve opportunity through crime
• theory focuses on trying to expand the opportunities for the disadvantaged

Question 4

Functionalism and subcultural theories - Merton - weaknesses

Answer 4

• ignores crimes of the wealthy and over predicts the amount of working class crime
• sees deviance as an individual response, ignoring the group deviance of delinquent subcultures
• it only focuses on utilitarian crimes so ignores crimes with no economic motive

Question 5

Functionalism and subcultural theories - subcultural theories - strengths

Answer 5

• show how subcultures perform a function for their members by offering solutions to the problems of failing to achieve mainstream goals legally
• Cloward and Ohlin show how different types of neighbourhood give rise to different illegal opportunities and the different subcultures

Question 6

Functionalism and subcultural theories - subcultural theories - weaknesses

Answer 6

• they also ignore crimes of the wealthy and over predict the amount of working class crime
• assume everyone starts with has these mainstream goals and then turns to a subculture if they can’t achieve them. But some people may never have those goals in the first place
• actual subcultures aren’t as clear as they claim them to be, some show characteristics of all 3 subcultures

Question 7

Interactionism and labelling theory - strengths

Answer 7

• shows that the law is not a fixed set of rules to be taken for granted but a construction that needs to be explained
• shifts focus onto how the police create crime by applying labels based on typifications
• selective enforcement may explain why the working class and minority groups are over represented in crime statistics
• shows how attempting to control deviance can trigger a deviance amplification spiral and create more deviance

Question 8

Functionalism and labelling theory - weaknesses

Answer 8

• wrongly implies that once someone is labelled, deviancy is inevitable ~ deterministic
• fails to explain why people commit primary deviance that gets them labelled in the first place
• fails to explain why labels are applied to certain groups but not t others e.g., the working class

Question 9

Marxism - strengths

Answer 9

• shows how poverty and inequality can cause working class crime and how capitalism promotes greed and upper class crime
• shows how both law making and law enforcement are biased against the working class and in favour of the powerful

Question 10

Marxism - weaknesses

Answer 10

• focuses on class and largely ignores relationship between crime and other inequalities e.g., gender
• over predicts the amount of working class crime as not all poor people turn to crime
• not all capitalist societies have high crime rates e.g., Japan’s murder rate is a fifth of the USA’s

Question 11

Right realism - strengths

Answer 11

• Rettig found that the degree of the punishment determined whether they chose to commit the crime
• Feldman found that people made rational choices so if rewards are high and risks are low then the crime is worth committing
• may explain some opportunistic petty crimes e.g., theft

Question 12

Right realism - limitations

Answer 12

• Retting and Feldman’s studies were experiments so the results may not apply to real offenders
• not all crimes are committed due to rational choice but many violent crimes are often impulsive. Offenders who are under the influence of drugs/alcohol may not be calculate the risks and rewards

Question 13

Left realism - strengths

Answer 13

• draws attention to the importance of poverty, inequality and relative deprivation as the cause of crimes
• draws attention to the reality of street crime and and its effects especially on victims from deprived groups

Question 14

Left realism - limitations

Answer 14

• fails to explain white collar crime and corporate crime
• over predicts the amount of working class crime as not everyone who suffers from relative deprivation and marginalisation turns to crime

Question 15

Surveillance theories - strengths

Answer 15

• Foucault’s work has led to the research into surveillance and disciplinary power
• researchers have now identified other forms of surveillance e.g., profiling

Question 16

Surveillance theories - weaknesses

Answer 16

• Foucault exaggerates the extent of control e.g., some inmates of prisons and mental hospitals resist the controls
• surveillance may not change peoples behaviour e.g., offenders may not take notice to it

Question 17

Overall criticism of sociological theories

Answer 17

• different sociological theories disagree about the cause of crime
• sociological theories don’t explain why people who aren’t deprived or suffering from blocked opportunities commit crime
• neglect the fact that 2 people may commit the same crime but may not be in the same social position