CD10 Social class and Crime Flashcards
Prison statistics
Prison ———– is constitutes of more prisoners from the ……. class than from the …… class or the …… class.
Working class crime examples
Blue collar or Street crimes such as ——, ——- and shoplifting.
Middle/Higher Class crime examples
White collar crime such as, ——— crime and —– crime.
Prison statistics
Prison populations are made up more from the working class than from the middle class or the upper classes.
Working class crime
Street crimes such as theft, assault and shoplifting.
Middle Class crime
White collar crime, corporate crime and cyber crime.
White Collar Crime is…
when a person uses their job or company to commit crime for personal gain. For example fraud and insider trading.
Corporate Crime is…
What are some examples of corporate crime?
Crimes committed by a company in order to increase profits and company standing.
These include crimes such as healthy and safety violations and paying below minimum wage.
3 Explanations for trends in social class and crime
Selective Law Enforcement
Selective Law Making
Labelling and Stereotypes
What is selective law enforcement
Give real life example
The police force and criminal justice system treat the working class and the middle class differently.
Middle class are to get a warning or light punishment (such as fine) as they are seen as having made a mistake where are the working class are more likely to be arrested for the same crime.
Also many corporate crimes are not investigated or prosecuted by the criminal justice system.
What is Selective Law Creation or Making
Middle and upper classes are able to manipulate the law into benefiting themselves.
Labelling and Stereotype regarding middle and working class
The working class are often labelled as being more criminogenic and therefore the criminal justice system sees them as making conscious choices to commit crime where as middle class are seen as making a mistake or unintentionally committing a crime.
6 Explanations for White Collar and Corporate Crime
Strain Theory
Control Theory
Criminogenic Capitalism
Labelling Theory
Rational Choice / Opportunity
Edge-work / Masculinity
Who expands on Merton’s Strain Theory to include corporate and white collar crime?
What does he say?
Reiner
Reiner explains middle class crime and white collar crime by suggesting that there is no limit to success financial or material so even those who appear successful can feel strain.
What is the Control Theory by Hirschi?
What are the four bonds?
Who supports this theory by saying that the underclass is responsible for the majority of street crime.
Hirschi suggests that the underclass are more likely to lack impulse control and bonds to the community which prevent them from committing crime.
BICA Belief, Involvement, Commitment, Attachment
Murray supports Hirschi’s theory by saying the underclass is responsible for the majority of street crime.
Criminogenic Capitalism
Capitalism not only encourages the working class to be criminal by creating a culture of —- and ———-. They commit utilitarian crime to survive in a capitalists system and commit non-utilitarian crime to vent frustration at being ————. Middle class crime can be explained as capitalism encourages those who are rich to —— themselves ——–.
Whose is this theory?
Capitalism not only encourages the working class to be criminal by creating a culture of ‘envy’ and ‘hostility’. They commit utilitarian crime to survive in a capitalists system and commit non-utilitarian crime to vent frustration at being ‘oppressed’. Middle class crime can be explained as capitalism encourages those who are rich to ‘enrich’ themselves ‘further’.
Gordon’s criminogenic capitalism theory.
Whose is Labelling Theory?
The working class are unfairly treated by the CJS, they are less likely to be able to ———- the system to their ———.
The police tend to ——- working class areas more which results in the working class crime ———– being higher than middle class.
What other theories could you link to this?
Becker’s Labelling theory
The working class are unfairly treated by the CJS, they are less likely to be able to negotiate the system to their advantage.
The police tend to patrol working class areas more which results in the working class crime statistics being higher than middle class.
Links to
. Self-fulfilling prophecy,
. Deviance Spiral
. Selective Law enforcement
Rational Choice / Opportunity theory by Clarke
The middle class have more opportunities to commit white collar crime and corporate crime. They hold the positions within the company which gives them the access required to commit this type of crime.
Croall talks about the invisibility of White Collar and Corporate Crime
now you talk about it too
White collar and corporate crime are much harder to see than street crime. Why?
Because they are ‘victimless crimes’, harder to investigate, victim does not know their are being a victim, harder to categorise
What is Croall’s definition of white collar crime?
Individuals who abuse their positions for personal gain at the expenses of their employer.
