Ch. 6 Flashcards
Stratified society
People grouped together regarding to economic/social class, unequal distribution of wealth, power
Social classes
Segment of population who’s members are at relatively similar economic status
- Share attitudes, norms, values
How much do the classes hold wealth?
- Top 1% hold 35%
- 20% small businessmen hold 50%
- 80% salary workers have 15%
Culture of poverty
Separate lower-class culture, characterized by apathy, cynicism (distrust)
Lower class
Lowest social stratum; members lack education, skills needed to succeed in modern society
Child poverty -
- Less likely to achieve in school
- More likely suffer health problems
Social structure theory
View that disadvantaged economic class position is primary cause of crime
Social structure’s 3 branches -
1) Social disorganized theory
2) Strain theory
3) Cultural Deviance theory
Social disproved theory
Breakdown of inner-city neighborhoods of institutions (family, school)
Strain theory
Sees crime as function on conflict between peoples goals and means available to obtain them (strain = anger, frustration experienced by ppl who can’t achieve goals)
Cultural deviance theory
Sees strain and social disorganization together resulting in a unique lower-class culture that conflicts w/ conventional social norms
Subculture :
Set of values, beliefs, traditions unique to particular social class/group
Social disorganization theory
Links neighborhood ecological characteristics to crime rates
Traditional neighborhood
Are undergoing a shift in population/structure, usually from middle class to lower class
Concentric zones
Ecological areas where different crime rates occur
- Zones farthest from city’s center, lower crime rates
What zones have highest crime rates?
Zone I and II
“Siege mentality”
In which outside world in considered enemy determined of desto eying neighborhood
Concentration effect
As working class and middle class families flee inner-city high poverty areas, most disadvantaged pollution is united in urban ghettos
Collective efficacy
Social control exercised by organized communities based on mutual trust, supervision of children
Where are crime rates highest?
Places where police are mistrusted
2 elements of culture integration to produce abomination conditions
1) culturally defined goals
2) socially approved means for obtaining them
Ex: US stresses wealth, so acceptable means include hard work
Variety of social adaptions
- Conformity- individuals have social goals/have means to obtain them (obey law)
- innovation- accepted goals, unable to obtain them, opt innovation speculations for dilemma
- Ritualism- reject boy goals/means of society, withdrawal
- Rebellion- promote radical change in existing social structure
Anomie theory
View when socially defined goals (ex: wealth,power) are universally mandated, but access rivaled means is stratified by class/status
Institutional anomie theory
View that anomie penetrates US culture because drive for material wealth dominates/undermines social/community values
“American Dream”
Goal of gaining material goods/wealth through individual competition, believe it’s achievable
Relative deprivation theory
Envy, mistrust, aggression resulting from perceptions of economic/social inequality
General strain theory (GST)
View that my ripple sources of strain interact w: individuals emotional traits/responses to produce criminality
Negative affective states
Anger, frustration, and adverse emotions produced by variety of sources of strain
What are negative affective states produced by?
- Failure to achieve positively valued goals
- Disjunction of expectations and achievement
- Removal of positively valued stimuli
- Presentation of negative stimuli
Cultural deviance theory
Explains how people living in weakened neighborhoods reacts to social isolation/economic deprivation
Focal concerns
Values, such as toughness and street smarts, that have evolved specifically to fit conditions in lower-class environments
Cultural transmission
Process whereby values, beliefs, traditions, handed down from generation to generation
What does gang memberships indicate?
Substantial change in emotions; attitudes, social conducts
Delinquent subculture
A value system adopted my lower-class youth that is directly opposed to that of larger society
Stratus frustration
Form of culture conflict experiences by lower class youths because social conditions prevent them from success as defined by larger society -"Takes norms of higher society, and turns them upside down"
Middle-class measuring rods
Standards by which authority figures, evaluate Lower class youngsters and often prejudge them negativity
“The corner boy”, “the college boy”, “the delinquent boy”?
- Corner boy- not chronic delinquent, engages in petty offenses
- College boy- embraces culture of middle class, strives to succeed
- Delinquent boy- adopts norms directly appear middle class values
Recreation formation
Irrational hostility evidence by young delinquents; who adopt norms directly opposed to middle class goals/standard that seem impossible to achieve
Differential opportunity
View that lower-class youth, who legitimate opportunities limited, join gangs/criminal careers to achieve success goals
Differential opportunity and 3 types of gangs -
1) Criminal gangs- exist in stable neighborhood; successful criminal careers
2) Conflict gangs- develop in communities unable to provide real opportunities;protect fans honor/integrity
3) Retreatist gangs- unable to gain success thru real means/unwilling to do so thru illegal ones; getting high
Social theorists -
Believe antisocial behavior direct result of destructive social forces
- Social forces cause crime, not individuals
