Chapter 10

Question 1

the consensus perspective (functionalism) assumes that

Answer 1

the vast majority share similar values concerning right and wrong
societies have a tendency to maintain themselves in a state of relative equilibrium
the maintenance of society is in the common interest of all is members

Question 2

in contrast, the conflict perspective assumes that

Answer 2

there are inherent divisions in society based on social inequalities
law reflects the interests of groups that create and enforce the laws
it is the most powerful, not the majority, whose values and concerns are represented in the justice system

Question 3

central insight

Answer 3

people feel strain when they are exposed to cultural goals they cannot reach because they do not have access to culturally approved means of achieving those goals

Question 4

Durkheim: the Functions of Crime and Anomie

Answer 4

French Sociologist, wrote Division of Labour in Society, 1893.
concerned about the situation in France, saw it as worse than in the past.
most societies have social solidarity: agreed-upon goals that lead to a set of shared norms.
provides a sense of community and collective conscience.

Question 5

Anomie

Answer 5

during times of rapid social change, social solidarity could breaks down; no clear societal norms or values.
individual desires or self-interests are no longer controlled by society.
greater individualism results in greater amounts of suicide and crime

Question 6

Merton: the gap between aspirations and means

Answer 6

applied the idea of anomie to the American situation in 1938
crime was the result of the gap between culturally prescribed aspirations and the socially structured means of realizing the aspirations

Question 7

Merton: the gap between aspirations and means

Answer 7

culturally prescribed aspirations are defined by culture and transmitted to members of the society. In America, material wealth and the accumulation of money and status were seen as universal goals.
the legitimate means of achieving these aspirations like schooling or good jobs, are social structured.

Question 8

Merton: the gap between aspirations and means

Answer 8

access to legitimate means (education, good jobs) is difficult for poor and minority children, so they will have the highest rates of deviance.
argument may also apply to upper-class crimes where executives feel pressure to attain great wealth

Question 9

Microanomie

Answer 9

the individual is in a state of anomie, or places self-interest above collective values
Konty’s findings: Student who favoured self-enhancing values (e.g. social status, prestige, personal success) over self-transcending values (appreciation, tolerance, protection, the welfare of others) were more likely to have reported criminal acts, but only when self-transcending values were weak.

Question 10

Mesner and Rosenfeld’s institutional anomie theory

Answer 10

American society emphasizes monetary success, but places weak restraints on the means
this directly encourages people to use illegal means to get money
it indirectly encourages crime by emphasizing the economy above all other institutions

Question 11

Conrad Black

Answer 11

corporations separate production and finance – concern is largely with stock price, not production
for executives, a subculture of power abuse enables exploitation without effective punishment like Nortel, Conrad Black, the recent sub-prime mortgage crisis in the US

Question 12

Reactions to crimes of the powerful

Answer 12

Canadian reactions to abuse of power by corporate elites is weak
few large fines compared to USA
independent federal watchdogs have done little to increase integrity in government
the economic institution remains dominant over others like the family, education, religion

Question 13

Reactions to crimes of the powerful: Hagan and Hackler

Answer 13

Hagan:
in the age of Reagan (1974-2008) financial crimes are seen as minor
focus on street crimes vs. the age of Roosevelt (1933-73)
corporate abuse is ignored
Hackler:
white collar crime is a frequent occurrence and must be targeted.
this will help reduce all unethical behaviour
it is not the case that a few bad corporate apples are committing the majority of white collar crimes

Question 14

Strain as a feature of individuals

Answer 14

useful to apply strain theory to individuals
many ways of coping with strain
Agnew:
look at the intervening role of anger in strain. If strain leads to anger that cannot be handled legitimately, the result is crime
there is some convergence of strain theory with differential association theory and control theory as ways of explaining how strain produces crime

Question 15

Opportunity structures

Answer 15

Durkheim’s anomie theory
emphasized social cohesion and the social restraints that prevented crime
Merton shifted focus to opportunity structures
he felt crime was primarily lower-class, so less evenly distributed than Durkheim’s theory would have predicted
thus for Merton, anomie was shifted from normlessness to relative deprivation
the greater the gap between aspirations and expectations, the higher the probability of deviance

Question 16

Cloward: illegitimate opportunity structures

Answer 16

from Delinquency and Opportunity, 1960
incorporated Sutherland’s differential association theory:
criminal behaviour is learned through association with others.
for those without legitimate opportunities, there are barriers to resolving the strain through illegitimate means

Question 17

illegitimate opportunity structure - these vary by community and by individual

Answer 17

criminal - opportunities for crimes of financial gain such as organized crime
conflict - opportunities for gang violence
retreatist - for failures on other structures - turn to substance abuse

Question 18

marginal opportunity structures:

Answer 18

it is not necessary to look only at illegal opportunity structures. Some opportunities are borderline leg–al - “tearoom” activity, street life, prostitution

Question 19

Anderson: the Code of the Street

Answer 19

well-paying manufacturing jobs that provided a mobility route for lower-class workers have disappeared through globalization and employer preference for females and new immigrants

Question 20

Anderson: the Code of the Street

Answer 20

mobility barriers face young black males
in response, they have developed a code of the street which involves toughness and a demand for respect
drug dealing, prostitution, etc. are a source of illicit income
in this environment, the weak will be victimized so great pressure to follow the code

Question 21

Assessing strain theories

Answer 21

Durkheim changed the focus away from psychological and genetic variables to sociological ones, which are now dominant in theories of crime
Durkheim was wrong in viewing premodern societies as relatively crime free

Question 22

Assessing strain theories

Answer 22

Merton’s theories help account for social class differences in crime, but not gender differences
strain theories point out criminogenic features of our society
strain theory ideas are still relevant
strain theory has been fruitfully combined with other theories

Question 23

Uses or applications of strain theory

Answer 23

there are a large number of illegitimate opportunities for people to take advantage of in modern societies, but most do not
some societies appear to produce fewer opportunistic criminals than others

Question 24

Uses or applications of strain theory: Braithwaite:

Answer 24

only when legitimate opportunities are low and illegitimate ones are high do we get much crime  
Implication:  avoid having ghettoes or slums with high numbers of lower class individuals – i.e. have a greater class mix  
applies to property crime and also if there is a culture of violence rooted in racial and economic inequalities.

Question 25

Policy implications

Answer 25

providing more opportunities for young people in poor areas through schooling and job training
early childhood education programs
developing a less coercive justice system, for example through reintegrative shaming vs. disintegrative shaming currently used
reducing the gap between rich and poor

Question 26

The war on poverty

Answer 26

Cloward’s role as providing the theoretical basis
The Mobilization for Youth program as a model
Opportunities for Youth program ( in text) as part of the War on Poverty
assessment of the success of these programs
The jury is still out