Chapter 11: Conflict Theories

Question 1

Who was the main theorist behind cultural conflict theory?

Answer 1

Thorsten Sellin

Question 2

What is the central idea of cultural conflict theory? What are some examples of it in the real world?

Answer 2

that more complex societies lead to overall less consensus; in particular it leads to conflict between conduct norms of different cultural groups; colonization, migration, immigration

Question 3

What is a conduct norm?

Answer 3

specific rules or norms of appropriate behavior generally agreed upon by members of the social group to who they apply

Question 4

What is a criminal norm?

Answer 4

conduct norms in law that represent the dominant group

Question 5

What view do cultural conflict theorists take regarding criminal law, as in who shapes it?

Answer 5

the dominant groups character/interests

Question 6

What are 4 typical qualities of honor killings?

Answer 6

1) Women/girl in family
2) Killer does not act alone
3) Suspicion of impropriety is enough
4) Premeditated

Question 7

What are the 2 main contributors to group conflict theory?

Answer 7

George Vold and Richard Quinney

Question 8

What are George Vold’s ideas regarding group conflict theory?

Answer 8

criminal behavior results from conflicts between interests of 2 divergent groups

Question 9

What are two assumptions that Vold makes regarding group conflict theory?

Answer 9

1) Conflict is interest related

2) Humans are “group involved” beings who live according to group association

Question 10

What does george Vold suggest about the creation of law?

Answer 10

it is a result of conflict between groups and the more powerful determines law

Question 11

What are the 2 ways in which Vold specifies that crimes arise

Answer 11

1) From conflict between behavior of minority and norms etc. of the majority
2) From conflict between groups vying for power

Question 12

What was Richard Quinney’s focus in group conflict theory?

Answer 12

on conflict between “segments” of society

Question 13

What were Richard Quinney’s original views on the powerful and their interests?

Answer 13

they were able to secure and protect their interests through formulation, enforcement etc. of criminal law; only some groups were able to influence policy

Question 14

What is the gist of Quinney’s 6 propositions in group conflict theory?

Answer 14

that the social reality of crime is constructed by the formulation and application of criminal definitions, the development of behavior patterns related to the definitions and the construction of criminal conceptions

Question 15

What are 3 main tenants of Marxist conflict perspectives?

Answer 15

1) Crime is analyzed in context of society as a whole
2) Conflict is rooted in a capitalistic society and it’s economic relations
3) The idea of the economic ideology being the base (structure) of capitalism and all else kind of being built on that

Question 16

What is a mode of production?

Answer 16

economic system whereby goods are produced, exchanged and distributed

Question 17

What are forces of production?

Answer 17

tools, techniques, labor power etc. used in production

Question 18

What are the social relations of production?

Answer 18

relationships among humans with respect to ownership of means of production

Question 19

What are the 2 groups that arise in capitalist societies according to marxists?

Answer 19

1) Bourgeoisie: economically dominant

2) Proletariat: economically subordinate

Question 20

Where do profits come from according to Marxists?

Answer 20

from the difference in value of what workers produce and what they are worth or paid

Question 21

What is the main idea in instrumental Marxism? What idea does this arise from?

Answer 21

the state and legal systems in capitalist societies serves the interests of the ruling class; the processes of structure (economic base) and superstructure that arises from it

Question 22

What are some critiques of instrumental Marxism?

Answer 22

1) Portrays the ruling class as a homogenous group
2) Ignores how the ruling class’s actions are constrained by structural causes
3) Does not account for legislation not in their favor
4) Overly rigid interpretation of base/super structure metaphor

Question 23

What is the main idea in Structural Marxism?

Answer 23

the state is viewed as acting in the long-term interests of capitalism as a whole rather than the short term interests of a capitalist class

Question 24

What is the state said to have in structural marxism? What does it mean?

Answer 24

relative autonomy; they have relative independence from the capitalist class

Question 25

What do laws demonstrate according to Structural Marxist’s?

Answer 25

widespread consent to maintain existing social order and obscures inequality by saying “all are equal”

Question 26

In theories of crimes of the powerless, who talks about surplus populations? What does that term mean?

Answer 26

Stephen Spitzer; criminalization is directed towards those problem populations who are “surplus” in the labor market

Question 27

What are the 2 ways problem populations occur according to Spitzer?

Answer 27

1) Directly: new technology and outsourcing

2) Indirectly: schooling that provides students with the ability to realize how broken the system is

Question 28

What are David Greenberg’s theories regarding crimes of the powerless?

Answer 28

Juveniles form a “class” of their own because they share a similar relationship to means of production (can’t legally work but want to)

Question 29

What are 3 critiques of Structural marxism?

Answer 29

1) it is tautological
2) it emphasizes the structure at the expense of human agency
3) it forgets gender and race oppression

Question 30

Who are the main theorists behind left realism?

Answer 30

Young, Lea and Matthews

Question 31

What is the central idea of left realism?

Answer 31

that crime is simply behavior with people who lack values

Question 32

What is the “square of crime” in left realism?

Answer 32

the relations between the offender, victim, police and public

Question 33

What do left realists criticize Marxists of?

Answer 33

ignoring the suffering of those targeted by street crime

Question 34

What is the main technique used by Left Realists?

Answer 34

victimization surveys

Question 35

What are 3 critiques of left realists?

Answer 35

1) it is ahistorical (doesn’t take in political, economic & cultural history)
2) Overuse victimization surveys + questions them
3) Appeal to common sense but don’t achieve much

Question 36

What was banned in Switzerland? Who does this affect?

Answer 36

Minarets, Muslims as they are part of the church there

Question 37

What does the Quebec charter of values ban?

Answer 37

conspicuous religious apparel

Question 38

What is Socialist Feminism a response to? What does it focus on?

Answer 38

to the criticism that radical feminism does not take race or class in to consideration; women’s exploitation under capitalism

Question 39

What is the main idea of Liberal Feminism?

Answer 39

the idea that men control power and privelege, boys and girls are socialized in to gendered adult roles

Question 40

What is idea behind Radical Feminism?

Answer 40

gender inequality is rooted in patriarchy