Class And Crime

Question 0

However, a criticism of Durkheim’s idea of Anomie is that..

Answer 0

-It is outdated and based on industrial societies

Question 1

Durkheim talked about working class having different norms and values and the idea of Anomie..

Answer 1

Working class have lower attachment to community
\/
Weak social solidarity
\/
Leads to more crime

Question 2

Cloward & Ohlin suggest that people can fall into different subcultures (Collectivism) that may determine their likelihood of committing crime. These may be..

Answer 2

1. Criminal subcultures; -organised crime (eg Mafia) -focused on financial gains
2. Conflict subcultures; -little organised crime -not for monetary gains
   - gain respect through violence
3. Retreatist subcultures; -those who have failed in criminal/conflict subcultures -turn to drugs and alcohol

Question 3

Support for Durkheim comes from Miller who talked about the focal concerns of the working class that make them more likely to commit crime..

Answer 3

Those from working class backgrounds have different norms/values;

• Toughness
• Smartness (being street smart)
• Excitement (eg Gambling/Alcohol)

Question 4

Rational Choice Theory suggests that..

Answer 4

The middle class can weigh up Choice vs Reward better than the working class, this means they are less likely to commit crime. Whereas the working class may just commit crime without thinking about the consequences.

Question 5

Fatalism: some sociologists suggest that the working class experience fatalism..

Answer 5

• They believe things won’t change or improve
• They don’t see social mobility as a possibility
• They believe the only way to get money and possessions is through crime

Question 6

A explanation for the working class committed more crime is due to poor education. Criticisms of this are..

Answer 6

• It is too deterministic (Hirschi)

- Ignores Meritocracy (Davis & Moore)

Question 7

Coming from a New Right perspective, Murray talks about the underclass..

Answer 7

• Believes underclass is responsible for a large proportion of crime
• Poor socialisation leads to different norms and values
• W/C more likely to be single parents which increases likelihood of committing crime
• Cultural deprivation >Criticism: No statistical/empirical evidence

Question 8

Taylor criticises Murray by arguing that..

Answer 8

• Young, unskilled, Working class males have been affected by increasing inequality and declining job prospects (rising unemployment)
• Underclass criminal activity is the result of material deprivation, rather than an unacceptable culture

Question 9

Coming from an Interactionist perspective, Becker suggests that Labelling Theory can explain the link between crime and social class..

Answer 9

• Working class focused on by police
• more likely to be labelled as criminal
• More likely to commit crime as they have been labelled as criminals (self-fulfilling prophecy)

Question 10

Working class are more likely to want immediate gratification than deferred gratification..

Answer 10

Working class do things that immediately benefit them