Class and Crime: Explaining C/D

Question 1

What did Merton suggest?

Answer 1

The w/c ARE more criminal - strain theory = criminal response

Question 2

What did Cohen suggest?

Answer 2

W/c ARE more criminal - status frustration leads to subculture and more crime

Question 3

What did Miller find?

Answer 3

The w/c have focal concerns which lead to crime

Question 4

How does Right Realism explain higher w/c crime?

Answer 4

Murray - underclass
Wilson/Hirschi - community breakdown, lack of controls
Etzoni - loss of communitarianism

Working class ARE more criminal

Question 5

How does Left Realism explain higher w/c crime

Answer 5

The W/C ARE more criminal

Lea and Young - relative deprivation leads to marginalisation and subculture = crime

Question 6

What did the Joseph Rowntree Foundation find?

Answer 6

Deprivation leads to crime (more likely to join gangs) - w/c ARE more criminal

Question 7

What did Harding find?

Answer 7

Poverty and deprivation = need for ‘street capital’ which is increased by crime
W/c ARE more criminal

Question 8

What did Shaw and MacKay find?

Answer 8

Crime is increased by locality and social disorganisation

W/c ARE more criminal

Question 9

What do Marxists say about crime and class?

Answer 9

W/C crime is socially constructed
Gordon - all classes commit crime
Croall - occupation and white-collar crime is underrepresented in OCS
Box - bourgeoise control CJS - defining laws in their favour
Hall - media are a RSA

Question 10

What do Interactionists say about crime and class?

Answer 10

Becker - Labelling theory - the w/c lack power and are so more likely to be labelled
Cicourel - police act upon sterotypical assumptions
W/C are not more criminal

Question 11

What does Neo-Marxist subcultural theory say?

Answer 11

Working class are more likely to be victims of crime