Classic Sociological Explanations of Crime Part 1

Question 1

What did Durkheim study

Answer 1

Studied suicide, anomie (sense of normalness), social integration (its importance) and social cohesion

Question 2

What did Durkheim challenge

Answer 2

Challenged biological and psychological explanations for behaviour

Question 3

Durkheims look at functions of deviance for society

Answer 3

Deviance is a feature, not a bug

ex.
-Sometimes it leads to social change
- Clarify moral boundaries ( we don’t go over 120)
- Unifies people (gossip, responding to deviance together)

Question 4

What is the Chicago School

Answer 4

1st department of sociology in the US

Question 5

What does the Human Ecological School look at

Answer 5

Looking at urban societies

Question 6

The Concentric zone model

Answer 6

• Interested in how cities develop
• Where you live will dictate your behaviour

Question 7

Park and Burgess (1967) - The Chicago School

Answer 7

Levels of crime in were geographically patterned.
Crime was concentrated in Zone 2:
new immigrants
racial minorities
transient

Question 8

Criticism of The Chicago School

Answer 8

Applicability of this model to other cities is debatable

Question 9

How does Social disorganization cause criminality

Answer 9

Poverty – social disorganization – breakdown of social control – criminal areas – cultural transmission – criminal careers

Question 10

Shaw and McKay (1924): On Crime and Social Disorganization

Answer 10

High delinquency rates were caused by the types of neighbourhoods in which youth grew up.

Question 11

Thrasher (1927): On Crime and Social Disorganization

Answer 11

gangs emerge in environments where conventional controls on youth are either absent or lacking.

Question 12

Criticisms of Social Disorganization

Answer 12

-Concentric zone model doesn’t apply to all cities.
-Crime:
1. may be well organized.
2. not limited to the powerless disenfranchised.

-Juvenile delinquency is not restricted to the inner city.

-Creates an “us” versus “them” dynamic.

Question 13

Who came up with strain- Anomie Theory

Answer 13

Robert Merton

Question 14

What is Anomie

Answer 14

Societies inadvertently bring strain on individuals that can lead to rule-breaking behaviour

Question 15

What is strain

Answer 15

Discrepancy between culturally defined goals and the institutionalized means available to achieve these goals -> Anomie

Question 16

What are the 5 modes of adapting to this strain

Answer 16

-conformity
-innovation
-retreatism
-ritualism
-rebellion

Question 17

What is the goal and means of strain/anomie theory

Answer 17

The goal is wealth and is achieved through school+ work

Question 18

What is conformity

Answer 18

want goal, go through means

Question 19

What is innovation

Answer 19

want goal (wealth) but reject means to get there(school/work)

Question 20

What is retreatism

Answer 20

reject goals & mean

Question 21

What is ritualism

Answer 21

reject goal but go through with means

Question 22

What is rebellion

Answer 22

overthrowing system

Question 23

What model of adaption is most often used to explain crime

Answer 23

Innovator most often used to explain crime

Question 24

Why does the value of delayed gratification not applicable to all kids

Answer 24

Ex. Marshmallow theory

Kids might take marshmallow now because in their lives life for them has been repeatedly unpredictable

Question 25

Working-class exclusion occurs within

Answer 25

the educational system

Question 26

As a result of being unable to compete

Answer 26

youth turn to delinquency and a delinquent subculture.

Question 27

delinquent subculture

Answer 27

alternative source of status-granting criteria that these youth can meet.

Question 28

reaction formation

Answer 28

reject the dominant value system and endorse the values of the delinquent subculture
-> live today, hostility towards “the mans”

Question 29

Example of Status frustration

Answer 29

Cant keep up with school

Question 30

Criticism of Strain/Anomie Theory

Answer 30

-Doesn’t explain why educated and financially successful individuals engage in crime.
-Fails to explain why so few women engage in crime.

Question 31

What is Control Theory and who came up with it

Answer 31

-Hirschi
- Society = set of institutions that acts to control and regulate rule-breaking behaviour
- Bonds to society help people not break the law/ take risks
- Broken or weak bonds -> could become open to egocentric impulses and engage in crime

Question 32

Control Theory: What are Hirschi’s four types of social bonds

Answer 32

1. Commitments
2. Beliefs
3. Attachment
4. Involvement

Question 33

What is the Criticism of control theory

Answer 33

• Doesn’t explain more serious youth crime or adult crime
• Strong bonds DOES NOT equal protection from all forms of deviance