Crime

Question 1

Interactionalist

BECKER- Labelling

Answer 1

Deviance is relative- depends on who/what/where

Society labels the act- crime is socially constructed

Only the powerless are penalised and punished

Can help promote policies to reduce crime

Question 2

Interactionalist

CICOUREL- negotiation of justice

Answer 2

Not everyone who commits crime is punished

Depends on:

• police interaction
• appearance
• background
• history

Question 3

Interactionalist

LEMERT- deviance

Answer 3

Primary= widespread, minor acts, eveyeone does

Secondary= societal reaction, caught and publically labelled, leads to master status

Question 4

Interactionalist

COHEN- deviance amplification

Answer 4

Moral pannic= whole community paranoia where press distort reporting

Fold devil= threat becomes targeted and labelled

Deviance amplification spiral= crime- media exaggeration- public pannic- labelling- targeted my police- more arrests

Question 5

Right Realism

3 theories, 4 names

Answer 5

• Biological differences (Wilson and hernstein)
• inadequately socialised (Murray and underclass)
• Rational Choice theory (Ron Clarke)

Question 6

Right realism

Tacking crime

Answer 6

• practical measures to deter offenders
• Situational Crime Prevention (Ron Clarke)= alternating environment so crime less attractive

Target hardening= security and surveillance

Limitations= doesn’t stop crime, just displaces

Question 7

Left Realism

3 names, 4 theories

Answer 7

Relative Deprivation (Lea & Young)

• individualism= persist of own interests in consumer life
• compare self to others

Marginalisation- frustration with low paid jobs

Subcultures- aim to reduce gap

Jack young- late modern society media is saturated and everyone is consumer market

Question 8

Left realist
Tackling crime
2 names, 3 ideas

Answer 8

Intervention: taking action with at risk groups

Young & Matthews- improving houses, jobs, leisure’s- eg carneys community in east london

Improving police relationships

Question 9

Right realism

Evaluation

Answer 9

Positives- holds criminals responsible, cost effective, evidence it works

Negatives- only displaces crime, target hardening only afford by wealthy, police with more power means more stereotyping

Question 10

Left realist

Evaluation

Answer 10

Positives- government polices like community support officers, similar to Merton strain, supported by official stats

Negatives- not all w/c commit crime, neglects other factors eg gender, ignore white collar

Question 11

Functionalist
Underclass- MURRAY
SUBCULTURAL

Answer 11

underclass= Long term unemployment, teen pregnancy, lone parent

Children not socialised and have counter subculture

20x more times criminal

EVAL: ignores white collar

Question 12

Functionalist
Focal concerns- MILLER
SUBCULTURAL

Answer 12

• no value consensus
• lower working class have developed independent set of norms and gain status thru this

Focal concerns- excitement, toughness, smartness

Question 13

Focal concerns

Eval

Answer 13

• functionalists disagree- is a value consensus

Feminists- focal concerns are masculinity based

Marxists- too deterministic

Matza- we all learn deviant values but chose not to

Question 14

Functionalist

Strain theory- MERTON

Answer 14

• unable to achieve societies goals by legitimate means
• Conflict between goals promoted by society vs what is accessible

People adapt in 5 ways-
Conformity, ritualism, innovation, retreatism, rebellion

Win the game rather than play the rules

Question 15

Functionalist

Strain theory EVAL

Answer 15

:) supported by official stats BUT NOT ALL CRIMES REPORTED

:( not everyone aspires to societies goals/commits crime

:( crimes not always ulitarian

Question 16

Functionalist
Status frustration theory
COHEN
SUBCULTURAL

Answer 16

• status frustration leads deviant subcultures with w/c as they cannot achieve society’s goals
• crime offers route to status

Question 17

Functionalist
Subcultures
COWARD AND OHLIN

Answer 17

Conflict subculture- socially disorganised, battle to gain control

Criminal subculture - utilitarian crimes, established crime, criminal careers

Retreatist subcultures- lower class youth, double failures, retreat to drugs

Question 18

Functionalist
Subcultural strain theories
CLOWARD AND OHLIN

Answer 18

• working class youth accept mainstream values through socialisation.
• working class youths face blocked opportunities
• working class youths suffer status frustration

Question 19

Functionalist

Subculture EVAL

Answer 19

:) explains group response, not individual
Highlights different types of crime

\:(ignores middle class crime
Criminals may overlap criminals 
Matza= people drift in and out of crime

Question 20

Functionalist

Durkheim crime theory

Answer 20

Why is crime inevitable?
- different socialisation -different subcultures -anomie (social change)

4 positive functions of crime-

• warning to society
• boundary maintenance
• adaptation and change
• safety value

Question 21

Functionalist

EVAL OF DURKHEIM

Answer 21

Not all crimes benefit
Does not always bring social solidarity
Doesn’t explain why crime happens in first place

Question 22

Merton

Adaptation to strain

Answer 22

Conformity- accept culturally approved goals and strive to achieve
Ritualism- give up trying to achieve, happy with what have
Innovation- use illegitimate means
Retreatism- reject goals and means (dropout and drugs)
Rebellion- replace goals with new ones (rebellion)

Question 23

Functionalist
Hirschi
Bonds of attachment

Answer 23

Weakened bonds to society= more crime

Attachment- relationships
Commitment- what to lose?
Involvement- what takes up time
Belief- moral code

EVAL: white collar?