CRIME Flashcards
What do functionalist argue the two mechanism to achieve collective consciousness
- socialisation: instils share culture into members whixh starts with family (primary socialisation) into shared norms and values of society
- social control: mechanisms including rewards and punishment for deviance ensure people behave way society expects
What is Durkheim view of crime
Limited amount of crime both necessary and beneficial for society and performs 2 positive functions:
- boundary maintenance: unites people in condemnation of criminal and reinforces norms and values
- adaption and change: social change starts with act of deviance
Therefore neither a too high or low level of crime is desirable as suggest a malfunction of the system, too much threatens bonds of society, too little shows society is repressing and controlling members stifling them and preventing change
What does Davis say about crime
It acts as safety valve eg prostitution acts as safety valve to relieve male frustration
What does ALBERT cohen say about crime
Acts as warning device as lets us know what part of society may be malfunctioning
Eg high youth crime may suggest lack of opportunities for youth
What is Mertons strain theory and American dream?
Adapted Durkheim concept of anomie (instability from breakdown of standards and values) to explain deviance as explanation of unequal opportunity of a achieving societies cultural goals
American dream: it promotes meritocracy and Americans expected to pursue this through study, hard work and a career however often many denied this due to poverty or discrimination
Strain resulting between cultural goals and lack of opportunities to achieve them produces frustration through crime, Merton argues this creates strain to the anomie and this is further shown as American culture emphasises achieving success at any price=crime
What are critisms. Of Durkheim theory
He says Society needs certain amount of deviance to function but doesn’t say how much is the right amount
Claims crime serves a positive function and promoting solidarity but ignores negative effects of crime like social isolation
What are rebellion, conforming and innovator in response to strain to the anomie?
- conformity: accepts cultural goals and institutional means eg middle class ppl
- innovator: accepts cultural goals but rejects institutional means to achieve them eg lower classes in gangs
- Rebellion: rejects cultural goals and institutional means eg political revolutionaries like MLK
How labelling theories explain corporate crime
Cicourel: Middle class able to negotiate non criminal labels for their behaviour eg youthful spirits rather than vandalism
Nelken says middle class can ford experts like lawyers to avoid acts being labelled as criminal
So de-labelling or illegal makes it difficult for corporate or white collar crime to be measured
How does strain theory explain corporate crime
Merton Individuals may “innovate” and use illegal methods like theft to achieve cultural status
Box says this could apply to corptirate crimes as if companies cannot Maxine’s profits legally they may “innovate” and break the law
Braithwates study of the pharmaceutical industry found companies willing to fabricate results to gain profits and scientific prestige
What does Tombs say about corporate and white collar crime?
They do far more harm than ordinary street crimes and has enormous costs:
- physical (deaths injuries and illness)
- environmental (pollution)
- economic (to consumers workers and taxpayers/government)
Therefore corporate crime not work of a “few bad apples” but widespread routine and pervasive
What are some real life examples of corporate crime
Tyson meat company dumping 20 million pounds of sewage in 2014
Companies avoiding tax like Starbucks Only paying £5 million when making £95 profit in 2021 in the Uk
What was Goffmans asylum study(
Studied behaviour in mental asylum, spent months as assistant in a partially covert observation as inmates didn’t know he was resewrch and able to build contact with severely Ill and a detailed picture of their life
Wanted to see asylum from patients point of view rather than terms medical categories applied by psychiatries
Found it almost impossible for images to behave like people in outside world and most of there possession taken from them with clothing replaced (mortification of self) and were constantly under watch and treaters as children, developed behaviour which seemed bizarre but way of coping with demands of environment
How does Cohens theory of Status frustration criticises and agrees with Merton?
agrees with Merton deviance is largely lower class phenomenon from their inability to achieve mainstream goals
But he criticises Merton on 2 grounds:
- Merton sees deviance as individual response to strain ignoring fact most deviance is committed by groups
- Merton focuses on crime commited for material gain eg theft or fruad but ignores crimes like assault or vandalism with no economic motive
How does cohen explain deviance in working class boys?
- They suffer for on cultural deprivation and lack skills to achieve well in schools
- undesirable by mainstream school system they lack social status
- they experience status frustration because of their inability to achieve status legitimately
- turn to others in similar position, form delinquent subcultures inverting mainstream values to improve their status eg truancy or being rude
What does millers theory of focal concerns say?
Lower classes create their different value system as response to monotony of working class jobs allowing them cope
Working class boys become Delhi oen r cause they grow up in a subculture of these values
What are the 6 focal concerns of the working class according to miller?
- fate: things are beyond your control
- trouble: getting into it and staying out of it
- toughness: being psychically stronger than others is important
- smartness: street smarts
- autonomy: resentment of authority/rules
- excitement: have to search things to be satisfied