Crime And Deviance 1 - Key Theorists

Question 1

Emilie Durkheim (1938) on crime?

Answer 1

Crime is an integral part of healthy societies
Its caused by
-not everyone having the same levels of socialisation
-difficult to maintain consensus with diverse modern society (division of labour, subcultures, etc.) collective conscience weakened, more crime

Question 2

Crime and deviance difference?

Answer 2

Crime - against the law
Deviance - anti-social behaviour

Question 3

Other functionist views?

Answer 3

Moore (2002) occasionally when someone prosecuted people have sympathy for them which can change laws to reflect values e.g. attitude towards cannabis use

Question 4

Merton’s strain theory?

Answer 4

People engage in deviant behaviour when they are unable to achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means
The ‘American dream’ is important, but the reality to get there is different (discrimination in job markets, poverty, etc.)
Because the importance is on success, anomie is caused because they will use any means to get there, so norms and laws are abandoned

Question 5

Mertons’s five responses to American dream?

Answer 5

Conformity - strive for success by working hard
Innovation - ‘less than perfect’ socialisation, don’t follow normal means to get to success
Ritualism - conform to social norms but because their job offers little opportunities for advancement, they scale down or abandon success goals
Retreatism - least common, abandoned cultural goals and institutionalised means, drop out of society e.g alcoholics, drug addicts, outcasts, etc.
Rebellion - different goals replace success and institutionalised ones, want to create a new society, mostly new rising class

Question 6

Durkheim’s functions of crime?

Answer 6

Reaffirming boundaries (confirm existing values)
Social cohesion (everyone draws together in outrage)
Changing values
Anticipation of future morality (see Moore 2002)
Punishment heals wounds done to collective sentiment

Question 7

Durkheim’s (crime can be positive and it is inevitable) support?

Answer 7

Cohen, deviance may tell us there are problems in an institution e.g. high rates of truancy may tell us there are problems with the eduction system and that changes are needed
Erikson (1966) true function of social control agencies e.g police may actually be to sustain a certain level of crime rather than get rid of it
Society manage and regulates deviance in carnivals, festivals and student rag weeks

Question 8

Criticism of Durkheim?

Answer 8

No way of knowing how much deviance is right
Functionalists haven’t given the origin of crime and deviance
Functionalists ignore the individual e.g who is it functional for (punishing a murderer won’t help the murdered person)
Crime can promote isolation e.g women staying indoors for fear of attack, young black men were called dangerous by tabloids in 70s
Criminology proposes dysfunctional individuals not society

Question 9

Merton support?

Answer 9

Reiner - Merton acknowledged not all Americans accept success goals of American Dream
-claims Merton was aware of white collar crime but regarded it as a product of success goals having no limit
-supports Merton’s claim more working class people turn to illegitimate avenues to achieve success as legitimate means blocked
-politically motivated acts of crime would be in fifth category (rebellion, e.g extinction rebellion)
Still most plausible and accounts for crime rises
Savelberg (1995) it explains rise in crime in former communist country as free market stress importance of competition and individual success

Question 10

Merton criticism?

Answer 10

Taylor - Merton neglects to think about who put the system there in the first place (who makes and benefits from it)
-Taylor thinks system is rigged
-Merton may have overstated US value consensus
-Merton’s theory doesn’t explore why some experience ‘anomie’ and resort to crime and other don’t
Critics accuse Merton of overestimating crime committed by working class and underestimating white collar crime
Taylor, Walton and Young - Merton’s theory doesn’t work for politically motivated crimes

Question 11

A.K.Cohen sub cultural deviance theory?

Answer 11

Lower class working boys couldn’t achieve mainstream societies success due to cultural deprivation and have status frustration (dissatisfied with their class)
They reject mainstream culture’s success in response, and replace them with other norms and values becoming delinquent subculture, a reverse of normal subculture (high value on reckless driving, stealing, vandalism, etc.)
United in hostility for anyone not a part of the collective
This explains delinquent acts with no financial gain

Question 12

R.A. Cloward and L.E. Ohlin’s advance on Merton’s work?

Answer 12

Agree with Merton’s legitimate opportunity structure but criticise that he didn’t explore illegitimate opportunity structures
They agree that lower working class members are under more pressure to commit crime because they are less likely to succeed legitimately
However they say not everyone who fails by legitimate means will succeed in illegitimate ones e.g different neighbourhoods may or may not have illegitimate opportunities

Question 13

Cloward and Ohlin’s advance on Cohen’s subcultures?

Answer 13

There are more than one: criminal subcultures - places with lots of organised adult crime, role models, young people can move up the ladder, more financial gain
Conflict subcultures - little organised adult crime, focus on gaining respect through gang violence
Retreatist subcultures - failed in normal and criminal subcultures, retreat to drugs and alcohol to deal with their rejection

Question 14

Criticisms of Cohen’s theory?

Answer 14

Can’t explain rich and powerful’s crimes
Makes very few links to class or gender despite saying its usually ‘working class boys’ (girls in 1950s may have been delinquent if this is the case) so doesn’t fully explain it
Lyng and Katz, not consciously inverting mainstream societies norms but seeking a ‘buzz’
Box (1981) Cohen’s theory only plausible for small amount of delinquents, Box argues they instead resent those who look down on them and may never liked mainstream values in the first place

Question 15

Cloward and Ohlin criticisms?

Answer 15

Taylor, Young and Walton - whole groups of people consciously reject financial goals, and many more individuals make decisions which counter furthering ones success
Kitsuse and Dietrich (1959) most crime committed by individuals not gangs
Yablonsky (1962) delinquent gangs aren’t commonplace, denies members have total commitment to the gang (e.g family, etc.)
Most criminal gangs would have more than one of Cloward and Ohlin’s elements
Sykes and Matza (1957) delinquent gangs use ‘techniques of naturalisation’ for their actions which echo conventional values (not oppositional)
Matza (1964) most delinquents drift between conformity and deviance
Kitsuse and Dietrick (1959) middle class delinquent gangs underreported
Not address gender

Question 16

Marxist view on crime and deviance?

Answer 16

Structure of society causes crime
Criminal justice system is ideological state apparatus to keep capitalism
Bourgeoisie protected by law
Legal system and police control the masses, keeping people in false conciousness

Question 17

3 ways society is crimogenic according to Marxists?

Answer 17

Gordon (1976) capitalism encourages individuals to pursue self-interest and crime is a rational response to competitiveness and inequality
Capitalism encourages materialistic consumers, so aspire to unrealistic and unattainable life
Capitalism generates inequality and poverty, conditions that correlate to higher crime rate

Question 18

Evidence that laws made by capitalist elite and work in their favour?

Answer 18

Property rights more established in law than collective rights, for example, of trade unions
Snider (1993) capitalist states unlikely to pass laws to regulate capitalist concerns
Haralambos (1974) 1960s laws that guaranteed African Americans equal rights also were serving ruling class interests (e.g cotton pickers and chemical weed killers removed needs for field hands, racial discrimination wasn’t needed to give a poor workforce, black power movement were sometimes anti-capitalist so posing a threat to capitalism, so capitalists gave concessions to diffuse massive and organised protest movements in the south)

Question 19

Evidence of state providing selective law enforcement?

Answer 19

Chambliss - working class crime more likely to be punished
Crimes of the elite are more harmful and they are likely to get away with it
Snider (1993) cost of White Collar Crime and Corporate Crime to economy far outweighs cost of street crime (Bernie Madhoff/Bhopal case supports this)
Tombs and Whyte - how little money goes into enforcing health and safety law and regulating financial sector
Ideological functions e.g courts neutralise opposition

Question 20

Marxist construction of crime and deviance?

Answer 20

Davis (1973) real criminals are those who have stolen the wealth of the people
Chambliss gives examples of things which could be crime if ruling class didn’t control beliefs e.g. spending on superficial whilst others are starving to death
This is justified by ruling class belief that ‘they earned it, they have the right to spend it’

Question 21

Neo Marxist perspective on deviance?

Answer 21

Taylor, Young and Walton, understanding crime comes room ‘material base of society’ and capitalist driven inequalities
Marxism too economically driven
Criminals choose to break the law, many motivated by politics (a way to develop self conception)
Support overthrow of capitalist system

Question 22

Evidence for Taylor, Walton and Young’s theory?

Answer 22

Crimes against property involve distribution of wealth
Deviants therefore not ‘victims’ but active individuals struggling with inequality

Question 23

Taylor, Walton and Young’s 7 factors of crime?

Answer 23

Distribution of wealth and power
Individual circumstances around deviant act
Meaning individual attaches to act
Reasons and ways other society members react
Social structure, and power to define acts as deviant
Power to label and selective application
Meaning given to the label by people and others

Question 24

Hal et al (1979) viewpoint?

Answer 24

Doesn’t agree with Taylor, Walton and Young
1971-2, 60 ‘muggings’ (violent robberies) reported with 129% increase in London over four years claimed
Hal et al argues there was a moral panic, and ‘muggings’ weren’t a new crime (garrotters dated from early 19th Century) so outcry can only be seen in 1970s problems context
Stats also proved only 14% increase between 1965-72

Question 25

Hal et al (1979) ‘mugging’ outcry context?

Answer 25

1970s capitalist Britain struggling to compete globally with mechanics in manufacturing meaning unemployment rose, capitalism needs profit so workers were exploited further, Britains economy was in crisis, Unions and strikes also were frequent and effective, Working classes weren’t convinced state was fair on them, and ruling class had more difficulty governing (increase in student militancy, Black Power Movement grew and Northern Ireland went back to their religious roots violently)
‘Mugging’ was therefore seen as the final element in breaking down law and order so distraction from capitalism

Question 26

Hal et al (1979) ‘mugging’ outcry outcome?

Answer 26

Black mugger came to symbolise threat to society so attention on race war
Hal et al also said police stopping Black youths in a hostile way then provoked more outcry by them leading to more arrests, which led to show higher levels of black crimes and justified stronger police measures
The media orchestrated public opinion

Question 27

Applying Taylor, Walton and Youngs 7 factors to ‘mugging’?

Answer 27

1. ‘Mugging’ a street crime, regarded as a survival strategy for the disadvantaged
2. Family differences mean young black males leaving home, and ‘mugging’ to survive
3. They recognised capitalism was the need behind it, large reserve labour force and rejected the menial jobs they were expected to fill that the ‘white man’ wouldn’t
4. Media was central in orchestrating the opinions against the ‘black mugger’
5. States response was mount law and order campaign leading to moral panic
6. Black youths became increasingly criminalised and state able to justify power increase
7. Police targeted young Black men which led to defensive reactions, justifying worse treatment

Question 28

Right realism beliefs on crime etc.?

Answer 28

Wilson and Hernstein (1985) individuals are biological predisposed to criminality e.g aggressiveness, extroversion, risk taking (Murray said low IQ)
Murray (1990) lone parenting means inadequate socialisation of boys due to lack of male role model and boys turning to each other (peer status makes negative identity)
Ron Clarke (1980) individuals have free will to commit crime and to rationalise costs and benefits. Perceived cost is low because CJS too lenient

Question 29

Right realism on tackling crime?

Answer 29

Wilson and Kelling (1982) ‘zero tolerance’ towards undesirable behaviour e.g begging, drunkenness, graffiti, etc.
‘Target hardening’ maximise prison deterrent by quick and harsher sentencing

Question 30

Support for right realism?

Answer 30

Marcus Felson’s (1998) routine activity theory - crime requires a motivated offender, viable target and absence of suitable guardian e.g 1982 Florida crime went down due to routine police patrols to prevent looting post-hurricane

Question 31

Criticisms of right realism?

Answer 31

Ignores wider structures e.g poverty
Rationality ignores crime by emotions e.g hate/revenge
Lilly et al (2002) IQ differences account for less than 3% differences in offending
Ignores white collar, corporate crime and its effects and that its caused by right realisms favourite value: individualism
Jones (1998) right realism influences on policy failed to stop crime rate rising

Question 32

Becker’s labelling theory?

Answer 32

An act becomes deviant when someone’s defines it as such
This, they claim, is due to stereotyping held by police and other agencies
Also a label is not neutral and overtakes any other labels they may have had
He also says rules are product of someone’s initiative who are ‘moral entreprenurs’

Question 33

Process of labelling stages?

Answer 33

Negative label given -> itegrated into self concept ->label reinforced by action -> master status developed (this label above all others) -> deviant career

Question 34

Evidence for Becker’s theories?

Answer 34

Stereotype evidence includes studies which show those stopped on the street and questioned are disproportionately unemployed/casually employed young men, with ethnicity also being a factor
Cicourel’s study on juvenile justice in 2 California cities shows those fitting the stereotype were arrested and charged what those that didn’t were cautioned and released
Moral entrepreneurs include MP Tom Watson on phone hacking, Mary Whitehouse on decency, outlawing cannabis in the USA in 1937

Question 35

Lemert (1972) views?

Answer 35

Emphasised importance of reaction
Primary deviation happens before people have been labelled, secondary happens after label given and is a response to it
So societal reaction causes deviance

Question 36

Lemert (1972) evidence?

Answer 36

North Pacific coastal American Indians were previously believed never to stutter, and didn’t have a word for it
Lemert’s research shows that the singing, dancing and ceremonial life was expected to be word perfect, with there being societal shame on the family if they stuttered
This therefore caused them to stutter, a point backed up by the fact in other tribes where this pressure was absent, no one stuttered

Question 37

Criticism for Becker’s theory?

Answer 37

Too deterministic as you can reject a label e.g Reiss (1961) male prostitutes regarded themselves as heterosexual, even if they engaged in homosexual behaviour, as they regarded what they did as work
Becker didn’t explore the origins of deviant behaviour in the first place

Question 38

Support for Becker’s theory?

Answer 38

Becker accepted ex-convicts reform, etc. and people do change
He examined deviance as a process
He also envisages deviants returning to conformity
Becker’s theories were applied to great effect in Jock Young’s (1971) study of ‘hippy’ marijuana users which showed how police perspective of them reflected their view on themselves

Question 39

Left realism reasons for crime?

Answer 39

Lea and Young (1984) there are four main reasons
-relative deprivation
-marginalisation (lacking clear goals so went through crime)
-individualism caused by rise in capitalist values
-people with all of these come together to form deviant subcultures
Young (2003) media has made a consumerist world view which isn’t helping

Question 40

Left realism on police?

Answer 40

Kinsey, Lea and Young, average officer spends about 1 hour a day on investigation and the rest on paperwork, public confidence police is at an all time low (Black community 82% thought violence was used on subjects)
Therefore they think improving relationship with the community was the most important, members of the public should be involved in shaping policy, stopping military-esc tactics (e.g stopping and searching or subjects), police should spend more time solving crime, especially serious crimes

Question 41

Left realists solutions?

Answer 41

Investigate why people offended
Understand victims
Reforming police
And make sure communities are involved in its prevention e.g Neighbourhood Watch

Question 42

Support for left realism?

Answer 42

Hughes (1998) no romanticisation of crime and delinquents
Highlighted the victims of crime (members of deprived groups)

Question 43

Left realist criticism?

Answer 43

More research needed for how young, working-class or black criminals interpret their world
No explanation of why most people conform
Only focuses on collective or subcultural crimes, not individuals
Katz (1988) most crime is irrational and spontaneous searching for thrills instead of thinking