crime and deviance Flashcards
1
Q
What is deviant behaviour?
A
behaviour that is not always necessarily illegal, but goes against social norms
2
Q
What is a crime?
A
the action of doing things that are against the law
3
Q
How can crime be functional to the well-being of society?
A
it acts as a warning light and gives them a group consensus of what is right and wrong
4
Q
Who makes the laws in Britain?
A
the government
5
Q
whose interests do they reflect?
A
themselves and the morals of those who put them in power
6
Q
Is the law fair?
A
it isn’t fair, as it can benefit some groups in society
7
Q
Who breaks the law and why?
A
there is no one set group that breaks the law and there is no one set reason why people break the law
8
Q
What is the relationship between the media and crime?
A
the media portrays and shows certain crimes in a certain way, at different rates, causing people to have different perceptions on different crimes
9
Q
what is dominant ideology?
A
This is the mainstream set of beliefs that are held by society in which people set as the standard.
10
Q
what is a social construction?
A
Norms are the products of social construction. Behaviour can vary in being normal or abnormal depending on the situation, time and place.
11
Q
what is secret and private deviance?
A
Deviance conducted in private which is often concealed from the wider society.
12
Q
what is Open and public deviance?
A
Deviance conducted in public which is not concealed from the wider society.
13
Q
what does Ken Plummer (1979) say about Societal and situational deviance?
A
Societal deviance is what the ‘dominant ideology’ of society considers to be wrong. However situational deviance depends on the time and place. An act may be deviant in one setting and not in another.
14
Q
What is strain theory?
A
cultural emphasis on wealth attainment in american dream which is shared by everyone but due to uneuqal society e.g low pay, racism some individuals lack legitimate means to get ahead so strain created on disadvantaged individuals so turn to deviance and crime to acheive succcess
15
Q
What did Cloward and Ohin (1960) argue regarding class?
A
Built on Merton’s work. People were grouped by social structure rather than individuals e.g. working class, upper class
16
Q
Who was Hirschi? What was his theory?
A
Control theory. Similar view to Durkheim. Social order is based on shared values and goals. He asked why people do NOT commit crime due to human’s suffering from weakness
17
Q
What is Neo-Marxism?
A
Recent Marxist theorist who attempted a more sophisticated explanation to crime
18
Q
What is self-fulfilling prophecy? How might this lead to crime?
A
The label that is attached to you is achieved e.g. “you are stupid”. If you are stereotyped as a criminal, you are more likely to be a criminal (Becker)
19
Q
what does Newburn (2007) say about crime?
A
- suggests that crime is basically a label that is attached to certain forms of behaviour which are prohibited by state, and have some legal penalty against them
-an act only becomes a crime when the label of crime is put on it
consequences change as labels change - just because sometime is labelled as a crime, doesn’t mean that anything will be done about it
20
Q
what things does deviance rely on to become deviant
A
the type of act
the time
the society or culture
the social group
the place or context
21
Q
why are certain crimes covered more than others?
A
- bias media coverage means that the more uncommon crimes are reported more
- criminlalise the working class having a voice
22
Q
what do marxists believe about crime?
A
- agree with labelling theorists that the law is disproportionately enforced against the working class and crime statistics cannot be taken at face value
-They do criticise labelling theory for not acknowledging the wider society of capitalism that affects law enforcement and law making.
their view of crime has 3 components:
** - criminogenic capitalism
- the state and law making
- ideological functions of crime and law**
23
Q
what is criminogenic capitalism?
A
- within capitalism, crime is inevitable - by its nature it causes crime
- the system of capitalism is very damaging to the working class and therefore:
- poverty means that crime is the only way that they will survive
- crime may be the only way they can obtain the goods that are advertised by capitalism
- alienation and lack of control over their lives may lead to frustration - the “dog eat dog” nature of capitalism causes the bourgeoise to turn to white collar crime
24
Q
what is the state and law making?
marxists
pearce
chambliss
A
- marxists see law and law making as somethign that only benefits capitalism
- Pearce - health and safety laws creating a caring face among capitalism
- Chambliss (1978) argues members of ruling class part of crime syndicate in which they bribe officials - nominally universal laws were applied selectively to control the working class while protecting the rich.
25
what is ideological functions of crime and law?
- laws are occasionally passed to look like they benefit the working class e.g health care
- Pearce (1976) argues that a lot of the time, these laws are passed to benefit the ruling class, and then to create false class conciousness but are not enforced as much and are selective and therefore divides the working class
26
what is the difference between marxists and neo marxists when it comes to crime
- they are sociologists who have been influenced by marxism but - - they combine these ideas with things from other theories
- they agree that:
- capitalist society is based off exploitation
- the state makes and enforces laws in the interest of capitalist class
- capitalism should be replaced by a classless society
- the capitalist society has the ability to structure everything in society
27
strengths of marxists and neo marxists:
- good at explaining the relationship between crime and society
- gives a good wider, structural understanding of why crimes are set out in such a way
28
limitations of marxism:
- taylor et al argue that marxism is too deterministic - over predicts the amount of crime in the working class
- feminists criticise their theories for being “gender blind” - focusing on male criminality at the expense of female criminality
- the left criticise them by saying they romanticise the working class as “robin hoods” fighting back against capitalism
- neo marxists (taylor et al) do not take crime seriously as they ignore the effects on the working class
- marxism ignores the relationship between things like ethnicity and gender with crime
29
What are the benefits of crime according to Durkheim?
1. boundary maintenance ( crime produces a reaction from society that unites its members to condemn the individual for breaking their commitment to society’s norms and values. This then explains the function of punishment which is to reaffirm society’s rules and social solidarity)
2. adaptation and change (all change beings as an act of deviance and it allows for new ideas to be expressed. for Durkheim, too much crime threatens to tear the bonds of society apart and too little crime means that society is repressing its members)
30
what are the criticisms of Durkheim's theory around crime?
- just because crime exists as “ a way to strengthen social solidarity” does not mean that was its intention to beginwith
- ignores how crime might affect people on an individual level
- crime does not always promote social solidarity, it can often lead to high levels of loneliness especially in situations like domestic violence
31
Summary of Strain Theory (Merton) and anomie
- strain theory argues that people engage in deviant behaviour when they are unable to achieve socially acceptable goals by legitimate means.
- Merton based his theory of Durkheim’s to combine 2 elements:
- structural factors - society’s unequal opportunity structure
- cultural factors - the strong emphasis on success goals and the weaker emphasis on using legitimate means to achieve them
- strain occurs when a person is realistically not able to achieve things like the american dream
32
what is some evaluation of merton?
- it takes crime statistical at face value, which overrepresent working class individuals
- marxists argue that it ignores the power of the ruling class and their ability to criminalise the working class, but not themselves
- assumes that we all have value consensus and have the same intentions around money
- only accounts for utiliatrian crime in which money is involved and not crimes that are violent etc
33
Summary of subcultural theory (Cohen)
- agrees with merton that deviance is largely a lower class phenomenon
- Cohen focuses on deviance among lower class boys and argues they face anomie because of a middle class school system causing them to have status frustration
-these subcultures offer the boys alternative status heirarchy
however he has 2 criticisms of Merton:
- merton sees deviance as an individual response to strain- ignoring the fact that a lot of deviance is committed in groups, especially by youth
- merton focuses on utilitarian crime, committed for material gain e.g theft or fraud. he ignores crimes such as assault or vandalism which may have no economic motive
34
Summary of subcultural theory (Cloward and Ohin)
- agree with Merton that working class youth are denied legitimate opportunities to achieve “money success” and their deviance is a response ot this situation
- they note that not everyone will adapt ot this lifestyle - different subcultures respond in different ways
- they also say that unequal access to illegitimate opportunity stricutres hold them back
- criminal subcultures
35
what does Hirschi say about social bond theory?
it is a theory that states why people might not commit crime, rather than what may cause them to. What are the things that hold certain people back that cannot hold other people back?
36
what is the belief aspect of social bond theory?
people have moral beliefs such as respect for the rights of others and need for obedience to the law
37
what is the commitment aspect of social bond theory?
people are committed to conventional activities like working, raising a family and building for the future. they have a stake in conformity, and have no wish to risk this with crime and deviance
38
what is the involvement aspect of social bond theory ?
People are involved, and kept busy with sports teams, community projects etc and they have no opportunity or time for crime
39
what is the attachment aspect of social bond theory?
people are attached to those around them, like family, friends, and local communities. they are sensitive and interested in their needs and wishes
40
what are some evaluation points of social bond theory?
1. it recognises the importance of socialisation and social control in maintaining a cohesive society
2. the idea of social intergration through social bonds is well established in a functionalist society
3. it assumes that those who commit crime and deviance have broken away from the bonds tying them to mainstream values, but Merton’s theory and Matza’s work suggest that criminals are committed to these values
4. it doesn't explain why some have weaker bonds than others, or why all those with weaker bonds don't turn to crime
5. it doesn't explain the variety of forms of deviance and crime
6. it doesn't recognise that it is possible to be deviant and have social bonds
41
What is “malestream”?
a concept developed by feminist theorists to describe the situation when male social scientists, particularly sociologists, carry out research which focuses on a masculine perspective and then assumes that the findings can be applied to women as well
42
What did Heidensohn and Silvistri (2012) argue?
- girls are more likely to be under informal control and commit crime less
-females typically peak in their offending in their mid-teens
43
Why does Heidensohn (1996) refer to the invisibility of women?
sociological researchers had been male dominated, ignoring the role of women in crime.
44
Why is female criminality rising in society?
changes in social roles and technological progress have freed women from the home and reduced the marginal value of housekeeping. As for female employment and wages, their effect on female crime is ambiguous.
45
what is the post modernist thoery of crime?
views crime as a social construct arising from complex interactions between individuals to coproduce their environment that then reproduces individual behaviors and identities such as crime
46
what is crime and social harm?
- Harms of reduction - power is used to cause a victim to experience some immediate loss or injury.
- Harms of repression - power is used to restrict future human development.
This conception of harm brings a wider range of actions into the criminal net, which are not illegal or traditionally taken seriously as a crime problem. It could include harms threatening human dignity and respect, such as racism and prejudice.
47
what is the cause of crime according to post modenists?
society is fragmented, and is characterised by the fragmentation of social structure. The meta-narrative of social class, work and family, which formed peoples identity and gave people social roles to integrate into society have been replaced by uncertainty and individualism.
48
what is the prevention of crime according to post modernists?
emphasis on private crime prevention & informal localised arrangements for controlling crime e.g. Private security firms. Contemporary societies uses surveillance techniques to control everyone, not just offenders.
49
evaluation of post modernist view on crime
-Lea points out that post-modernism just rediscovered labelling theory and radical criminology which said way before that crime was a social construction.
-Doesn’t explain why most people don’t use their power for harm and why some people/groups feel the need to engage in it to affirm their identity
+Recognising other criminal dimensions aside from structural ones
-It doesn’t recognise that the decentralization of policing actually just benefits the middle classes who have the power to get their needs attended to
-Fails to recognise that consumer markets can breed resentment of consumers by those who cannot participate, which can generate the want to cause harm
+Offers an explanations of non-utilitarian crimes like hate crime and anti-social behaviour
-Ignores that many people have strong ideas of right and wrong which underpin the law
50
how do left realists criticise marxists?
- not taking working class crime seriously and romanticizing working class criminals as “robin hood “ characters fighting against social inequality and justice, or reducing working class crime to moral panic, induced by the state, or a social construct created through law enforcement
- failing to take victimization seriously and the fact that most victims were the poor and deprived
- having no practical policies to reduce crime
51
according to Lea and Young (left realism) what are the reasons that a person commits crime?
- relative deprivation - they see themselves as deprived in comparison to other ans this discontent and resentment can lead to crime
- marginalization - they find themselves politically and economically on the edge of mainstream society and face exclusion. they turn to crime to deal with a way to cope with their exclusion
-subculture - working class, deviant subcultures emerge as a result of deprivation and marginalisation. they then get approval for crime.
52
The explanation of later modernity and bulimic society
- Young argues that late modern societies are media saturated and advertising raises expectations of what life is like
- even the working class are exposed to this and they are left with a "bulimic society" they are exposed to high levels of consumption but then are forced back to their economic circumstances
53
What is “The Toxic mix that generates crime”?
- the facotrs of late modernity (growing individualism, the weakening of informal controls and growing economic inequality and economic change) create a toxic mix which generates crime causing them to take part in thrill seeking behaviours (edgework)
54
What is the “square of crime”?
- social structural factors and formal social control by the state - how the law and government view what is and isnt crime
- the public and the extent of informal social control - how do people react to crime , the police and general offences ?
- the role of victims - why do people become victims and what do they do about? who is more likely to be a victim?
- the offenders - why might they offend? what causes people to offend more than others ?
55
strengths of lefts realism
- it draws on multiple aspects of crime and covers multiple theories
- it does not glamorize crime in the same way that Marxists do
- recognises the devastating effects that crime has on communities and individuals
56
weaknesses of left realism
- it ignores responses to relative deprivation and marginality e.g Merton
- it neglects gender as a significant issue of crime - is a part of malestream criminology
- it doesn't pay attention to white collar crime and corporate crime despite them having the most impact on communities
- it doesn't explain why most working class youth dont turn ot crime. if the "toxic mix" is so influencial, why don't more youth commit crime
57
what are the 5 key point of right realism
- value consensus and shared morality underpin society - social order is crucial and people should be able to live without the fear of crime
- people are naturally selfish - like control theory, it suggests that people are essentially self seeking and crime is a short cut for them to get what they want
- community control - it is poor socialisation and a lack of community that causes crime and anti social behaviour
- rational chocie and opportunity- people are rational and will do a cost benefit analysis and make the conscious choice to commit crime
- crime will always exist - it is a waste of time trying to find out the causes of crime as crime will always exist
58
strengths of right realism
- it addreses the immediate causes of crime and provides policies for reducing the opportunity for crime
- it recognises the importance of community control , like left realism and community responses to crime
59
limitations of right realism
- it doens't address teh wider, structural causes of crime like other theories do
- it doesn't pay attention to white collar crime and other "hidden crimes" even though they have an impact on society
- it suggests that criminals are rational but left realists criticise this e.g edgework
60
examples of white collar crime.
not paying back money, avoiding paying tax, avoiding filing tax return
61
How can we apply Merton’s strain theory to white collar crime?
They feel strain to keep up with their expected lifestyle
62
How many would avoid paying council tax?
1 in 6
63
What is a “classic” middle class crime? Why?
fraud- crimes where you never come face to face with the victim
64
what are some ways that explain why men get caught more committing crimes?
- chivalry thesis
- women often have it planned out
- more likely to be out on the street and get caught- more visible
65
what are some ways that explain why men commit more crimes?
- higher testosterone levels - more impulsive
- aggression is more widely accepted
- immediate gratification
-financial strain - men are expected to earn more money
- men socialised to “suck it up” - women have better social bonds
66
what is some evidence against chivalry thesis?
a study by Heidensohn et al found no evidence that female offenders were consistently treated more lightly than male offenders.
67
what is some evidence for bias against women?
Women who do not conform to accepted standards of monogamous heterosexuality and motherhood are punished more harshly
68
what is the sex role theory?
argues that biologically determined sex, can offending and victimization rates between males and females
69
statistics for crime rate differences in gender
4 out of 5 convicted offenders in England and Wales are male.
70
Talcott parsons - women and crime
argued that because females carry out the “expressive role” in the family which involved them caring for their children and looking after the emotional needs of their husbands, that girls grew up to internalize such values as caring and empathy, both of which reduce the chance of them committing crime
71
What are the 4 sources of crime statistics?
victim surveys, self-report surveys and police statistics, court and prison records
72
Explain the meaning of the term “the social construction of crime statistics”
many sociologists question the reliability of crime statistics and believe that are inconsistent with real crime and believe that they do not give a real picture of crime and victims
73
Explain why many crime go unreported
- it was too trivial with no real loss
- it was a private matter qin which they dealt with themselves
- it was inconvenient to report
74
Why may the police decide not to record the crime, even once it has been reported?
they may regard the matter as too trivial to waste their time on
it has already been resolved
they may regard the person as unreliable due to things like drinking or drugs
they may believe it is not a real offence
75
Outline the main reasons for the distortion of official statistics of crime?
there is high levels of unreported crimes, bias within crime and the dark figure of criem can often skew the results
76
Victim surveys
they ask the public whether or not they have been a victim of crime
this is done in an attempt to overcome the problems of under reporting
limitations include:
- people may exaggerate
- people may forget they were victimised
- people may not realise they have been a victim of a crime
- they often don't include all crime
- they may feel embarrassed
- consensual or victimless crimes
77
Self-report studies
they ask people to “own up” to their offences
they are useful as they provide information on characteristics of offenders
limitations include:
- the validity of the findings
- they ignore respondents own definitions of crime
- they rely on memory
- lack of representativeness
78
The use of statistics by sociologists
- because they are so socially constructed, it can be difficult to prove them
- those who appear in crime statistics may be an unrepresentative of minority of offenders who have been caught
-interpretivists argue that the crime statistics are such a socially
- constructed way that they represent the way crime is reported more rather than what the crimes statistics are
79
what is the main way that globalisation has affected crime?
it has created new opportunities for individuals to engage in criminal activities. One of the ways in which globalisation has made it easier to commit crime is through the rise of cybercrime and transnational crime.
80
what are some examples of global crime?
- money laundering
- cyber crimes
- illegal drug trades
81
what did Manuel Castells (1998) say about global crime
argues that there is now a global criminal economy worth over one trillion per annum!
82
what is glocalisation?
localised but with global connections e.g. buying cocaine from Columbia but selling it in your hometown
83
McMafia (Glenny 2009)
ighlights how transnational organised crime mirrors the activities of large transnational corporations like McDonalds.
84
What are the 7 links for globalisation and crime?
Disorganised capitalism
Growing inequalities
Supply and demand in a globalised world
More opportunities for crime
Cultural globalisation and consumerism
Growing individualisation
Global risk society
85
what are the crimes that are on expansion?
- human trafficking
- money laundering
- cyber crime
-
86
what is the Established mafias
mostly organisations with a hierarchical structure.
87
what are Newer organised crime groups
Albanian groups like those seen in the film taken. These are not as large or as powerful as established mafias
runlike businesses
88
how does disorganised capitalism and crime link
reflect how globalisation has been promoted by deregulating businesses globally. Taylor (1999) insists that this provides greater opportunity for corporations to commit crimes on a greater scale than before. This leads to most of society lacking what they could have had, forcing them into crime.
89
how does growing inequalities and crime link
globally the wealth gap is increasing between the rich and poor. and people are turning ot crime to keep up with a certain lifestlye
90
how does supply and demand and crime link
Globalisation requires more products and this is mostly extorted from poorer countries e.g. Bangladesh making clothes.
91
how does more oppurtunities and crime link
The internet, speed and choice people have allows greater opportunities for crime.
92
how does cultural globalisation and crime link
Young stipulates that the world is exposed to ideas such as the american dream and for many this is unrealisti
93
how does Growing individualisation and crime link
This is where people are taught to be selfish to acquire the dream rather than put the collective first. Bauman (2000) links this to postmodernism.
94
how does global risk society and crime link
Beck (1992) argues people become more scared of global crime and thus become more fearful of it. This leads to hate crimes and scapegoating.
95
Why is damage to the environment so deadly?
-valuable in itself ( intrinsic )
valuable to us (extrinsic)
leads to other potentially harmful consequences in terms of freedom of speech, crime, people stop working, global pandemics
96
what makes green crime so different from other crime?
the majority of green crime is not technically illegal, but is still doing damage to the environment
97
what does Beck 1992 say ?
has shown that many environmental disasters in the past, such as droughts, famine and flooding were of natural origin and largely outside human control. He suggested that there are new kinds of risk that are created by the actions of human beings through the application of science and technology. Beck emphasises that these are global risks in what he refers to as “global risk society” which include potentially disastrous consequences for the global environment.
98
what is global risk society ?
the idea that we are constantly consumed by the concept of risk
99
What is global risk?
as the possibility of the occurrence of an event or condition which, if it occurs, would negatively impact a significant proportion of global GDP, population or natural resources
100
what did White argue?
argues that legality and consequences should be noted for environmental disasters
101
example of green crime: Deforestation of the amazon
actions like the deforestation of the amazon by hi - tech logging companies and carbon emissions arising from the use of fossil fuels and creating major climate changes which have potentially catastrophic consequences for the planet
102
what is deviancy amplification?
used by interactionist sociologists to refer to the way levels of deviance or crime can be increased by the societal reaction to deviance itself
103
what is moral panic?
an instance of public anxiety or alarm in response to a problem regarded as threatening the moral standards of society.
104
what is a folk devil?
a person or thing held to be a bad influence on society.
105
why are the older generation more likely ot fall victim to moral panic?
the people who don’t consume media don’t understand the norms and values of digital natives so it becomes much easier for them to blame and put moral panic on the media to target
106
what does McRobbie and Thornton say about moral panic
suggest that the concept of moral panic is no longer useful for understanding crime and is outdated in the new age of media. This is because new media technology, the growing sophistication of media audiences in a media saturated society have changed the reporting of and reaction ot events that might once have caused a moral panic
107
what does Hunt say about moral panic
suggests that the boundaries separating moral and immoral behaviour have been blurred
108
what does Beck say about moral panic
argue that in contemporary risk society there are so many risks and uncertainties that many of the things that used to generate moral panic have now become a part of everyday life and no longer seen to have the concept of moral panic is now too vague ro explain a situation in which daily life is routinely marked by a crisis of some kind, crime consciousness is now a part of everyday life and therefore harder to define what a moral panic might be
109
what does Steve Hall say about moral panic
dismisses the whole concept of moral panic, he suggests that the newspapers headlines about the grinding selfishness and antisocial behaviours of the youth reflect a real sense of . The media overstate the criminals justice system's ability to bring criminals to justice.
110
what are news values
something the news thinks is important
111
what are the aspects of news values?
1. crimes as a consumer spectacle
2. agenda setting and news values
3. folk devil, moral panic and deviancy amplification
4. moral entrepenuers
5. case studies
6. the relevance of a moral panic in a modern society
7. assessing if the media causes crime
8. relevant research and theory
112
what is the purpose of CJS?
separate between levels of crime
deter people from commiting crimes
rehabilitation
keep innocent people free
rule of law - functionalists believe this is important for a working society
protection
retribution / punishment
113
what is deterrence
deterring people from committing crime is a key aim of the CJS and in an ideal world it would be so effective that if people were tempted to commit crime they would be deterred from committing crime at all
114
what is public protection
it is the primary role of the police to maintain public order , prevent crime and catch offenders and the courts through a wide range of penalties, aim to stop criminals causing further harm to people or property
115
what is retribution
retribution or retributive justice is concerned with punishing criminals to make sure they get their “just deserts” for wrong doing and is perhaps the most popular conceptions of what the CJS is
116
what is rehabilitation
rehabilitative justice is the idea that often alongside, or instead of, being punished, criminals should be rehabilitated - turned into reformed characters, so that they never offend again
117
What crimes do women commit? Why?
shoplifting
prostitution
murder
usually done to economically better themselves
118
Lea (1998) argues that… (post modernism)
post modernist approach to reducing crime requires the CJS to recognise the diversity of social groups and to respect their particular identities and lifestyle choices
119
What does the CSEW 2021 survey say
By living in a more deprived area, you're over 40% more likely to experience crime
120
How much more prevalent is violence, robbery and sexual offences in the most income deprived areas compared to the least deprived
2.1 more times
