Crime and deviance

Question 1

What is crime?

Answer 1

An act which breaks the law passed by government. Criminal acts are punishable through the courts. For instance, breaking into a house and stealing property.

Question 2

What is deviance?

Answer 2

An act that breaks a social norm. The reactions of others to acts of deviance are known as sanctions This can me informal or formal.

Question 3

Explain why what is seen as deviant varies over time and in different places.

Answer 3

Deviance is socially constructed. It is created by the society that it is within. So, it is different in different cultures and at different times in history. For instance, forks onlys began to be used in Europe after the Italian Renaissance in the 16th century. Or, a bbc article in 2015 reported a British man in Saudia Arabia who was caught with home-made wine spent over a year in jail.

Question 4

Explain why what is classes as a criminal act varies over time and culture.

Answer 4

Laws about smoking, driving and homosexuality have seen great change over the past 50 years. Society changes and laws change to reflect this. Changes in technology have made many new crimes possible and laws are passed to stop them. The Malicious Communications Act 1988 covers comments which cause “distress or anxiety” using technology.

Question 5

Who decides what is criminal and deviant?

Answer 5

Functionalists would say what is seen as criminal or deviant is good for society and prevents acts that can harm it. Marxists say the law reflects the wishes of the ruling class. Feminists say it is men.

Question 6

How are deviance and crime linked and not linked?

Answer 6

Some deviant acts may also be a crime. Some are not and this depends on the situation. Killing someone is usually seen as deviant and is a crime. When at war, killing may be seen as a good thing to do.

Question 7

What is informal social control?

Answer 7

Sanctions that people use in everyday life to control others and encourage them to follow norms. This can be something as small as giving dirty looks to a person who pushes into a queue.

Question 8

What is formal social control?

Answer 8

Power that is given to individuals and groups allowing them to use formal sanctions to keep order. It happens when informal social control is unsuccessful.

Question 9

Explain family as an agent of informal social control.

Answer 9

The family is the first place where social control takes place. Parents and other family members will impose sanctions when we act in ways they do not approve of. Family is still an important agency of social control when we are older. Other institutions such as schools will invite parents in when they are struggling to control a student.

Question 10

How are peer groups an agent of informal social control?

Answer 10

A peer group may put pressure on those who act in an antisocial way , although it could easily act to encourage positive social behaviour.

Question 11

How is education an agent of informal social control?

Answer 11

Schools will repeat messages through the hidden curriculum that promotes expectations of hard work, honesty and following instructions. Sometimes schools can employ formal sanctions and permanently exclude a child if they are not able to control a child.

Question 12

How is religion an agent of informal social control?

Answer 12

Religion can has been a very powerful source of informal social control. Children who go to church or other religious organisations are strongly socialised into a sense of what is right and wrong. Historically, in Britain, this has been an important part of informal social control, but church attendance has fallen dramatically ,down to an average Sunday attendance of only 750,000 in 2014, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Question 13

What is the marxist and functionalist opinion on religion as a form of unformal social control?

Answer 13

Marxists view religion as a force that controls the working class. According to them, the workers are encouraged by religion to work hard and be good citizens. In return, they will recieve rewards when they die and go to heaven. However functionalists see religion as a positive force that binds society together like glue. Religion encourages people to be more aware of and follow social norms.

Question 14

Explain how the media plays a role in informal social control?

Answer 14

Individuals are constantly recieving pressure from what they watch or read not to act in a deviant way. The methods for this range from newspaper headlines about law-breaking behaviour to an influencer being ‘cancelled’ and losing support as a result of saying a slur.

Question 15

Opinions on gender and social control?

Answer 15

Functionalists like talcott Parsons say informal social control will benefit all of society by keeping deviance at an all time low level. Feminists disagree with this and say that informal social control benefits men as it keeps women under control. Women feel less able to go out and break social norms. Name-calling and gossi are often enough to discourage behaviour that does not fit with the expectations of femininity.

Question 16

Explain the role of police in society.

Answer 16

Police are there for the prevention and investigation of crime, keeping public order and co-ordinating responses to traffic problems and accidents. These jobs help to control society.

Question 17

What is the functionalist view on the role of the police?

Answer 17

Functionalists believe the police play a key role in maintaining social order. Without the police, society would fall into chaos. Functionalists would also highlight the role of the police as an agency of socialisation as well as control. The police teach the public about appropiate behaviour through publicity campaignd, talking to schools and more.

Question 18

What is the marxist view on the role of the police?

Answer 18

Marxists see the police as being one-sided or biased against the working class. They enforce a set of rules designed by the ruling class to protect the against the W/C. Karl Manheim pointed out that property is the main concern of most laws, which is of concern mainly to wealthy people.

Question 19

What is the role of the courts?

Answer 19

They make decisions abut justice.

Question 20

What is the functionalist view on crime?

Answer 20

Functionalists argue that crime plays a positive function.

Question 21

Emile Durkheim: collective sentiments

Answer 21

Crime and deviance show the rest of us the right way to behave. When someone commits a crime, it strengthens what Durkheim called the collective sentiments. This means that when a terrible crime is committed such as the Jamie Bulger case in the 1990s, it remids the rest of society how wrong such a crime is. It helps to make society stronger in standing up against the wrong.

Question 22

What is anomie?

Answer 22

Anomie refers to a situwation where there is a breakdown of social norms. For example, the riots in 2011, rules of everyday behaviour had been forgotten. The riots and other examples of anomie signalled the need for a clampdown on rule-breaking to restore law and order.

Question 23

Positive role of deviance.

Answer 23

Sometimes the situation of people beginnin =g to break rules can lead to better, fairer rules. For example, Rosa Park’s bus boycott led to a change in laws and improved the rights of black people in America. It shows how deviance can play a positive role which improves society.

Question 24

Explain Merton’s strain theory.

Answer 24

American society is built around the idea of being successful. This idea is known as the American dream. Unfortunately not everyone can achieve such a dream. Some people fail, not necessarily through any fault of their own, and some might even live in poverty. According to Merton, there is no balance between the strong drive to achieve the dream and the actual chances of succeeding. As a result, a strain is created in society which creates anomie and puts pressure on individuals to achieve socially accepted goals.

Question 25

What are the different reactions to strain theory?

Answer 25

Conformity, innovation, retreatism rebellion. 1) carry on as normal still following norms and the law with the knowledge that they would fail. Others mindlessly followd in what Merton called “ritualism”. 2) people would do anything and had to think of new ways to succeed. For instance, robbing a bank, fraud or dealing drugs. 3) people give up on the oals of society. drug users, alcoholic, homeless. 4) explain terrorism or belonging to an extreme group that wants a revolution.

Question 26

Marxist critique of Merton theory

Answer 26

Robert Merton’s structural theory is useful in explaining why there are problems in society. However, it seems to suggest that most crime is committed by the working class trying to battle their way up.Sociology should also be looking at the crimes of the rich and powerful. Also, it does not explain crime such as grafiti that have nothing to do with oney or the american dream.

Question 27

What is a subculture?

Answer 27

A grouo within society with its own set of norms and values. For example, cosplayers, goths etc.

Question 28

Why did Albert Cohen criticise merton?

Answer 28

Did not explain crimes without profit, joyriding and vandalism. It only shows how individuals turn to crime but nothing on group behaviour.

Question 29

What is delinquency?

Answer 29

Behaviour that breaks law or is seen as unacceptable. This is usually linked to youth.

Question 30

What does Cohen say about subcultures?

Answer 30

W/C people suffer from material and cultural deprivation. \This makes them unlikely to be successful in education or work. This lack of success causes them to feel “status frustration” which means they are frustrated at their position in society. They feel unsuccessful and unimportant. So they cform groups that create subcultures with their own values they can succeed in.

Question 31

Norms of criminal subcultures

Answer 31

Since their norms are backwards, in their subculture members may be rewarded with posiive sanctions for behaving like this. This could mean money or it could mean a higher status within the group.

Question 32

Cloward and Ohlin

Answer 32

Found that lack of opportunity, particularly in terms of employment and wealth, could lead to young men engaging with delinquent subcultures.

Question 33

Walter Miller

Answer 33

He looked at male- w/c subcultures. He noticed they had certain interests which he called focal concerns. These included acting tough and looking for excitement. This set of values tended to end up with men finding trouble and becoming involved in crime and delinquency.

Question 34

New Right and the culture of poverty.

Answer 34

Charles Murray argued that the group he called the ‘underclass’ had its own culture. He called thid the ‘culture of poverty’. The poor have their own way of life in which criminal behaviour might become viewed as normal. Murray saw the subcultures of the poor as a key cause of crime.

Question 35

Matza and drifit into delinquency.

Answer 35

He disagreed with the idea of subcultures being a major reason for turn to crime. Matza said anyone can commit a crime. His idea of ‘drift’ is that people can drift in and out of crime in their life. They do not need a special set of values or be a part of a subculture.

Question 36

what is capitalism?

Answer 36

Marxists believe that crime is a result of capitalism. Capitalism is an economic system that involves the pursuit of rofit through buying and selling goods. People are encouraged to be successful by getting rich

Question 37

What is the marxist view on capitalism and consumerism?

Answer 37

Crime happens because of capitalism. The ruling class needs a workforce which is willing to work to make the rich even richer. The bourgeoisie use the power of advertising to persuade the workers that they want to own lots of nice things. This is called consumerism.

Question 38

Why does consumerism cause high crime rates?

Answer 38

Capitalism promotes greedy selfish behaviour. Some people who cannot afford the latest iphone for example,will inevitably turn to crime. Capitalism creates an unequal system of winners and losers. Those at the bottom of the pile are likely to turn to crime to get the things they cannot afford.

Question 39

Marxists view on law enforcement of crime?

Answer 39

Marxists argue that the forces of social control are in place to protect the property of the bourgeois and those with wealth.When the city riots in 2011 happened, the media demanded harsh sentences for he rioters and looters. Meanwhile, ruling class crime is ignored.

Question 40

William Chambliss and differential law enforcement.

Answer 40

Chambliss studied the city of Seattle in the 1970s. He found that some of the most powerful people were able to use their power to commit crime to add to their wealth. This grouo inluded rich business people and politicians whom nooene would suspect. Bribery and threats were used to keep people quiet. The criminals used their position and wealth to keep the crimes secret and so avoif jail. The differential enforcement of the law was unfair. However, it is dated and seattle may not be like other cities or the UK.

Question 41

What is white collar crime?

Answer 41

Usually linke to a person’s occupation and committed by people from higher ocial classes. It is for individual gain. This can include fraud, embezzlement, accepting bribes. Sutherland was the first sociologist to study crimes committed by people of higher status in the 60’s. Individuals take advantage of their position to gain money usually from their employers.

Question 42

Marxiss view of the MPs’ expenses scandal.

Answer 42

The Mps expenses row in 2009 exposed corruption of MPs from all parties. 389 Mps were involved and 1 million pounds had to be paid back. The victims were the genreal public since the money came from taxpayers money. Marxists would view this as a clear example in which high status individuals can get away with crime.

Question 43

What is corporate crime?

Answer 43

Involves crimes that are committed by big businesses. The company benefits although individuals within it may benefit. This includes tax evasion, negligence, insider trading.

Question 44

What is the notion of a typical offender?

Answer 44

Interactionists say there is no such thing as a typical offener but people have an idea of what it is to them due to stereotype. Male W/C, young, ethnic minority. This may lead to labelling.

Question 45

Evaluation of the notion of a typical offender?

Answer 45

The media represents criminals in certain ways that can add to stereotypes. However official statistics on crime would also effect this view, as there are more male ethnic minority working class convictions.

Question 46

Interactionism and labelling - crime?

Answer 46

Interactionist believe that the way other people react to us has a powerful effect on our view of ourselfves. No actions are criminal or deviant it is the reaction of others that decide this. This reaction is done simply because they were labelled as a criminal. The labels that we are given strongly influence the way that we are treated.

Question 47

What are ideas about the ‘master status’?

Answer 47

Some labels are very powerful and is the main thing that people see when they meet a person. These labels are very hard to remove. If the label s negative, they are more likely to reoffend. Interactionists call tsuch labels a ‘master status’.

Question 48

What are sociologist ideas about the self-fulfilling prophecy?

Answer 48

If a person is labelled, and then acts in a way that justifies the label. It is a self-sulfilling prophecy. However some people may act in a way that goes against their label as rebellion - self-defeating prophecy.

Question 49

Lemert

Answer 49

Native american tribes. 1 did not value public speaking so there was no worry about it and noone stuttered. The other did ,if theyre child stuttered they were labelled as bad at public speaking. There was a lot more stuttering in this tribe.

Question 50

What is deviancy amplification?

Answer 50

If the police and media give publicity to criminal or deviant behaviour, they can encourage more people to take part. For example, terrorists thrive on publicity. When crime is made worse in this way, it is known as deviancy amplification.

Question 51

Becker’s idea of the deviant career.

Answer 51

A process that a person follows when they are labelled. For example, a theif’s deviant career could involve: being caught, being labelled as a theif, other people notice, more accusations when something goes missing, charged, convicted, more labelling as an ex convict. , more accusations, acceptance of the theif label, more theft.

Question 52

What are moral panics?

Answer 52

The media exaggerating a problem to make it appear as a threat to the whole of society. People or groups affected by moral panics might become ‘folk devils’ , feared by society.

Question 53

Cohen’s study of mods and rockers in 1964.

Answer 53

The media portrayed two groups of young people(mods and rockers) as disturbances and were exaggerated and sensationalised. This was run by middle-aged men with traditional views and a fear of the youth. This made the subculture more attractive to those who were looking for a fight and thus they became ‘folk devils’.

Question 54

Function of media.What would Marxists say about moral panics?

Answer 54

Ruling class benefits from them. Distract people from the real problems of inequality in capitalism and deflect attention away fro themselves by blaming the working class and youth for society’s problems.

Question 55

Heidensohn’s idedeas about female conformity in a male-dominated society.

Answer 55

Heidensohn’s theory uses social control to explain why women are less likely to commit crime. It is because women live in a male-controlled world- patriarchy and women have to conform to society’s expectations of them. Women who act deviantly risk being fixed with labels such as a ‘bitch’. Women are sanctioned if they break the norms or epectations of them as women. This is similar to the fact that due to the glass ceiling, women are not promoted as much and therefore are under more supervision which means they have less of an opportunity to commit white collar crime.

Question 56

How do people criticise Heidensohn.

Answer 56

Out of date. Denscombe argued that male-type criminal behaviour is becoming more common. Modern technology allows crime to be commited in the hoe much more easily.

Question 57

What was Carlen’s research on female offenders?

Answer 57

Interviewed and observed a group of 39 women aged between 15 and 46. She linked female crime to poverty.

Question 58

Carlen and the theory of social control.

Answer 58

Crime is a result of an individuals bonds to the rest of society being too weak. This is based on the work of Hirschi who talked of 4 main bonds. Our connections to others, how much we have to lose, how involved we are in society, how committed we are to society’s values. When carlen studied the women, the crimes were due to the poor quality of women’s life. She described these as ‘crimes of the powerless’. They had little to lose.

Question 59

Evaluation of Pat Carlen’s study

Answer 59

sample size was too small, but detailled study and high in validity. The research method used would capture the bigger picture.

Question 60

What does Pollak say on female criminality?

Answer 60

Statistics on female crime are inaccurate. Women were more likely to commit certain crimes such as shoplifting, that were more likely to go unreported. Crimes such as posioning and abuse and neglect of children could be concealed by women. Also women are treted gentler by authority and they are more lenient on them.

Question 61

What is chivalry thesis?

Answer 61

Teachers, employers, polices and judges typically felt sorry for women who had broken rules of society. Men’s perspecctives were influenced by the stereotypes of women and they could not imagine women would commit such crimes. As men, they felt a natural instinct to protect them.

Question 62

Evaluation of Pollak

Answer 62

Little evidence to suggest women did comit more of certain crimes. However, his work was written at the beginning of female criminology and prompted other people to investigate female crime.

Question 63

Patterns on crime for gender?

Answer 63

Women are far less likely to be arrested or convicted compared to men. Crime statistics show men are committing more crimes than women. Only 5% of prisoners in the UK were female in 2017. More likely to be victims of certain crimes than men, domestic abuse and sexual harrasment. Men are more likely to be victims of an assault than women.

Question 64

Demonisation of women

Answer 64

This view states that women are treated more harshly by the forces of social control for certain crimes. Women who commit crimes that do not fit with ideas about how a women or mother should behave are treated more harshly by the media. They are demonised for crimes involving any aspect of cruelty in a way a man would not.

Question 65

Stereotypes of owomen for crime.

Answer 65

Pat carlen argues the way women are treated by the law depends on how closely they fit the expectations of female behaviou. If they do not confor to the stereotypes of being a good housewife and mother, they are likely to be treated severely.

Question 66

Violent crime linked to men.

Answer 66

Men are expeted to be aggressive and tough and violence can fit in with this. The crisis of masculinity may mean that some men need to prove their masculinity in other ways even more if they cannot prove it through being a breadwinner. Jessica A brahams, a journalist claimed most sociologists think this way.

Question 67

What is ethnicity?

Answer 67

The cultural group to which a person belongs.

Question 68

Paul Gilroy and negative stereotypes?

Answer 68

In the 70’s he wrote, the perception of black people being more criminal than white people is a myth. He warned that the official statistics could not be trsusted as the police used negative stereotypes when dealing with black people. Gilroy also said that it was not surprising that black people did become involved in crime. They had the right to defend themselves against an unjust society.

Question 69

Evaluation of Gilroy

Answer 69

Criticised for saying blackc rime is exaggerated while also giving reasons for why black people commit crime.

Question 70

Scape goating and Stuart Hall.

Answer 70

Noticed in 70’s crime of ugging became a moral panic. Reports of mugging was increased in the years of 72 and 73. The effect of the moral panic meant that people’s attention were being taken away from the country’s economic problems. Muggings were particularly associated with immigrants in the mediea. Immigrants became a scapegoat and a focus for all of society’s problems. Society often uses ethnic groups as scapegoats.

Question 71

Statistics about black people

Answer 71

In the 2016 BBC report from the equality and human rights commission,in the UK, black people were three times mor elikely to be murdered than white people. Hate crime in generl was noted to be on this rise after the EU referendum in 2016. Black people were also three times mor elikely to be arrested and sent to prison than white people. Young black men were likely to be assumed to be gang members and so were treated harshly.

Question 72

Stephen Lawrence case and the macpherson study.

Answer 72

He was a black teenage murdered by racists whose case was not investigated effectively by the police . This was due to racist assumptions made by the police fficers The macpherson report found the police to be institutionally racist. Racism was found deep within the culture of the police.

Question 73

What is institutional racism?

Answer 73

Where an organisation’s culture and methods of operating are found to be racist throughout.

Question 74

Whats a scapegoat?

Answer 74

A person or group blamed for society’s problems. It diverts attention away from real causes.

Question 75

What is the age-crime curve?

Answer 75

The age crime curve sees more crime committed by people during their teenage years increasing into their early twenties and then beginning to reduce.

Question 76

Explain the age crime curve.

Answer 76

Young people tend to be involved in street based leisure so their crimes are more visible and therefore easier to be caught. People from 20 onwards may have fewer opportunities and less reason too with higher disposable income and more responsibilities.