Crime and deviance 4m/6m Flashcards
Outline two reasons why functionalists see crime as inevitable.
4m
- (1 )Not everyone is equally and adequately socialised into norms and values, so some individuals are prone to deviate. E.g. boys who lack a male role-model are more likely to commit crime, according to Functionalists (2)
- (1)There is more diversity of beliefs and cultures in modern society. People develop their own subcultures with distinct norms and values, as well as perceptions of what is deviant behaviour. (2)
4m
Outline two criticisms of Merton’s Strain theory.
1) Merton assumes that there is a value consensus and that people only deviate because of structural strain but in reality, people have different values. ⬇️
- For example, Westernised countries hold the point of view of material wealth being important (ethnocentric) but what about other party’s if the world
2) Mertons theory only accounts for utilitarian crime. What about crimes such as vandalism and violence (non-utli)
4m
Outline two types of deviant subculture.
- Cloward and Ohlin’s
1. CRIMINAL SUBCULTURES - creates a career in utilitarian crime. such as theft. They develop in more stable working class areas.
2.Retreatist subcultures emerge among those lower class youth who are ‘double failures’ – they have failed to succeed in both mainstream society and in the crime and gang cultures above. The response is a retreat into drug addiction or by petty theft
Outline two criticisms of labelling Theory.
4m
- Labelling theory is deterministic - assumes everyone that is labelled passively accepts this and will pursue deviant career
- Becker assumes that devaince starts with labelling: He fails to investigate the reasons why the individual committed the act in the first place.
4m
Outline two different ways in which a person who has been labelled might react to the label.
- The label might be accepted as it challenges one’s self-concept. This label becomes their master status as they identify as a criminal or deviator - which may lead to more crime
- Might reject the label and be determined to achieve success through legitimate means such as giving back to community or taking opportunities in paid work where possible
4m
. Outline two ways in which crime and deviance are socially constructed
- The label might be accepted as it challenges one’s self-concept. This label becomes their master status as they identify as a criminal or deviator - which may lead to more crime.
- Might reject the label and be determined to achieve success through legitimate means such as giving back to the community or taking opportunitiesin paid work where possible.
Outline two types of green crime.
- Primary - not currently illegal but cause harm to the environment and therefore are under analysis of sociologists such as air pollution.
- Secondary - law breaking which is illegal under international law but not necessarily enforced such as dumping of hazardous waste
Outline the difference between disintegrative shaming and reintegrative shaming.
Braithwraite
1.Disintegrative shaming: is when the crime and criminal is labelled as bad and offender is excluded from society. Common in westernised societies
2. Reintegrative shaming: is the label the act but not the actor. Reintegrative shaming avoids stigmatinsing the offender as evil, while at the same time making them aware of the negative impact of their actions upon others
Outline two examples of corporate crime
- crimes committed by a company in order to increase profits and company standing. These include crimes such as healthy and safety violations and paying below minimum wage.
- For example embezzlement, fraud
Outline two ways in which suicide statistics may not be valid.
- Lacks validty e.g. not all crimes are reported or collected by the state which means they can amaipulate things to look better than they actually are. E.g unemployment stats
- Serves the intrests of elite groups = data is only collected on things which do not harm those in power.
4M
Outline two ways that the nature of capitalism may cause people to commit crime
- blocked opportunities to achieve materialistic goals of success (1 mark); the
result of tensions and strain may lead some to turn to illegitimate ways to
achieve these goals (+1 mark) - feelings of relative deprivation (1 mark); the media have encouraged
consumerism by showing desirable lifestyles which may result in criminality
(+1 mark).
Explain two realist solutions to the problem of crime 4m
Could be both right/left
- According to left realist, one solution to tackle the problem is the introduction of community centre. = This ensures that individuals have more opportunities to not commit crime/ helps with marginalistaion
- According to right realists, another solution to crime is = ‘zero tolerance policy’. these are harsher punishments (even minor crimes) to ensure that individuals wont be commitieng the same crimes = as they have rational choice.
Essay tip
Your conclusion in any essay on class, gender and ethnicity could include the view that you cannot just look at one identity in isolation (homogenous)…. they are interrelated!
6m
Outline three reasons for gender differences in levels of recorded crime.
- women have fewer opportunities to commit crime (1 mark); due to patriarchal
control at home and in the workplace (+1 mark) - males are more likely to commit acts of violence (1 mark); because they are to be socialised to be tough, aggressive and take risks (+1
- women are more likely to be treated leniently by the criminal justice system
(1 mark); due to stereotypes and chivalry female, offences are less likely to be
recorded (+1 mark)
Outline two ways in which media representations of crime may not reflect reality
4m
- Violent and sexual crimes are over-reported (1 mark); these types of crime
represent a significantly smaller percentage in the official statistics or victim
surveys (+1 mark) - The media exaggerates police success in tackling crime (1 mark); this is
despite some types of crime, such as property crime,
