Crime and deviance

Question 1

Define “crime”.

Answer 1

Behaviour that breaks the laws and is punished by the legal system.

Question 2

Define “deviance”.

Answer 2

Behaviour which goes against the norms and values of a social group/society.

Question 3

Plummer (1979) makes the distinction between Societal and Situational deviance. Give examples?

Answer 3

Situational- Being naked in your own home is normal, but in public is deviant.

Societal- Even those who swear, know it’s deviant.

Question 4

How do subcultures differ from the mainstream in terms of deviancy?

Answer 4

What is seen as deviant in the mainstream may be normal in countercultures.

Question 5

What does Durkheim say about crime?

Answer 5

“Crime is normal… an integral part of healthy societies.”

Question 6

What does Durkheim offer Anomie’s role in deviance is?

Answer 6

Increased “normlessness” decreases “collective” consciousness, this increases deviance.

Question 7

Why does Durkheim argue that crime is necessary for healthy societies?

Answer 7

1) Negative sanctions in response to criminal behavior reinforce solidarity and reaffirm norms and values.
2) Demonstrates a need of social change, if deviant behaviour persists it may be distigmatized and become the norm.

Question 8

Durkheim says crime is needed in moderation, describe what occurs when it is in excess or in deficit.

Answer 8

Too much shows instability, threatening social order.

Too little prevents social change and leads to stagnation.

Question 9

Kingsley Davies (1937;1961) and Albert Cohen (1966) argue what about the function of prostitution.

Answer 9

Prostitution can be seen as a safety valve for men’s sexual release; allowing the maintenance of the nuclear family.

Question 10

There are 5 adaptations in Merton’s strain theory, describe “Conforming.”

Answer 10

Involves accepting both cultural goals and institutionalized means. A person will persist to achieve goals via legitimate means.

Question 11

There are 5 adaptations in Merton’s strain theory, describe “Innovating.”

Answer 11

Involves accepting cultural goals but rejecting institutionalized means.. A person will attempt to find other paths to success after failing traditional ones. E.g crime.

Question 12

There are 5 adaptations in Merton’s strain theory, describe “Ritualism.”

Answer 12

Involves rejecting cultural goals but accepting institutionalized means.
A person, regardless of failure, will continue to act legitimately out of habit.

Question 13

There are 5 adaptations in Merton’s strain theory, describe “Retreating.”

Answer 13

Involves rejecting both cultural goals and institutionalized means.
Rejection of societal expectations through removal of society. E.g dropping out of school.

Question 14

There are 5 adaptations in Merton’s strain theory, describe “Rebelling.”

Answer 14

A partial rejection and acceptance of goals and means. Aims to change the system, often through protest.

Question 15

What does Edward Sutherland (1939) say about criminal behaviour in “differential association theory”

Answer 15

Criminal behaviour is learned; deviance learn their behaviour from other deviance.

Question 16

Describe Cloward & Ohlin (1960)’s illegitimate opportunity structure.

Answer 16

The illegitimate opportunity structure parallels its legitimate counterpart in as not everyone has equal access to it. Not everyone has the same access to deviant groups, explaining why not all materially deprived young men turn to crime.

Question 17

How does Cloward & Ohlin (1960) describe, “Criminal” subcultures?

Answer 17

Established criminal culture, allows for transmission of criminal norms and values, from career criminals. Crime has a function. E.G Mafia.

Question 18

How does Cloward & Ohlin (1960) describe, “Conflict” subcultures?

Answer 18

here is no established, organised crime culture, rather deviance comes from gangs and serves to establish territory and power (turf wars.)

Question 19

How does Cloward & Ohlin (1960) describe, “Retreatist” subcultures?

Answer 19

Individuals who have failed both the illegitimate and legitimate opportunity structure, retreating from society and often turn to drink or drugs.

Question 20

What do Functionalists argue the function of criminal punishment is?

Answer 20

It reasserts norms and values.

Question 21

Why do Taylor, Walton and Young (1973) criticize sub-cultural theory?

Answer 21

It assumes all everyone values mainstream values of success and wealth, they offer hippies as evidence against this.

Question 22

What do conflicts believe about deviance?

Answer 22

They believe that what is considered deviant and criminal behaviour is determined by the ruling populous to maintain social control through oppression.

Question 23

Marxist argue capitalism is “criminogenic”. Define.

Answer 23

Criminogenic means that it leads to crime.

Question 24

Name 2 ways in which capitalism is criminogenic.

Answer 24

Capitalist society works at the expense of the working classes, e.g deprivation of resources can lead to crime
Pressure of the ruling classes to make money can lead to them also breaking the law (e.g. fraud)

Question 25

What does humanist-Marxist Gramsci say about crimes relation with social control?

Answer 25

Gramsci argues that hegemony in institutions, such as the legal system, are used to pass laws that benefit the ruling classes.

Question 26

What do Chambliss & Mankoff not about law in the UK and what do they conclude from this?

Answer 26

Most of it is property law, which they believe is to keep property and land under control of the rich.

Question 27

What does Laureen Snider (1993) say about free market economics?

Answer 27

Large companies, such as tobacco companies, pressure government to minimize legislative responsibilities.

Question 28

Describe feminist approach “Sex role theory” (Heidensohn 1986) as an explanation to differences levels of crime between genders.

Answer 28

The differences in socialization lead to differing behavior in men and women. The fact women are socialized to be passive makes crime “doubly deviant.”

Question 29

Describe feminist approach “Social control theory” (Abbott & Wallace 1990) as an explanation to differences levels of crime between genders.

Answer 29

Women are given less freedom than men, being more closely watched. They therefore have less opportunity to be deviant.

Question 30

Describe feminist approach “Liberation theory” (Freda Adler 1975) as an explanation to differences levels of crime between genders.

Answer 30

Rises in female crime is actually is linked to rises in female liberation, the freer women are the more crime they commit. This can be seen in a rise in women doing “male oriented” crime such as armed robbery.

Question 31

How would Marxist views critique “Liberation theory”?

Answer 31

Liberation theory ignores the fact that while working class women benefit the least from liberation, they commit more crime than their richer counterparts.

Question 32

Why do many interactionists, such as Becker, prefer to study the reasoning behind a deviant label, rather than what is actually labeled as deviancy?

Answer 32

Becker noted that the same act may get different reactions, suggesting it is not intrinsically deviant, but the reaction is what labels it.

Question 33

What impact does being labelled a deviant have?

Answer 33

Labeling influence our self concept, leading to a self fulfilling prophecy in which we act deviant as we are labeled as such.

Question 34

What Does Becker note about deviant labeling and its effects on a persons?

Answer 34

Deviants, such as criminals, may face rejection upon being labelled as such. In order to flee this rejection they return to deviancy. This is referred to as deviant career.

Question 35

Why do deviants find it difficult to stop being labelled as such?

Answer 35

The label becomes their master status, their primary label of identification.

Question 36

Braithwaite (1989) argued there were 2 different types of negative labeling. Define and explain.

Answer 36

Disintegrative shaming: The agent is excluded from society due to both the agent and the action itself being labelled as deviant.

Reintegrative shaming: Only the action itself is labelled as deviant, as such the agent is more easily able to rejoin society.

Question 37

Lemert (1951) distinguishes between two differing types of deviance. Define and explain.

Answer 37

Primary: an initial act of deviance.

Secondary: Deviant behaviour acted out after they have been already been labelled as deviant.

Question 38

Name 2 modern criminological perspectives to crime, and the reason for there development.

Answer 38

Both left and right realism developed in response to the lack of practical applications of other theories of crime.

Question 39

How does left realism differ from Marxist ideology?

Answer 39

While both criticise capitalist society, left realism claims Marxism is too focused on that and should focus on policy reform.

Question 40

What are Kinsey, Lea & Young’s (1986) views on the police.

Answer 40

Police and the wider community to to communicate more and should be democratically elected to increase relation and ensure accountability.

Question 41

What do Lea & Young argue about “relative deprivation”?

Answer 41

lack of status/wealth compared to similar social groups, may lead to deviant subcultures and crime, as it can cause people to act deviantly to acquire resources to remove the feeling of inadequacy.

Question 42

What was Tony Blair’s left realist stance on crime?

Answer 42

“Tough on crime, tough on the cause of crime”-

Question 43

How does Hugh (1991) criticise left realism?

Answer 43

Hugh argues that it focuses too heavily on relative deprivation and ignores that people have agency.

Question 44

What is the right realist, “rationale choice” theory of crime say and how does it influence their social policy?

Answer 44

That people commit crime out of choice, this causes right realists to focus more on punishing crime as to remove the incentive.

Question 45

What is Wilson and Kelling’s (1982) “one broken window thesis”?

Answer 45

The idea that if criminal damage is not repaired straight away it creates a mentality that leads to its normalisation.

Question 46

Describe “Chivalry thesis” (Pollak 1950) as an explanation to differences levels of crime between genders.

Answer 46

Men are socialised to be protective of women, as a result the police force and the judicial courts (male dominated) are more likely to show leniency to female offenders.

Question 47

Why are crime statistics often described as unreliable and unrepresentative?

Answer 47

There is an inherent bias in what social groups are stopped and searched by police, which leads to there higher conviction rate.

Question 48

What do Hall et al (1978) and Gilroy (1987) claim about black men and crime?

Answer 48

Black men are not more likely to commit crime, but are just labelled as such, causing them of being disproportionately stopped.

Question 49

What report was sparked in response to the death of Steven Lawrence and what did it conclude?

Answer 49

The Macpherson Report (1999) concluded there was institutionalised racism with the legal system.

Question 50

What did New right sociologist Murray say in regards to crime and class.

Answer 50

Murray talked of the “underclass”, with distinctly deviant behaviour.

Question 51

According to Glenny (2009) the “global shadow Economy” accounts for how much of the world’s gross national production.

Answer 51

15%

Question 52

How has technology influenced crime?

Answer 52

Technology has lead to an increase in “Cyber crime” such as data fraud or illegal pornography.

Question 53

What do Karofi & Mwanza (2006) highlight as negative aspects of the trade of illegal drugs?

Answer 53

1) Places strain on the Health service.
2) Changes social behaviour.
3) Illegal drug revenue can be used to fund terrorism.

Question 54

Ulrich Beck (1992) claims we live in global risk society. What are the implications of this?

Answer 54

It highlights the fact that environmental issues are manufactured risks that have impacts trans-nationally. This allows us react reflexively when we change policy.

Question 55

According to Ian Taylor (1997-8), why is white collar crime becoming more apparent.

Answer 55

1) Economic deregulation, linked to a growing, global capitalist society.
2) The people it benefits are unlikely to be prosecuted as they are powerful.

Question 56

What did Stanley cohen’s (1972) study about media and perceived risk say?

Answer 56

If perceived risks are spread throughout the media they can cause larger “moral panics” then warranted. E.g the medias portrayal of conflict between mods and rockers.

Question 57

Stanley Cohen argued that the media acts as an “amplification of deviance”, how so?

Answer 57

The media presents distorted views on the level of crime, making the police hypersensitive to crime.

Question 58

What do Left realists claim about the media’s role in crime?

Answer 58

It perpetuates relative deprivation as consumer culture is generated by the media.