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Crime And Deviance Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Define crime.

A

An illegal act punishable by law. Of detected it will result in criminal proceedings.

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2
Q

Define Deviance.

A

Behaviour that does not conform to society’s norms and values. If detected can lead to negative sanctions.

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3
Q

What did Goode (2008) find?

A

Defines deviance as behaviour, beliefs and physical characteristics that break social norms and produce negative reactions.

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4
Q

What is legal deviance?

A

Behaviour considered in some way abnormal by most people in society eg excessive swearing.

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5
Q

What is illegal deviance?

A

Criminal behaviour that is punishable by the state and also considered abnormal by most people in a society eg public nudity.

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6
Q

Give some examples of devious behaviour.

A

Queue jumping.
Excessive swearing.
Public nudity.

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7
Q

How does the historical setting affect what is seen as deviant?

A

Changes in opinions homosexuality.

Suicide in ww11 suicide was accepted my Kamikaze pilots.

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8
Q

How does the time of day affect what is seen as deviant?

A

Being naked in your room at night is acceptable but not at midday in the shopping centre.
Drinking wine for breakfast is not socially accepted.

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9
Q

How does the geographical place affect when ac act is seen as deviant?

A

Being naked in the streets is deviant.

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10
Q

How does the culture something takes place in affect whether an act is deviant?

A

Death penalty in America.

Polygamy.

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11
Q

How does the social situation in which something happens affect whether an act is seen as deviant?

A

Shooting in war vs shooting someone in the street.

Breaking someone’s nose in a boxing match vs in the street.

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12
Q

What is an agency of social control?

A

Those who ensure that most people in society stick to the rules most of the time.

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13
Q

What is formal social control?

A

Control of people’s behaviour based on written rules and laws, usually associated with the state.

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14
Q

What is informal social control?

A

Control of people’s behaviour based on unwritten rules and processes, such as approval and disapproval.

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15
Q

What are formal rules?

A

Written down, for example in the form of laws or codes of conduct eg not stealing. These rules guide people’s behaviour in many social settings.

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16
Q

What are informal rules?

A

Rules that we may not give much thought to. They are ‘taken for granted’ rules or guidelines on how we are expected to behave. They can have a powerful influence eg you would take a drink from your own fridge, but you would ask in someone’s else’s house.
Results in negative sanctions.

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17
Q

What did Durkheim (functionalist) say about crime?

A

Argues that all crimes have one thing in common: they are all acts that are disapproved of by members of the society in which they take place.

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18
Q

What are the key functions that Durkheim thinks crime has?

A

Some crimes produce a deep sense of shock/outrage which helps to remind everyone of the boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. (Boundary maintenance)

Reinforces values and beliefs of the majority of society. (Social cohesion)

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19
Q

What are some criticisms of Durkheim?

A

His account is more relevant to small-scale societies rather than large, industrialised societies.
Many crimes harm the victims and damage communities, they are unlikely to reinforce shred values.
Some Marxists say that he ignores the issue of power in society. They point out that the law functions in the interests of powerful groups (the bourgeoisie) rather than in everyone’s interests.

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20
Q

What is the pressure/safety valve theory?

A

People can use crime to take out their frustration eg a man my go to a prostitute if he has issues with his marriage.

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21
Q

What is anomie?

A

A situation of normlessness where the norms that regulate people’s behaviour breaks down.
(Merton)

Strain between goals and means. Eg if the goal is material success people might have the opportunities or means to achieve this.

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22
Q

What did Merton (functionalist) say about anomie?

A

Merton put forward a structural theory.
Some people end up experiencing strain between the goals they have been socialised to strive for, and the means of achieving them. A condition of anomie develops (or normlessness). The norms that regulate behaviour break down and people turn to whatever means work for them to achieve material success. When anomie develops, anything goes and high rates of crime and delinquency are likely.

  • culturally defined goals
  • limited opportunities to access the means.
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23
Q

What are the five possible ways that individuals respond to the goals of success in society. (Merton).

A

Innovator
Ritualist
Retreatist
Rebels

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24
Q

What is an innovator?

A

Try to achieve the society’s success goals by illegitimate means. Individuals accept the goals of success but they lack the opportunities to succeed through legitimate means. Eg theft and fraud.

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25
Q

What is a ritualist?

A

They continue to work within the system but give up trying for success.
Individuals reject or abandon the goals but they accept the legitimate means and stick rigidly to them. Eg a teacher who doesn’t enjoy their job.

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26
Q

What is a retreatist?

A

They abandon both the goals and the approved means of achieving them. Eg people who ‘drop out’ or escape through dependency on alcohol or drugs.

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27
Q

What are rebels?

A

They next society’s values and the accepted means of achieving them, and replace them with their own. Eg people who set up a new social order or join a radical social group that aims to change society.

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28
Q

What theory is Marxism?

A

A structural explanation of crime.

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29
Q

What are the capitalist values?

A

Materialism
Consumerism
Competition.

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30
Q

What do Marxists think crime is related to a capitalist society?

A

Marxist argues that the media reinforces capitalist values. I’m an unequal society, not everyone can afford the consume the products of capitalism - so they turn to crime.
Eg driven to steal if you cannot afford things.

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31
Q

How does the CJS work for the ruling class and against the working class?

A
  • certain types of crime are likely to be targeted eg street crime vs white collar crime.
  • certain groups are more likely to be targeted eg black people.
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32
Q

What are some criticisms of the Marxist view of crime?

A
  • not every criminal law supports the interest of the dominant class. Many laws rest on genuine agreement.
  • Functionalists argue that society is based on value consensus rather than conflict.
  • Feminists argue that the Marxist approach focus on issues of social class in capitalism and ignore gender issues in a patriarchal society.
  • Ignores free will - deterministic - not all proleteriat will steal.
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33
Q

What statistic can be used in relation to gender and crime?

A

4/5 convicted offenders in England and Wales are male.

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34
Q

What is the Chivalry Thesis?

A

Females are treated more leniently than men in the criminal justice system. This means that they are sometimes ‘let off’ (eg given a fine instead of prison).
This can lead to invalid crime results and women featuring less on crime statistics.

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35
Q

What is the double deviance thesis?

A

The CJS punishes some women (often those who don’t fit in with traditional feminine stereotypes) more harshly. They are treated and punished as double deviants because they have broken two sets of laws:

  • the law
  • the norms governing traditional gender behaviour.

This means that certain. Women are in crime statistics more than others.

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36
Q

What did Frances Heidensohn (feminist)(1985, 1996) say?

A

Control theory is the idea that women are controlled by their roles and responsibilities within society.

37
Q

What role do women have in social control?

A

Role of social control in the home - socialisation
Informally controlling the local community - gossiping about each other.
Women are not normally allowed to control men.
This stops women from committing crime - they are too busy.

This could be a reason why the statistics are correct.

38
Q

How are women controlled in the home?

A

Domestic life and marriage are means of controlling women.
Women’s opportunities to commit crime are limited by their housewife work eg monitoring others.
Sons generally have more freedom than daughters. Chain - daughters are socialised to behave in a certain way.

39
Q

How are women controlled in public?

A

Women’s behaviour in public is controlled by male violence.
Prevents women from going out after dark. Controlled by the fear that they might get a bad reputation from men eg about sexuality.
Women don’t go out after dark so they don’t have the opportunity to commit crime.
Fear of male violence.

40
Q

How are women controlled at work?

A

Men hold power and authority over women. Sexual harassment at work is a form of male control over women, which limits their freedom in the work place.

41
Q

What did Howard Becker (interactionist) (1997) say about crime?

A

There is no such thing as a deviant act per se. We can’t understand deviance by focussing on the acts people commit. We need to explore the interaction between those who commit the act and those who react to it. Behaviour only becomes deviant when people define it as such.
Certain people are more likely to be labelled as deviant/criminal.

42
Q

What factors affect whether an act is seen as deviant?

A

Time and place

Who commits the act and who feels harmed by it.

43
Q

What does Becker say power is related to?

A

Power is related to social position - age, gender, ethnicity and class. This disadvantages some.

44
Q

What is a deviant career?

A

People make deviance a way of life. Eg a women gets caught using illegal drugs, a label gets attached and she commits more crime.

45
Q

What does Becker say about a self fulfilling

A

People are labelled as deviant and they come to fit this image.

46
Q

What are some criticisms of Becker/the interactionist approach?

A

Doesn’t explain why individuals commit crime in the first place.
Sees criminals as victims of labelling and ignores the fact that’s own criminals choose to break the law.
Structural approaches argue that interactionist do not pay attention to the influence of social structure on behaviour.

47
Q

What is a structural approach?

A

Influence of social structure on behaviour.

48
Q

What is the master status?

A

Quality that defines you eg thief.

49
Q

What are victim surveys?

A

The survey asks respondents whether they have experienced particular comers during the previous 12 months. It asks which crimes they have been a victim of and whether they respirated it to the police. It also asks for their views on crime related issues.
Includes unreported crime.

50
Q

Give an example of a victims survey.

A

CSEW

THE CRIME SURVEY FOR ENGLAND AND WALES.

51
Q

What is a self-report survey?

A

They ask people about their offending. It measures the extend of self-reporting offending, drug use and anti-social behaviour.

52
Q

Give an example of a self-report survey.

A

OCJS

THE OFFENDING, CRIME AND JUSTICE SURVEY.

53
Q

What is a limitation of self report surveys?

A

The most serious offenders are less likely to participate.

54
Q

What are official statistics?

A

Includes serious crime where they might be no victim
Identifies trends and patterns in crime
Monitor crime rates by location.
Insight into how police time and resources are used.
Straightforward measure of crime.

55
Q

Why don’t official statistics give us a valid picture of crime?

A

Detect - if the crime is not discovered or witnessed, it cannot be reported.
Report - many less serious offences are not reported to the police, or because people are embarrassed or they think that the police won’t do anything.
Record - the police may not necessarily record a crime that is reported to them. They may see the crime as trivial (eg petty vandalism). They might decide there is not enough evidence.

56
Q

What is the hidden or dark figure of crime?

A

Official statistics give ignore the hidden or dark figure of crime, which includes unreported and unrecorded crime.

57
Q

What are some factors affecting statistics/changing statistics?

A

Changes to policing
Focus on certain crimes over others.
Funding.
CCTV and other technology.

If there is an advert about domestic violence, people may feel more comfortable to report it and come forward. The statistics then aren’t due to an increase in domestic violence but an increase in reporting.

58
Q

Why are official statistics inaccurate?

A

There are many opportunities for the crime to not be recorded. This will mean that crimes are under-recorded.
Therefore, they are SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONS. This means they depend on decisions made by the oooo he and victim eg whether to report or record a crime.

59
Q

What are some advantages of official statistics?

A

Can show trends/patterns (identifying)
Monitors the work of the police force.
Measures the extent of serious crimes.
Crime eyes can be compared by location.

60
Q

What are some disadvantages of official statistics?

A

Often under reported/recorded
Inaccurate
Invalid.
They are social constructions, influenced by human decisions, police targets.
Undetected, unreported and not recorded.
Ignores changes in law.
Interactionists - police label behaviour are criminal.
Marxists - reflects the power in capitalist society.
Feminists - police under record violence against women.

61
Q

What is the consensus approach to social order?

A

Functionalists argue that modern society is based on value consensus. This consensus arises from socialisation, during which we learn and come to share the norms and values of our society. Functionalists argue that social order is maintained over time because most people support the rules and agree to abide by them.

62
Q

What is the conflict approach to social order?

A

The Marxist approach sees capitalist society as based on conflicting interests between social classes. Class conflict arises between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat because they have opposing interests. Social order is maintained over time because the bourgeoisie have the power to enforce order. They are able, for example, to influence the type of laws that get passed in society.

63
Q

What are some methods of social control?

A

Social control methods include sanctions that aim to limit or reduce the frequency of deviant acts. For example, a promotion at work is a positive sanction and a prison sentence is a negative sanction.

64
Q

What is Cohen’s subcultural theory?

A

Working class sub-cultures may stress deviant or criminal behaviour, which can bring status within particular peer groups. Albert Cohen uses subcultural theory to describe juvenile delinquency among working class boys. He linked delinquency such as vandalism and violence to status frustration at school. Working class boys fail to meet middle-class expectations at school. They respond by joining gangs in which delinquency is the “thing to do”. Being part of delinquent subcultures allows boys to gain status within the gangs.

65
Q

What is white collar crime?

A

Committed by those in relatively high-status eg tax evasion. They are less likely to be detected.

66
Q

What are corporate crimes?

A

Refers to crimes committed by employees on behalf of the organisation. Money goes to the business.

67
Q

What types of crime do the police target?

A

Street crimes

68
Q

What is an indictable offence?

A

A serious criminal offence (murder, robbery) that is tried by a Crown Court in front of a judge and jury.

69
Q

Give some crime statistics for gender and involvement in crime.

A

In 2014, women made up just five percent of the prison population.

70
Q

Define edgework?

A

Boys engage in this - living on the edge. Committing crime is exciting.

71
Q

Identify one aspect of girls’ involvement of crime that has changed recently.

A

Girls are now more likely to get involved in the types of crime and violence that occurs in gangs.
The number of all girl gangs is on the rise.

72
Q

Why are girls joining/forming gangs?

A 
Stay with their boyfriend 
Want to be like the boys 
Forced/choice
Finding a sense of belonging/identity/safety
Falling out of education 
Family breakdown
Impress boys.
73
Q

Why are some reasons for women committing more crime?

A

Women have lost many constraints or controls that keep them away from crime.

Women are more likely than men to be unemployed or employed in low paid jobs. As a result, more women than men live in poverty.

Changing position of women in society

The Chivalry Effect is now less common, women don’t commit more crime but instead are now more likely to be charged or convicted.

74
Q

What did Pat Carlen say?

A

In Carlen’s analysis of control theory, she argues that women behave rationally and that they are controlled through a ‘deal’ that offers them rewards for conforming.

The class deal - the rewards are material goods for working for a wage.

The gender deal - rewards are emotional (love/support)
-maybe material good if they live with a male breadwinner.

75
Q

When might the deals described by Carlen not be available to women?

A

Poverty
Living in residential care
Drug and alcohol addiction
The search for excitement.

76
Q

What did Walklate (2007) say?

A

Some people are more likely than others to become victims of crime.

She described 4 key factors that describe who is more likely to be a victim of crime.

The most at risk people in accordance to CAGE are:
Working class 
Young people
Male
Ethnic minorities
77
Q

Is the prison population proportional?

A

There are not actually more black people in prison than white people, however, it is not proportional to the population.

78
Q

Define injustice.

A

When a person is accused of a crime of which they are not guilty.

79
Q

What is the Stephen Lawrence case study?

A

A black man was stabbed at a bus stop. The police did not carry out the case properly.

80
Q

What is the Macpherson Report?

A

Concluded that the police’s handling of the investigation into this murder was hindered by ‘institutional racism’.

81
Q

Define institutional racism.

A

When the everyday practices of an organisation like the police lead to discrimination against ethnic groups.

82
Q

What is canteen culture?

A

Discriminating attitudes that exist in the police force.

83
Q

Why are young people generally more likely to offend?

A

Gain status among their friends.
More likely to be in gangs.
Think they can get away with it.
Search for excitement.

84
Q

What do functionalists link delinquency to?

A

Poor primary socialisation.

85
Q

What is Albert Cohen’s subcultural theory?

A

Sees juvenile delinquency as a group phenomenon.
Young males learn to become delinquents by becoming members of groups or gangs in which delinquent behaviour already exists as the “done thing”.

86
Q

Define folk devil.

A

A group that are seen as a threat to society’s values.

87
Q

What is moral panic?

A

A media-fuelled over-reaction to a social group. Involved media exaggerating the significance of a social problem. Particular groups are cast a folk-devils.

88
Q

What is deviancy amplification?

A

The public and media’s reaction to deviance leads to an increase in - or amplifies - deviance by provoking more of the same behaviour.

Sociology (12 decks)

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