Crime And Deviance- Topic 1 (Paper3)

Question 1

Denfine value consensus.

Answer 1

Sharing a common culture.

Question 2

What are the 2 key mechanisms that society uses to achieve solidarity?

Answer 2

-Socialisation.
-Social control.

Question 3

What is socialisation?

Answer 3

Internalise norms and values.

Question 4

What is social control?

Answer 4

Rewards for conformity, punishments for deviance

Question 5

Explain 2 reasons why crime is found in all societies.

Answer 5

Not everyone is effectively socialised.
Cultural diversity leads to anoimie- a weakening or loss of norms.

Question 6

According to Durkheim, why are modern societies likely to experience crime?

Answer 6

Rules in modern society are weaker and less-clear cute-due to complex division labour- not just workers and owners.

Question 7

What are the two important positive functions of crime according to Durkheim?

Answer 7

Boundary maintenance.
Adaptation and change.

Question 8

Explain what is menat by boundary maintenance.

Answer 8

Reaction from society.
Function of punishment:
-Reinforce solidarity.
-Publically stigmatise.
-Reaffirm law.

Question 9

What is menat by adaption and change according to Durkheim?

Answer 9

They can challenge norms and values, new values may lead to changes, too much crime- can tear society apart and too little- can lead to too much control.

Question 10

Briefly outline the function of crime according to the following sociologists. Davis, Polsky, A.K. Cohen and Erikson.

Answer 10

Davis- The functions of prostitution.
Polsky- The functions of ponography.
A.K. Cohen- The function of ‘warning’.
Erikson- ‘Does society promote deviance?’

Question 11

Outline 3 criticisms of functionalist theory of crime and deviance.

Answer 11

-He cannot explain why some people are more deviant than others.
- Crime may be functional for some by reinforcing norms, but not functional for the victim. For example, murder.
-Crime doesn’t always promote solidarity, it may lead to isolation. For example, through fear of crime.

Question 12

According to strain theories, why do people engage in deviant behaviour?

Answer 12

They do this when they are unable to achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means.

Question 13

What are the two elements that Morton’s explaination combines?

Answer 13

Structural Factors.
Cultural Factors.

Question 14

Briefly outline the two elements that Merton’s explanation combines:
-Structural factors
-Cultural factors

Answer 14

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.

Question 15

According to Merton, what two factors cause strain for individuals?

Answer 15

-The goals that a culture encourages individuals to achieve.
-What the institutional structure of society allows them to achieve legitimately.

Question 16

How are Americans menat to pursue their goals?

Answer 16

Goals should be pursed by: self discipline, study, educational qualifications and hard work in a career.

Question 17

What might prevent some groups from achieving their goals l?

Answer 17

Disadvantaged groups are denied opportunities: poverty, inadequate schools and discrimination.

Question 18

Explain the strain to anomie.

Answer 18

Being blocked from success leads to deviance as innovates they adopt illegitimate means to achieve the goals they cannot achieve legitimately- the strain to anomie.

Question 19

Why is there pressure to deviate in American culture?

Answer 19

American culture focuses on achieving success- this puts greater strain to achieve at any cost.

Question 20

What are Merton’s five adaptations to strain?

Answer 20

Conformity.
Innovation.
Ritualism.
Retreatism.
Rebellion.

Question 21

Briefly outline Merton’s five adaptations to strain.

Answer 21

Conformity- Accept socially approved goals and strive to achieve using legitimate means.
Innovation- Achoet socially approved goals and use crime to achieve them.
Ritualism- Give up on achieving the goals but continue to follow the legitimate rules.
Retreatism- Give up on achieving the goals and drop out of society.
Rebellion- Reject society’d goals and replace them with ‘new’ goals which defy the status quo.

Question 22

Briefly outline two patterns of crime that Merton explains.

Answer 22

-Most crime is property crime, because American society values material wealth so highly.
-Lower-class crime rates are higher, because they have least opportunity to obtain wealth legitimately.

Question 23

Briefly outline give criticisms of Merton’s theory.

Answer 23

-Merton assumes crime statistics are accurate, ignoring the possible dark figure of crime.
-He fails to explain why most poor people don’t deviate, or why people choose different responses to strain.
-He fails to acknowledge that law enforcement tends to criminalise working class people more often.
-He ignores that not everyone is motivated by materialism.
-He fails to explain non-utilifarian crime.

Question 24

Define subculture.

Answer 24

Assumes that those who deviate hold different values to mainstream society.

Question 25

What do subcultures offer their members?

Answer 25

They offer an alternative opportunity structure.

Question 26

In what sense are subcultures functional for their members?

Answer 26

It’s central around the idea of crime and deviance is a reaction by a group who reject the majority view and/or feel excluded. It offers opportunities denied by legitimate structures.

Question 27

According to Cohen, why is crime a lower-class phenomenon?

Answer 27

As those from deprived background are denied access to society’s goals.

Question 28

What two criticisms does Cohen make of Merton?

Answer 28

-Merton sees deviance as an individual response to strain, ignoring the fact that much deviance is committed in or by groups, especially among the young.
-Merton focuses on utilitarian crime committed for material gain, such as theft or fraud. He largely ignores crime such as assault and vandalism, which may have no economic motive.

Question 29

According to Cohen, why do working class boys face anomie?

Answer 29

They’re not valued by the middle class education system. They suffer cultural deprivation due to inadequate socialisation at home.

Question 30

What are the values of the subcultures that Cohen describes and how do they compare with society’s values?

Answer 30

Spite, hostillity, mallis and consents.

Question 31

How does the subculture offer an alternative status hierarchy?

Answer 31

Anger the mainstream society has pushed them to the bottom of the social hierarchy so they create their own status within a deviant subculture.

Question 32

Give one criticism of Cohen’s view.

Answer 32

He assumes that working class boys share middles class values and only reject them when they fail.

Question 33

What do Cloward and Ohlin attempt to explain?

Answer 33

Different types of subcultures.

Question 34

According to Cloward and Ohlin, What are 3 types of deviant subculture?

Answer 34

Criminal subcultures- provides the opportunity for a career in crime.
Conflict subcultures- Exists if the criminal subculture is absent.
Retreatist subcultures- Is the one that takes the double failures, those who don’t make it in crime or violence.

Question 35

Briefly outline the work of the Chicago School.

Answer 35

Cultural transmission theory- Passing on criminal traditions through generations.
Differential association theory- Learning criminal skills from peers.
Social disorganisation theory- High population turnover reduces social control in area.

Question 36

What types of crime are not covered by Cloward and Ohlin”a theory?

Answer 36

They over-focus on working class crime and ignore crimes of wealthy.

Question 37

Along with Merton and Cohen, What do Cloward and Ohlin fail to consider?

Answer 37

They ignore that the law tends to criminalise working class people more often, which could mean that crimes are under-reported.

Question 38

What problem does South identity with Cloward and Ohlin’s types of subculture?

Answer 38

Some criminal groups contain characteristics of more than one of Cloward and Ohlin’s categories.

Question 39

Why are strain theories criticised for being reactive?

Answer 39

They assume crime is a reaction to failure to achieve society’s goals; not everyone is motivated by these goals in the first place.

Question 40

Briefly outline what Miller means by independent subcultures.

Answer 40

Miller argues that the working class in itself is a subculture which holds deviant values that makes them prone to crime.

Question 41

According to Matza, how do members get f subcultures behave?

Answer 41

Matza argues that membership to deviant subcultures is less well organised than Cloward and Ohlin make it out to be.

Question 42

What other goals might young people pursue?

Answer 42

-Popularity
-Autonomy
-‘Real men’

Question 43

Why might middle-class youths be delinquent?

Answer 43

They may have trouble achieving goals.

Question 44

Briefly explain Messner and Rosenfeld’s institutional anomie. In what way is it similar to Merton’s theory?

Answer 44

Messner and Rosefeld (2001) like Merton- American dream. Anything goes in pursuit of wealth. Economic goals most important. School prepares for work. Inadequate welfare- high crime

Question 45

What evidence do Downes and Hansen offer in supporting of Messner and Rosefeld?

Answer 45

Greater welfare spending- lower imprisonment.

Question 46

According to Savelsberg, why was there a rise in crime in post-communist societies in Eastern Europe?

Answer 46

Increased crime from loss of communism’s collective.