crime and deviance topic1 Flashcards
define crime
behaviour which breaks laws and is punished by the legal system
define deviance
behaviour which goes against the norms, values and expectations of a social group or society
define societal deviance
acts which are seen by most members of a society as deviant, in most situations. For example, swearing at an authority figure.
define situational deviance
acts which are only defined as deviant in particular contexts; they depend on the circumstance.
define social control
the various methods that are used to persuade or force individuals to conform to the dominant social norms and values of a society or group. This happens through socialisation
what is the aim of social control
to avoid society collapsing into chaos and disorder and to maintain social order
define social order
a stable society in which people generally comply with social norms and values
define sanctions
rewards and punishments that reinforce social norms.
sanctions can be … (4)
- formal
- informal
- positive
- negative
what are formal sanctions
they are carried out by an official agency e.g. the justice system
what are informal sanctions
carried out by the public
what are positive sanctions
a reward for conforming to the norm
what are negative sanctions
a punishment for deviating from the norm
who is Plummer
Plummer made a distinction between situational deviance and societal deviance
What does anomie mean
A sense of normlessness- confusion and uncertainty over social norms- often found in periods of rapid social change and other disruptions of routines and traditions of everyday social life
Functionalism- Two ways to achieve solidarity
- socialisation
- social control
Functionalism- what are the two reasons that they see why deviance as inevitable and beneficial
- not everyone is effectively socialised into the shared norms and values, so some of will deviate
- there is diversity of lifestyles and values in complex modern societies. This means that different groups develop their own subcultures with distinctive norms and values which may be seen as deviant bu mainstream society
Functionalism
Why did Durkheim believe that anomie occurred in modern societies
The rules governing behaviour are weaker and less clear cut. This weakens the shared culture or collective conscience and results in higher levels of deviance
Functionalism
What are the 4 positive functions of crime
- boundary maintenance
- adaptation and change
- safety value
- warning device
Functionalism
Who is Davis
He argued that prostitution is a safety value for the release of men’s sexual frustrations without threatening the monogamous nuclear family
Functionalism
Who is Polsky
Argues that porn channels a variety of sexual desires away from alternatives such as adultery
Functionalism- Warning Device
Who is A.Cohen
Argued that deviant behaviour such as protests and truancy is used as a warning device by society to identify emerging social problems that can be dealt with, before serious threats to social order to develop
Functionalism- Boundary Maintenance
-Crime produces a reaction from society, uniting its members in condemnation (disapproval/ punishment) of the wrongdoer and reinforcing their commitment to the shared norms and values.
What are the two ways in which crime and deviance are socially constructed
- Historically- it was a crime to be homosexual before 1967 because it was illegal
- Culturally- polygamy is illegal in the UK, but in many countries in Africa and Asia it is legal
Functionalism- Boundary Maintenance
What does Durkheim believe that the purpose of punishment is
-To reaffirm society’s shared rules and reinforce social solidarity- it reaffirms the values of the law-abiding majority and discouraged others from rule breaking. This may be done through the rituals of the court room
Functionalism- Adaptation and change
What did Durkheim say that deviance allows for and how (2)
Social change to occur as individuals with new ideas and values must not be restrained by social control
-There must be some scope for them to challenge and change existing norms and values and to begin with, this will appear to be deviance
Functionalism- Adaptation and change
Why do Durkheim and other functionalists argue that all societies need some change
In order to remain healthy and stable
Functionalism- Adaptation and change
What happens if society reacts positively to deviant behaviour
It starts the process for that behaviour to be seen as non- deviant in the future
Functionalism- Adaptation and change
When did Durkheim say that crime becomes dysfunctional
When the level of crime is either too high or too low
- Too high and it threatens social order
- Too low and there is no social change
Functionalism- criticisms
What does Durkheim say about society
He says that society requires a certain amount of deviance to function successfully, but he does not offer a way of knowing how much is the right amount
Functionalism- criticisms
What do functionalists argue that the functions of crime are
-strengthening solidarity; boundary maintenance; allowing change.
Functionalism- criticisms
However just because crime has functions, this does not mean …
This does not mean that it exists in order to carry out these functions. Society may not have ‘created’ crime with the intention of carrying our these functions
Functionalism- criticisms
What does functionalism ignore
- How crime affects different groups or individuals within society.
- seeing a murderer punished for their crime might be functional to society as it is reinforcing solidarity, but it is not functional for the victim or their family
Functionalism- criticisms
What does crime not always promote
Solidarity. It may lead to people becoming more isolated. For example, women may stay at home for fear of an attack
Merton’s theory
What do stain theories argue that people engage in
That people engage in deviant behaviour when they are unable to achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means
Merton’s theory
Merton adapted Durkheim’s concept of anomie to explain deviance. It combines what two elements:
1) Structural factors- society’s unequal opportunity structure
2) Cultural factors- the strong emphasis on success goals and the weaker emphasis on using legitimate means to achieve them
Merton’s theory
What is deviance thought to be a result of
The result of a strain between the goals that a culture encourages individual to achieve AND what the institutional structure of society allows them to achieve legitimately
Merton’s theory
What does The American Dream value
‘Money success’; individual material wealth and the high status that goes with it
Merton’s theory
How are American’s expected to pursue this goal by
By legitimate means: self-disciple, study, educational qualifications and hard work
Merton’s theory
The ideology of the ‘American Dream’ suggests that society is …
That society is a meritocratic one- anyone who makes the effort can get ahead; there are opportunities for all
Merton’s theory
How is society not meritocratic in reality?
Many disadvantaged groups are denied opportunities to achieve legitimately due to poverty, inadequate schools, discrimination
Merton’s theory
As society may not be very meritocratic for disadvantaged groups, what does this create a STRAIN between
- this produces ..
- merton calls this …
This creates a strain between the cultural goal of ‘money success’ and the lack of legitimate opportunities to achieve it.
- This produces frustration, which in turn creates a pressure to resort to illegitimate means.
- Merton calls this pressure to deviate, the strain to anoime
Merton’s theory
What is the pressure to deviate further increased by
-the norms aren’t strong enough to …
By the fact that American culture puts more emphasis on achieving success at any price, than upon doing do by legitimate means.
-The norms aren’t strong enough to prevent people from wanting to deviate
Merton’s theory- Deviant adaptations to strain
What can strain theory be used to explain
Strain theory can be used to explain some of the patterns of the patterns of deviance that are found in society.
Merton’s theory- Deviant adaptations to strain
According to Merton an individual’s position …
An individual’s position in the social structure affect’s the way they respond to strain to anomie
Merton’s theory- Deviant adaptations to strain
The different types of adaptation to strain are dependent on …
Whether an individual accepts, rejects or replaces approved cultural goals and the legitimate means of achieving them.
Merton’s theory- Deviant adaptations to strain
What are the 5 types of adaptation to strain
- Conformity
- Innovation
- Ritualism
- Retreatism
- Rebellion
Merton’s theory- Deviant adaptations to strain
Define Conformity
People who will still try to achieve the main cultural goals through legitimate means. This is most likely to be MC individuals who have good opportunities to achieve. Merton sees it as the typical response of most Americans.
Merton’s theory- Deviant adaptations to strain
Define Innovation
People who fail at the standard route to success innovate to find alternative and deviant means of reaching success and wealth for example crime
Merton’s theory- Deviant adaptations to strain
Define Ritualism
People who cannot achieve society’s goals and have stopped trying may still act legitimately because they are used to ritual. This is typical of lower-middle class workers in dead-end routine jobs
Merton’s theory- Deviant adaptations to strain
Define Retreatism
People who reject the main cultural goals and the means of achieving them may retreat from society for example by dropping out of school
Merton’s theory- Deviant adaptations to strain
Define Rebellion
People reject the goals and means and may rebel against society, engaging in protest and revolution to try and change society
How do subcultural strain theories see deviance
As the product of a delinquent subculture with different values from those of mainstream society.
Subcultural strain theories
What do they see subcultures as providing
They see subcultures as providing an alternative opportunity structure for those who are denied the chance to achieve by legitimate means- mainly those from WC.
Subcultural strain theories
Subcultures are therefore a …
A solution fo a problem and functional for their members, although they may not be functional for wider society
Subcultural strain theories
What do subcultural theories criticise
Merton’s theory
Subcultural strain theories- A.K Cohen: Status Frustration
What does A.K Cohen agree with Merton on
That deviance is largely a lower-class phenomenon, resulting from the inability of those in the lower classes to achieve mainstream success gaols by legitimate means like educational achievement
Subcultural strain theories- A.K Cohen: Status Frustration
How does A.K Cohen criticise Merton’s explanation of deviance (2)
- Merton sees deviance as an individual response to strain, ignoring the fact that much deviance is committed by groups, especially among the young.
- Merton focuses on utilitarian (practical/useful) crime committed for material gain but ignored crimes such as assault which may have no economic motive
Subcultural strain theories- A.K Cohen: Status Frustration
What does A.K Cohen focus his study of deviance on
He focuses on deviance among WC boys. He argues that they face anomie in the MC dominated school system.
Subcultural strain theories- A.K Cohen: Status Frustration
What did A.K Cohen argue that WC boys suffer from
They suffer from cultural deprivation and lack the skills to achieve. Their inability to succeed in this MC world leaves them at the bottom of the official status hierarchy
Subcultural strain theories- A.K Cohen: Status Frustration
What did A.K Cohen argue boys suffer from since they cannot achieve status by legitimate means
As they cannot achieve status by legitimate means, the boys suffer status frustration.
Subcultural strain theories- A.K Cohen: Status Frustration
Explain how WC boys suffer from status frustration
They face a problem of adjusting to the low status they are given by mainstream society
Subcultural strain theories- A.K Cohen: Status Frustration
According to A.K Cohen, how to WC boys resolve their frustration
By rejecting mainstream MC values and turn to other boys in the same situation, creating a delinquent subculture
Subcultural strain theories- Alternative status hierarchy
The subculture’s values are …
Spite, malice, hostility and contempt for those outside it
Subcultural strain theories- Alternative status hierarchy
What does the delinquent subculture invert
The delinquent subculture inverts the value if mainstream society. What society condemns, the subculture praises.
Subcultural strain theories- Alternative status hierarchy
What is the subculture’s function
Is that it offers the boys an alternative status hierarchy in which they can achieve. The boys create their own illegitimate opportunity structure in which they can win status from their peers through their delinquent actions
A.K Cohen: status frustration evaluation
Strength- What does it offer an explanation of
-unlike Merton …
- It offers an explanation of non-utilitarian deviance.
- Unlike Merton, whose concept of innovation only accounts for crimes with a profit motive, the ideas of status frustration, value inversion and alternative status hierarchy help to explain non-economic delinquency such as assault and truancy.
A.K Cohen: status frustration evaluation
Strength- It helps to explain WC …
It helps to explain WC delinquency as a group response rather than being a focus on individuals, as in the case with Merton’s theory
A.K Cohen: status frustration evaluation
Negative- A.K Cohen assumes that …
-he ignores …
- That wc boys start off sharing MC success goals only reject them when they fail.
- He ignores the possibility that they did not share these goals in the first place and so never saw themselves as failures
A.K Cohen: status frustration evaluation
Negative- What does Miller argue
That the young people could not generate delinquent subculture seeking revenge and rejecting and reacting against mainstream goals, as they never had them
Subculture strain- Cloward and Ohlin: three subcultures
What do Cloward and Ohlin agree that
They agree that WC youths are denied legitimate opportunities to achieve ‘money success’ and their deviance stems from they way they respond to this situation.
Subculture strain- Cloward and Ohlin: three subcultures
However what do Cloward and Ohlin note
They note that not everyone adapts by innovation and committing utilitarian crimes such as theft. Different subcultures respond in different ways to the lack of legitimate opportunities
Subculture strain- Cloward and Ohlin: three subcultures
What do Cloward and Ohlin explain about different subcultural responses
That different subcultural responses occur due to unequal access to opportunity access- both are legitimate opportunity structures and the illegitimate opportunity structures.
Subculture strain- Cloward and Ohlin: three subcultures
What do Cloward and Ohlin argue about different neighbourhoods
They argue that different neighbourhoods provide different illegitimate opportunities for young people to learn criminal skills and develop criminal careers
Subculture strain- Cloward and Ohlin: three subcultures
According to Cloward and Ohlin, what are the 3 types of deviant subcultures which encourage different types of deviance
- criminal subculture
- conflict subculture
- retreatist subculture
Subculture strain- Cloward and Ohlin: three subcultures
What is criminal subculture
Some areas have an established criminal culture, where young people can be taught by adult career criminals. Crime in these areas is usually utilitarian; crimes that make money. Areas controlled by a mafia or mob have a criminal subculture
Subculture strain- Cloward and Ohlin: three subcultures
What is a conflict subculture
In areas that do not have an established criminal culture l, often due to factors such as rapidly changing population, young people organise themselves into gangs. Their crimes tend to be non-utilitarian for example violence. This subculture is the closes to that described by A.K Cohen
Subculture strain- Cloward and Ohlin: three subcultures
what is a retreatist subculture
Young people who have failed in both the legitimate opportunity structure and the illegitimate opportunity structure retreat from society and turn to drink or drugs
Subculture strain- Cloward and Ohlin: three subcultures
evaluation- they agree that … but ignore
They ignore that most crime is wc, thus ignoring crimes of the wealthy. Their theory also over-predicts the amount of WC crime
Subculture strain- Cloward and Ohlin: three subcultures
evaluation- they ignore the wider …
They ignore the wider power structure, including who makes and enforces the law.
Subculture strain- Cloward and Ohlin: three subcultures
evaluation- the boundaries …
- what did South find out
- similarly, retreatist …
The boundaries between the different types of deviance are too inflexible.
- South found that the drug trade is a mixture of both ‘disorganised’ crime, like the conflict subculture, and professional ‘mafia’ style criminal subcultures.
- similarly, retreatist users are also professional dealers making a living
