Crime and the Media Flashcards
What is the Penological Perspective of Justice?
The study of prisons, pragmatic side (dealing with things sensibly and realistically), what works in reducing crime
What is the Philosophical Perspective of Justice?
Justice must be seen to be done, what is just? just is ‘what is proportional to the blameworthiness of the offender’ which does not satisfy the public
What is the Sociological Perspective of Justice?
- Punishment is an ensemble of social forces and has significance that reaches well beyond the population of criminals
- The sociology of punishment should inform us about the social forces that penal processes and the various social consequences that these processes in turn produce
- General public interested in punishment - does it fit the crime?
What are the two working forces inside of us according to Durkheim?
- Our desire to forward our personal goals and objectives
2. To do good for the social collective (moral compass)
Explain Durkheim’s two working forces?
- Punishment tells us that it is worthwhile to not break the laws, we are making the right decision by looking after the social good and social order
- Modern punishment is aimed at expressing, educating and reassuring the public
- Punishment is not for the person who committed the crime but to reaffirm our beliefs in the social good
What does public punitiveness mean?
The public has a view that sentencing is too lenient due to a lack of information
What is the problem with the media?
- Media does an injustice by not providing all the information/facts
- Media are more likely to publish aggravating factors than they are mitigating factors
What is cultivation theory?
- Cultivation theory suggests that widespread fear of crime is enhanced by the media
- Fear is as important as crime itself - it affects and impacts more people than crime
The vast majority of crime is…
- Minor offences perpetuated by family, friends and acquaintances
What is the differential reception thesis?
- The media cultivates an unrealistic picture of crime
- The degree of cultivation depends upon variables such as belief systems and social environments
- Some people will be more receptive to this message than other people
- 4 associated hypotheses
What are the four hypothesises of differential reception thesis?
- Substitution hypothesis
- Resonance hypothesis
- Affinity hypothesis
- Vulnerability hypothesis
Explain substitution hypothesis?
The effect of cultivation will be stronger in an absence of personal experience - those who have not experienced victimisation
Explain resonance hypothesis?
The effect of cultivation will be stronger in the presence of personal experience - those who have experienced victimisation
Explain affinity hypothesis?
The effect of cultivation will be greater for those who resemble victims - the closer you are to the victim, the more you will be scared of crime
Explain vulnerability hypothesis?
The effect of cultivation will be greater for those who feel most vulnerable e.g. the elderly, disabled