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Sociology Alevel > Crime & Deviance > Flashcards

Crime & Deviance Flashcards

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1
Q

Name the functionalists of crime

A

Durkheim

Hirschi

Merton

Albert Cohen

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2
Q

Name the Marxists of crime

A

Chambliss

Gordon

Snider

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3
Q

Name the Neo-Marxists of crime

A

Taylor, Walton and Young

Hall et al

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4
Q

Name the Interactionists of crime

A

Becker

Cicourel

Stan Cohen

Jock Young

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5
Q

Name the Feminists of crime

A

Heidensohn

Walby

Archer

Adler

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6
Q

Name the Postmodernists of crime

A

John Lee

Katz and Lyng

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7
Q

Name the Left Realists of crime

A

Lea and Young - Jock Young

Kinsey, Lea and Young

Young and Matthews

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8
Q

Name the Right Realists of crime

A

Murray

Wilson and Hernstein

Clarke

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9
Q

Explain the Functionalist Durkheim’s theory

A

Crime is functional and inevitable because

  • strengthens social cohesion: bad crime eg against children/terrorism, brings people together
  • change and reform: too many people committing the crime = changing the law, allows society to move forward
  • clarify social boundaries: tells us what is good/bad, seeing punishments to deter you, ‘society of saints’
  • anomie: period of normlessnees, caused by rapid social change. this would happen if there was too much/too little crime
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10
Q

Explain the Functionalist Hirschi’s theory

A

Explains why people don’t commit crime

  • attachment: friends/family
  • commitment: career
  • belief
  • involvement: school activity/community organisation
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11
Q

Explain the Functionalist Merton’s theory

A

Strain theory:

  • all of society is trying to achieve the value consensus (material wealth)
  • if this can’t be reached people feel like they don’t belong
  • this is bc they aren’t given the opportunity to/cannot reach the value consensus through conventional ways they turn to crime eg stealing for material wealth
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12
Q

Explain the Functionalist Albert Cohen’s theory

A

Safety valve - M/C white males use prostitutes as a stress outlet, so that he doesn’t take it out on the nuclear family

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13
Q

Give an evaluation of Durkheim’s theory

A

Assumes all laws reflect the value consensus of society e.g. squatting act/non-dom status

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14
Q

Give an evaluation of Hirschi’s theory

A

Explains why NEETs are more likely to commit crime

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15
Q

Give an evaluation of Merton’s theory

A

Ignores why WCC happens

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16
Q

Give an evaluation of Albert Cohen’s theory

A

Ignores the impact this has on women

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17
Q

Explain the Marxist Chambliss’ theory

A

Laws made by the ruling class to benefit the ruling class e.g. non-dom status, vagrancy law 1300s, means W/C are naturally criminalised by capitalism

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18
Q

Explain the Marxist Gordon’s theory

A

Capitalism itself causes crime -

  • W/C commit utilitarian crime for survival
  • W/C commit non-utilitarian crime for hatred on society eg vandalism
  • M/C commit crime out of greed (keeping up the jones’ - WCC)
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19
Q

Explain the Marxist Snider’s theory

A

Courts ignore WCC

  • WCC costs 24x the amount street crime does
  • Crime stats are biased and unreliable because they don’t show WCC
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20
Q

Explain the Neo-Marxist Taylor, Walton and Young’s theory

A

Capitalism is root but not only cause of crime

  • People actively choose to commit crime
  • Poor people steal to redistribute wealth
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21
Q

Explain the Neo-Marxist Hall et al’s theory

A

Scapegoating -

  • media turned the W/C against each other saying that all muggings were committed by black muggers
  • takes attention away from failing capitalism and stops W/C from revolting, they’re less powerful when divided
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22
Q

Give an evaluation of Chambliss’ theory

A

Ignores health and safety laws put in place to protect employees

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23
Q

Give an evaluation of Gordon’s theory

A

Gives an explanation for all crime

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24
Q

Give an evaluation of Snider’s theory

A

Ignores that WCC is less emotionally harmful

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25
Q

Give an evaluation of Taylor, Walton and Young’s theory

A

Views criminals as robin hood, heroic

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26
Q

Give an evaluation of Hall et al’s theory

A

Ignores what happens when capitalism works

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27
Q

Explain the Feminist Heidensohn’s theory

A

Women are socially controlled so can’t commit crime

  • home: burdened with housework & childcare
  • work: can’t get to top jobs can’t commit WCC
  • public: aren’t allowed out late/to certain places, avoid places bc male dominance
  • women who offend are doubly deviant eg bad mother + criminal
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28
Q

Explain the Feminist Walby’s theory

A

Need to address crimes against women - domestic abuse cases go unconvicted

29
Q

Explain the Feminist Archer’s theory

A

Girls in gangs are empowered

30
Q

Explain the Feminist Adler’s theory

A

Female crime is increasing because more equal and liberated

  • men are more involved in housework and childcare
  • more women reaching top jobs = WCC
  • less religious expectations
31
Q

Give an evaluation of Heidensohn’s theory

A

Pollack - less women are in prison bc males judges are chivalrous and want to protect women

32
Q

Give an evaluation of Walby’s theory

A

The percentage of convicted tape cases has decreased but reports gone up

33
Q

Give an evaluation of Archer’s theory

A

She only used secondary research

34
Q

Give an evaluation of Adler’s theory

A

Heidensohn accepts the rise in female crime but says its due to marginalisation

35
Q

Explain the Right Realist Murray’s theory

A

The underclass - the welfare state is responsible for crime, it allows the nuclear family to break apart as the men can leave, leads to inadequate socialisation of children by mother, they grow up without working values and turn to crime

36
Q

Explain the Right Realist Clarke’s theory

A

A person commits a crime by weighing up pros/cons - how likely it is they’ll be caught, what they’ll gain. Young BME makes more likely to commit crime, have less to lose

37
Q

Explain the Right Realist Wilson and Hernstein’s theory

A

Crime is due to biological and social factors. Biological = testosterone. Social = inadequate socialisation. Young men who have been inadequately socialised more likely to commit crime

38
Q

Give an evaluation of Murray’s theory

A

Makes unfair assumptions on women

39
Q

Give an evaluation of Clarke’s theory

A

Makes unfair assumptions of BME’s

40
Q

Explain the Left Realist Lea and Young’s theory

A

Relative deprivation causes crime - being poorer than those around you causes resentment/jealousy - leads to crime

41
Q

Explain the Left Realist Kinsey, Lea and Young’s theory

A

Police need a good relationship with public as the public report most recorded crimes. If the police use ‘military policing’ the public won’t trust them

42
Q

Explain the Left Realists Young and Matthews theory

A

Community policing - creating a relationship between police and public would create decrease in crime because people would feel a sense of community and would respect them more

43
Q

Give an evaluation of Lea and Young’s theory

A

Everyone can feel relatively deprived not just W/C

44
Q

Give an evaluation of Kinsey, Lea and Young’s theory

A

The police still need to hold authority

45
Q

Give an evaluation of Young and Matthews theory

A

Community police officers aren’t often taken seriously

46
Q

Explain the Interactionist Becker’s theory

A

Crime stats are a social construction. A crime is only deviant depending on who commits it/who sees it and how they react

47
Q

Explain the Interactionist Cicourel’s theory

A

Crime stats are a social construction. Institutional racism in the police creates stereotypes and some groups are more likely to be targeted, therefore records aren’t a true reflection of crime

48
Q

Explain the Interactionist Stan Cohen’s theory

A

Moral panic - mods and rockers, media exaggerating the event made it worse

49
Q

Explain the Interactionist Jock Young’s theory

A

Labelling theory - Hippies labelled as drug users became a self-fulfilling prophecy as it becomes a central part of their culture

50
Q

Give an evaluation of Becker’s theory

A

Ignores crimes like murder

51
Q

Give an evaluation of Cicourel’s theory

A

Supported by Piliavin and Briar - police are less likely to arrest white M/C as they interact with them in a similar way

52
Q

Give an evaluation of Stan Cohen’s theory

A

Fails to explain why initial act of deviance happens

53
Q

Give an evaluation of Jock Young’s theory

A

Ignores those who reject the labels

54
Q

Explain John Lee’s theory

A

Society is individual - not 1 solution/explanation to crime

55
Q

Give an evaluation of John Lee’s theory

A

Doesn’t help our understanding of crime

56
Q

Explain the Post-Modernists Katz and Lyng’s theory

A

Media portray crime and seductive and exciting, young people engage in crime to build an exciting identity

57
Q

Give an evaluation of Katz and Lyng’s theory

A

Gives and explanation of utilitarian and non-utilitarian crimes

58
Q

Give an evaluation of Wilson and Hernstein’s theory

A

Assumes all W/C are inadequately socialised

59
Q

Explain the meaning of anomie (20)

A

Durkheim - meaning of anomie, period of normlessness, loss of values that unite society, social chaos, lots of crime

Durkheim - some crime can help prevent anomie. It reminds us what’s right and wrong, when we observe others be punished it clarifies social boundaries

Merton - strain theory, when we lack the opportunity to achieve the value consensus we get a feeling of normlessness

Hirschi - Anomie hasn’t occurred because we have attachments, commitments, beliefs and involvements

60
Q

Explain the meaning of White Collar Crime (20)

A

Snider - WCC costs 24x the amount of street crime

Gordon - Capitalism causes crime, M/C commit WCC due to jealousy

Hughes and Langhan - Courts ignore WCC, it has low visibility, complexity, diffusion of responsibility and diffusion of victimisation

Nelken - whole corporations can be involved with WCC therefore it is harder to track who is held responsible

61
Q

Explain the meaning of moral panic/news values/deviance amplification

A

Stan Cohen - mods and rockers, news values and moral panic

Jock Young - hippies, labelling theory, news values and deviance amplification

Fawbert - hoodies, moral panic

Cicourel - the media stereotypes ethnic minorities as it has news values, this is where the polices institutional racism comes from

62
Q

Explain the meaning of Social Control (20)

A

Heidensohn - women are socially controlled through home, work and public

Althusser - ideological control

Hirschi - we are controlled through our attachments, commitments, beliefs and involvements

Clarke - rational choice controls us

63
Q

Explain the meaning of Surveillance (20)

A

Foucault - panopticon prison

Wilson and Kelling - broken widows theory, zero tolerance, police always surveying will mean less crime

Clarke - rational choice, CCTV will reduce crime

Kinsey, Lea and Young - the community is the best form of surveillance as most reported crime comes from public

64
Q

Explain the reasons why crime is seen as functional and inevitable (20)

A

Durkheim - social solidarity, change and reform, clarify social boundaries

Hirschi - crime is inevitable because some people will always be without attachments, commitments, beliefs and involvements

Merton - crime is inevitable because some people will always lack the opportunity to achieve the value consensus

Albert Cohen - prostitution is functional as it allows M/C working males to take their stresses out on something other than the nuclear family

65
Q

Explain the reasons why crime is regarded as a social construct (20)

A

Becker - an act is only seen as criminal depending on who commits it, who sees it and how they react

Cicourel - institutional racism means ethnic minorities are targeted and seen as more criminal

Hughes and Langhan - WCC is ignored

Stan Cohen - a crime is only a big deal when the media decides it is news worthy

66
Q

Explain the reasons why crime statistics are regarded as biased and unreliable (20)

A

Becker - act is only deviant depending who commits it, who sees it and how they react

Cicourel - institutional racism means ethnic minorities are more likely to be targeted

Hughes and Langan - courts ignore WCC as it has low visibility, complexity, diffusion of responsibility and diffusion is victimisation

Walby - rape reports aren’t convicted

67
Q

Explain the reasons why certain patterns of victimisation exist (20)

A

Hughes and Langan - WCC is not convicted therefore society is always a victim of it

Walby - women are victims of domestic abuse

Cicourel - ethnic minorities are victims because of racism

Kinsey, Lea and Young - if most reported crimes come from the public this means the public are victims

68
Q

Explain the reasons why some groups offend more than others (20)

A

Katz and Lyng - crime is portrayed as exciting in the media so young people want to build an identity off it

Heidensohn - women are socially controlled therefore men commit more crime

Murray - the W/C commit more crime because they are inadequately socialised

Wilson and Hernstein - W/C men commit more crime because they have more testosterone and are inadequately socialised

69
Q

Explain the reasons why the police are viewed as ineffective (20)

A

Cicourel - ethnic minorities are seen as offenders not victims when they report a crime, there is institutional racism in the police

Walby - women are scared to report domestic violence as the police don’t take them seriously

Young and Matthews - community policing

Kinsey, Lea and Young - the police need better relationship with the public in order to be effective

Sociology Alevel (7 decks)

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