crime percy Flashcards
Crime as a social construction
P- crime is a construct, depends on context
E- swearing at a police is seen as a crime, in general its not
R- Downers and Rock, ambiguity is key
C- Althusser, state apparatus, not about context but about keeping lower classes down
P- different groups different norms and values
E- some societies being gay criminal offence
R- Plumber, societal deviance vs situational deviance
C- Murray, new right underclass
P- crime is situational
E- swearing at police
R- Newburn, crime is a label attached to certain actions
C- some actions are wrong
FUNCTIONALISM
P- Crime serves useful function in society
E- Rosa parks, MLK
R- Durkheim, 4 ways 1) safety valve 2) warning device 3) enabling social change 4) strengthening values
C- some crimes not valuable - murder
P- when people face strain, react different ways
E- American dream
R- Merton, strain theory
C- not everyone fits in to certain groups, EG white collar crime
P- if people have social bonds won’t commit crime
E- having youth and sports clubs can prevent crime
R- Hirschi, social bonds, attachment commitment, belief and involvement
C- can still commit crime with everything - Lyng, Edgework
P- status frustration leads to crime
E- educational underachievement can lead to frustration, turn to crime
R- Cohen
C- many people in similar positions don’t turn to crime
C
MARXISM
P- one law for the rich, one for the poor
E- lower class more likely to be charged than higher classes
R- Chambliss, positions in class determine punishment
C- the idea of social equality - everyone gets treated the same
P- capitalism causes criminogenic society
E- rich life shown off to poor people, rich houses - idealised
R- Gordon, criminogenic society
C- some people do not idealise it, or want to pursue it through legal means
P- capitalism protects rich from the law
E- more WC prosecutes, corporate crimes protected until forced to pass laws
R- Sneider, law protects rich - Bhopal, VW
C- laws are fair, crimes arent bias to prosecuter
P- racism leads to higher crime rates
E- stereotyping means that certain groups face deviance master status- George floyd
R- Pearce, selective law enforcement
C- society becoming more equal, less political racism
INTERACTIONISTS
P- criminals conform to stereotypes to become criminals
E- if labelled a criminal, more likely to re-offend, unable to work etc due to label
R- Becker, master status
C- not everyone conforms
P- Different people more likely to be given deviant identities due to class
E- white males treated differently to other ethnic groups, Alfred Odango, shot for holding e-cigarette
R- Lemert, primary and secondary deviance
C- secondary deviance can be wrong, get punished without committing a crime
P- where live can affect the possibility of criminal offences
E- area/people youre surrounded with affects how you’re treated
R- cicourel, selective law enforcement based on area
C- suggests that bias policing is the reason for high crime rates in low areas
P- devinace is amplified causing crime through social reactions
E- moral panic can cause people to act up for media or fear subcultures
R- Cohen, moral panic mods and rockers
C- not all people are passive
INTERACTIONISTS
P- criminals conform to stereotypes to become criminals
E- if labelled a criminal, more likely to re-offend, unable to work etc due to label
R- Becker, master status
C- not everyone conforms
P- Different people more likely to be given deviant identities due to class
E- white males treated differently to other ethnic groups, Alfred Odango, shot for holding e-cigarette
R- Lemert, primary and secondary deviance
C- secondary deviance can be wrong, get punished without committing a crime
P- where live can affect the possibility of criminal offences
E- area you live affects how police treat you
R- Cicourel, selective law enforcement, study of 2 US cities, found that the same crime had different reactions in 2 cities in California
C- suggests that high crime rates are due to bias policing
P- Deviance is amplified, causing a crime through social reactions
E- Moral panic can cause people to act for media and fear
R- Cohen, moral panics, mods and rockers
C- people aren’t passive
RIGHT REALIST
P- population of underclass, reason for crime, growth of underclass is the growth of crime E- lower classes is the highest percentage of crime R- Murray, underclass C- Owen Jones, demonization of the WC
P- people commit crime whether they need to or not
E- Drug dealing idealised, risk is worth the reward
R- Cornish and Clarke, rational choice theory, need to raise punishment
C- US and Netherlands, US have harsh punishments, most people in prisons, Dutch have ‘reformist’ prisons, less people
P- crime influenced by biological and upbringing
E- grow up around crime more likely to commit, prefrontal cortex, poor functioning brain
R- Wilson and Herrnstein
C- crime isn’t biological
P- certain factors have to be present in order to commit crime
E- robbing a bank, all need to be in place
R- Felson and Clarke, 3 factors have to be present 1) suitable target for offender 2) no capable guardian like police or CCTV 3) offender weighs up points and decides whether to commit crime
C- not all three need to be present, if they were no one would be caught
LEFT REALISM
P- society was cohesive, would be no crime
E- Victims talking to offenders can help rehabilitations
R- Lea and young, square of crime, police public offenders and victims
C- victimless crime eg drug dealing
P- People commit crime for the thrill
E- joyriding, shoplifting
R- Lyng, Edgework, commit crime for the thrill
C- people commit crime to survive/need to
P- people advertised an ideal life, use any means to get it
E-consume images and are passive, want that life
R- Young, bulimic society
C- society not that passive other ways
P- police brutality is reason for crime
E- causes hatred toward police, causes subculture
R- Lewis, resentment of police brutality causes issues and riots
C- peaceful protests and BLM is a cause for change
FEMINISM
P- women avoid prosecution due to gender
E-most police and law enforcement being men, tend to let off women, speeding
R- Pollack chivalry thesis
C- men aren’t submissive, more females in law enforcement
P- hegemonic masculinity causes men to assert dominance
E- men need to be in control, reinforces masculinity, domestic violence
R- Messerschmidt, research in DV
C- female DV on the rise
P- women harshly treated as don’t fit in
E- Myra Hindley and Ian brady, Myra got more backlash
R- Smart double deviance
C- Chivalry thesis
P- women are ignored in society so their crime is ignored
E- women get away with more so they commit more
R- Heidensohn and Silvestri, male stream society, women invis
C- outdated, women have say - progressive feminist movement
P
E
R
C
POST MODERNISTS
P- people inflict pains on groups of people they marginalise
E- prejudice acts on groups of people, enjoy infliction on ostracised groups
R- Levinn and McDevitt, hate crime derived thrill from inflicting pain
C- some people commit crime for survival
P- people commit crime when life becomes boring
E- want to gain purpose, enjoyment
R- Katz and Lazarsfeld, pleasures and seduction of crime
C- people commit when forced to
P- people want to impress others
E- commit crime to have purpose
R- Lyng - edgework
C- people get hobbies instead
P
E
R
C
