Early Sociological Thinking On Crime

Question 1

What do sociological theories emphasize about crime?

Answer 1

1. Crime is normal in all societies and cannot be eliminated
2. Crime is linked to conflict, often of a class based nature.
3. Crime can be usefully understood in terms of social divisions and interests, especially economic interests.
4. Crime is learned in ordinary every day situations.
5. Crime comes about through a lack of attachment to groups valuing law aboding behavior.
6. Crime is bound up with tension, stress and strains within societies.
7. Crime is strongly linked to city life.

Question 2

True or false? Crime is not strongly linked to city life.

Answer 2

False! Crime IS strongly linked to city life.

Question 3

True or false? Crime is learned in ordinary every day situations.

Answer 3

True.

Question 4

True or false? Sociological theories believe crime can be eliminated.

Answer 4

False! They believe crime cannot be eliminated.

Question 5

True or false? Emile Durkheim thought social deviance was abnormal in healthy societies.

Answer 5

False. Emile Durkheim thought social deviance was a normal phenomenon in all healthy societies.

Question 6

Did Emile Durkheim explain crime in terms of differences between individuals or differences in the social environments to which they are exposed?

Answer 6

He explained in terms of the social environments to which they were exposed.

Question 7

Define ‘social structure’

Answer 7

It refers to physical features of communities and the way society is organized.

Question 8

Define ‘structural conditions’

Answer 8

Social forces external to the individual that affect behavior and attitudes.

Question 9

What theory developed about crime which addressed crime in urban communities?

Answer 9

The social disorganization theory

Question 10

When did the social development theory emerge?

Answer 10

The 1930’s

Question 11

What did the social disorganization theory attribute crime in urban areas to?

Answer 11

To social disorganization…where in such a climate informal social control weakens and deviant values emerge to flourish alongside conventional values.

Question 12

Who thought “crime and deviance are simply the normal responses of normal people to abnormal social conditions”?

Answer 12

Shaw and McKay

Question 13

Who developed the anomie strain theory?

Answer 13

Robert Merton

Question 14

What was the belief about crime according to the Anomie Strain theory?

Answer 14

The basic idea of Robert K. Merton’s anomie theory is that most people strive to achieve culturally recognized goals. A state of anomie develops when access to these goals is blocked to entire groups of people or individuals. The result is a deviant behavior. Crime results predominantly from innovation.

Question 15

What heightens strain according to the Anomie/Strain theory?

Answer 15

The fact that society tell us that all people are equal.

Question 16

Give criticisms of the Anomie/Strain theory.

Answer 16

1. Merton’s assumption that the poor commit more crime than the non-poor.
2. It doesn’t address middle class delinquency or white collar offenses.
3. It does not explain the violent crimes of homicide, assault and rape.
4. Assumes most alcoholism, drug addiction and vagrancy occur when people reject economic success and working.

Question 17

Who developed the notion of a delinquent subculture?

Answer 17

Albert cohen

Question 18

What does subculture include in the subculture theories?

Answer 18

Includes values that conflict with middle class norms conductive to lawfulness

Question 19

What is the primary motive in the subculture theories?

Answer 19

Primary motive is to gain status from peers

Question 20

Who developed differential opportunity theory?

Answer 20

Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin

Question 21

Who created the subculture of violence theory?

Answer 21

Marvin Wolfgang and Franco Ferracuti (1967)

Question 22

Who came up with the idea of a “code of the streets”?

Answer 22

Elijah Anderson