evaluating sociological theories in causing criminality

Question 1

social structure theory - marxism

Question 2

strengths

Question 3

social classes

Answer 3

does provide an explanation for crime that covers all social classes

Question 4

law making

Answer 4

shows how law making are biased against working class and under policy white collar crime

Question 5

inequality

Answer 5

shows inequality in society lead to crime

Question 6

weaknesses. ignorance

Answer 6

ignores other class inequalities like gender and ethnicity

Question 7

over prediction

Answer 7

over predicts the amount of working class crime - not all working class commit crime & not all capitalist societies have high crime e.g japan

Question 8

persecutions

Answer 8

their are white collar crime persecutions e.g wolf of wall street

Question 9

interactionism - labelling

Question 10

strengths

Question 11

consequences

Answer 11

shows the consequences of labelling an how discrimination can lead to crime

Question 12

official statistics

Answer 12

shows weakness in official statistics as some groups are overrepresented

Question 13

media

Answer 13

highlights role of media in creating deviance and moral panics

Question 14

weaknesses

Question 15

deviance

Answer 15

fails to explain why deviant behaviour happens - acceptance of crime

Question 16

victim vs criminal

Answer 16

ignores victim and focuses on criminal - romanticising crime

Question 17

labels

Answer 17

fails to explain why labels are applied to some groups but not others

Question 18

realism - right realism

Question 19

strengths

Question 20

research

Answer 20

has helped to produce and shape the governments research on crime - stimulated victim surveys

Question 21

pratical

Answer 21

offers a practical approach in in tackling crime

Question 22

weaknesses

Question 23

gap

Answer 23

ignores gap between rich and poor creating resentment - relative deprivation

Question 24

causes

Answer 24

ignores wider structural causes of crime such as poverty

Question 25

acceptance

Answer 25

too readily accepts crime statistics e.g fails to explain white collar crime

Question 26

realism - left realism

Question 27

strengths

Question 28

depth

Answer 28

explores the role of the victim of crime, especially the poor or vulnerable, in more depth

Question 29

multiple

Answer 29

recognises multiple causes of crime

Question 30

street crime

Answer 30

draws attention to reality of street crime especially effects on victims from deprived groups

Question 31

weaknesses

Question 32

deprivation

Answer 32

does not explain why everyone in relative deprivation fails to turn to crime

Question 33

white collar

Answer 33

fails to explain white collar or corporate crime