Explaining Class Differences in Crime

Question 1

How do functionalists explain class differences in crime?

Answer 1

• They see crime as a product of inadequate socialisation to society’s shared values and as modern society has a complex division of labour, different classes develop their own subcultures
• e.g. Miller argues that the lower class has a subculture with its own values that clash with mainstream culture, explaining why the WC have a higher crime rate, such as conforming to norms like toughness can lead to conflict with the law

Question 2

How does strain theory explain class differences in crime?

Answer 2

• Argues people engage in deviance when their opportunities to achieve in legitimate ways are blocked. e.g. Merton argues that America’s class structure denies WC the opportunity to achieve the ‘American Dream’
• As the WC are more likely to be denied opportunities to achieve success, so they’re more likely to seek illegitimate means of achieving. Merton calls this ‘innovation’, using crime to gain wealth, this explains why the WC have a higher rate of utilitarian crime (crime for material gain) than the MC.

Question 3

How does labelling theory explain class differences in crime?

Answer 3

They emphasise the stereotypes held by law enforcement that see the WC as ‘typical criminals’, and the power of these agencies allow them successfully label the powerless groups (WC)