Key Terms-Crime Flashcards
What is the American Dream?
The belief that anyone can achieve success through hard work regardless of their background
What is anomie?
The concept of normelessness in society, a breakdown of social norms values and expectations within society.
What is boundary maintenance ?
Crime and deviance is useful in shoeing people what to do and what not to do.
What is delinquency?
Poor behaviour -often by younger members of society
What are focal concerns?
Emphasise the roles of social networks by explaining how lower class people influence other lower class people.
What is illegitimate opportunity structure?
Where communities lack resources that would allow young people to grow .
What is social solidarity ?
Interdependence between individuals in society , which allows individuals to feel that they can enhance the lives of others.
What is status frustration?
When people are unable to gain status through legitimate means so turn to criminal behaviour to achieve illegitimately .
What is strain theory?
Pressure from social factors like lack of income or lack of quality of education drives individuals to commit crime .
What is utilitarian crime ?
Crime committed for material gain , money and property.
2.what is a control agency?
Institutions which have control over individuals such as the police, courts ,prison e.t.c
What is deviance amplification?
The way levels of deviance or crime can be increased by the societal reaction to deviance itself.
What is a deviant career?
Any professional choice that defies social norms.
What is interactionism?
Individuals learn about society through interactions with people .and that society as a whole is created by a multitude of individual interactions .
What is labelling ?
Describing someone or something in a word or short phrase.
What is a master status ?
The defining social position a person holds,meaning the title the person most relates to when expressing themselves to others.
What is a moral entrepreneur?
Powerful groups ,individuals or organisations who crusade to change laws or social norms.
What is primary deviance?
Deviant behaviour that people don’t get labelled for (low level,common)
What is secondary deviance?
Higher level crimes that occur when someone is labelled public ally and it starts to become a significant part of someone’s identity.
What is reintegrative shaming?
Crime and criminal are separated
They can be rehabilitated and put back into society.
What is self fulfilling prophecy?
Living up to a label given.
What is social construction?
A subjective view decided by society.
What are typifications?
Police have stereotypes of what they suspect as a criminal.
What are folk devils?
Groups who are targets of moral panic and are a perceived threat.