Past paper questions 2023 - Crime and Deviance Flashcards
Outline two reasons why surveillance may not reduce crime. (4 marks)
- some people may resist the effects of surveillance (1 mark); not everyone is
deterred by the presence of surveillance (+1 mark) - surveillance is targeted at particular groups of people (1 mark); judgements are
made of ‘typical’ offenders and leads to disproportionate targeting (+1 mark) - the targeting of particular groups by surveillance could lead to a self-fulfilling
prophecy (1 mark); certain groups are more likely to be monitored and
categorised as criminal (+1 mark) - crime may be displaced to areas of lower surveillance (1 mark); crime is likely to
be committed in areas where there is less surveillance (+1 mark) - some crimes are hidden from surveillance (1 mark); they happen behind closed
doors such as domestic violence (+1 mark). - Some criminals conceal their identity/hide from surveillance (1 mark) they may
wear mask or disguise themselves (+ 1 mark)
Other relevant material should be credited.
Outline three reasons for social class differences in patterns of offending. (6 marks)
- members of the working class are likely to experience poverty (1 mark); they may
respond by turning to crime such as theft (+1 mark) - members of the working class could feel marginalised (1 mark); they may commit
non-utilitarian crime to vent their anger and frustration (+1 mark) - members of the working class may experience strain (1 mark); they may innovate
in response to blocked opportunities by offending (+1 mark) - inadequate socialisation within the underclass (1 mark); the underclass lack the
norms and values that help inhibit offending (+1 mark) - the criminal justice system is biased in favour of the middle class (1 mark);
selective law enforcement means that members of the middle class are less likely
to be convicted (+1 mark) - members of the middle class have opportunities to commit some types of crime
(1 mark); they may be able to commit white collar crimes in their employment (+1
mark). - The working class are labelled as criminal (1 mark); they give into the label, self
fulfilling prophecy and commit crime ( + 1 mark)
Read Item A below and answer the question that follows.
Item A
Some argue that social order is maintained in society by reinforcing social solidarity.
Others argue that the ruling class maintain social order by controlling the working class.
Punishment may help to maintain social order.
Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways that punishment may help to maintain
social order. (10 marks)
AO1 = Punishment may help maintain social order in the way that it reinforces social solidarity.
AO1 = Functionalists would resonate with this view, with Durkheim arguing that punishment leads to boundary maintenance in which individuals in society come together to reprimand those who subvert society’s norms and values.
AO2 = Lucy Letby (imprisonment + the public documentation of it) - public come together in condemnation, see the consequences of her actions
AO3 = As a result, value consensus is re-enhanced as individuals become more aware of what is right and wrong and form an agreement on the topic.
AO3 = highlights how punishment helps to maintain social order as society has moved away from a retributive state to a restitutive one, according to Parsons.
AO3 = Therefore, we once aimed to rehabilitate individuals but now punishment has an instrumental role in imprisoning individuals,
AO3 - eval –> this may not always be applicable however as there are still forms of retributive punishment in society. also, boundary maintenance may not have an impact on all individuals, for instance there are conflicting views (BLM vs. Blue lives matter), this highlighting further conflict and a lack of social order/consensus over who deserves punishment.
AO1 = Punishment may also help to maintain social order by controlling the working class.
AO2 = Marxists typically argue in favour of this view, claiming that punishment is a way to keep the w/c under r/c control and enhancing a false class consciousness. This is bc by punishing the individual (i.e. through imprisonment), the wider social factors i.e. poverty + exploitation as a result of capitalism go unchecked + people remain less conscious of their exploitation.
AO2 = Gordon cites three ways that control of w/c occurs - silencing opposing views, and thus weakening potential rebellion, hiding the underclass to minimise the visual evidence of inequalities caused by capitalism, and creating a group of ‘social failures’ who may be used as scapegoats for society’s problems\
AO3 = by considering these three motivations, we can see how punishment, specifically incarceration, may be used to maintain social order and separate groups in society.
AO3 - EVAL = However, this view ignores the beneficial impact of punishment in which some criminals, as stressed by Right Realists, are genuinely dangerous to the rest of society, and so separating them is a necessary act of protection.
Read Item B below and answer the question that follows.
Item B
The increased interconnections across the globalised world have created new
opportunities for crime and also new types of crime. For example, the rise of new
technology has led to the development of cybercrime. Marxists argue that reduced
control over finance and corporations has led to increased insecurities, inequalities and
crime.
However, others have argued that globalisation has enabled more effective ways of tackling crime. For example, states may cooperate in tackling international crimes such
as green crimes and human rights abuses.
Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate the view that globalisation
has led to increased levels of crime. (30 marks)
Point 1: Cybercrime as a New Opportunity for Crime
Point: Globalisation has increased cybercrime through advances in technology.
Evidence: The WannaCry ransomware attack (2017) demonstrates global cybercrime impacts.
Explain: The internet and containerisation have facilitated new forms of digital crime globally.
Evaluation: Improved global cybersecurity efforts, like Interpol’s cybercrime units, challenge this trend.
Point 2: Organised Crime Networks and the Drugs Trade
Point: Organised crime has grown through globalised networks and markets.
Evidence: McMafia demonstrates the emergence of “glocal” crime organisations.
Explain: Globalisation facilitates trafficking and smuggling through better communication and trade routes.
Evaluation: Labelling theory argues this disproportionately targets poorer countries and marginalised groups.
Point 3: Green Crime and Environmental Harm
Point: Globalisation has contributed to environmental crimes through corporate exploitation.
Evidence: Toxic waste dumping by Western corporations in developing nations highlights green crime.
Explain: Beck’s “risk society” links globalisation to manufactured risks like environmental damage.
Evaluation: Zemiology suggests focusing on harm, and global agreements like the Paris Accord address these issues.
Point 4: Marxist View on Inequalities and Crime
Point: Globalisation has worsened inequalities, leading to crime.
Evidence: Young’s “bulimic society” shows relative deprivation drives economic and consumer crimes.
Explain: Exploitation by multinational corporations creates insecurities and zones of deprivation.
Evaluation: Postmodernists argue globalisation has also provided opportunities for some to overcome inequality.
Point 5: Global Cooperation in Tackling Crime
Point: Globalisation enables collaboration to combat international crime.
Evidence: The ICC prosecutes crimes like human trafficking and war crimes.
Explain: Global networks improve accountability and reduce states’ denial of responsibility.
Evaluation: Realists argue state self-interest limits the effectiveness of international cooperation.
Outline and explain two reasons why interpretivists prefer to use qualitative methods of research. (10 marks)
Paragraph 1
Point: Interpretivists prefer qualitative methods as they enable researchers to gain verstehen (deep understanding) of participants’ meanings.
Evidence: Weber argued that verstehen is crucial for understanding social action.
Explain: Methods like unstructured interviews allow researchers to explore participants’ subjective experiences, making their findings more insightful and empathetic.
Paragraph 2
Point: The unstructured nature of qualitative methods increases the validity of the data.
Evidence: Participant observation allows researchers to immerse themselves in participants’ daily lives, as demonstrated in Becker’s studies of deviant subcultures.
Explain: This approach helps uncover rich, detailed, and authentic accounts that structured methods might overlook.
Read Item C below and answer the question that follows.
Item C
Feminists argue that society continues to be patriarchal. Radical feminists argue that
patriarchy is the most important organising principle in society and strongly disadvantages women. Examples of this include the gender pay gap in employment as
well as the inequalities and oppression experienced in the private world of the family.
However, Marxists would argue that many feminists ignore the influence of capitalism as
an organising principle in determining inequalities and oppression in today’s society.
Applying material from Item C and your knowledge, evaluate the extent to which today’s
society can be seen as patriarchal. (20 marks)
Paragraph 1: Radical Feminist Perspective
Point: Radical feminists argue that society remains patriarchal, as gender is the primary axis of inequality.
Evidence: The gender pay gap persists, with women earning less than men on average for the same work.
Explain: This reflects systemic male dominance in economic and political institutions, perpetuating women’s oppression.
Evaluate: Marxist feminists counter that patriarchy is intertwined with capitalism, where women’s economic disadvantage benefits the capitalist system through unpaid domestic labor.
Paragraph 2: Inequalities in the Family
Point: Radical feminists highlight how the family perpetuates patriarchy through oppression and control of women.
Evidence: Oakley’s research shows women are disproportionately responsible for domestic labor and childcare, creating a “dual burden.”
Explain: This unequal division of labor reinforces traditional gender roles and limits women’s opportunities outside the home.
Evaluate: Liberal feminists argue that societal progress, such as the introduction of gender equality laws (e.g., Sex Discrimination Act), challenges patriarchal norms within families.
Paragraph 3: Intersectionality and Postmodernist Critique
Point: Postmodern and intersectional feminists argue patriarchy is not a universal experience and varies by race, class, and culture.
Evidence: Black feminists like bell hooks emphasize that minority women face additional layers of oppression beyond patriarchy.
Explain: This perspective broadens the understanding of inequality, highlighting the importance of addressing intersecting systems of oppression.
Evaluate: Radical feminists argue this dilutes the focus on patriarchy, which they see as the root cause of women’s oppression globally.
