Perspectives on Crime

Question 1

Functionalism

Answer 1

Crime is inevitable as not everyone will buy into the collective settlements of society.
Certain amounts of crime is normal, and functional as social change, social cohesion and social boundaries are promoted. Too much crime is dangerous in society= anomie. A period of normlessness is dysfunctional. Crime is socially constructed, not biological but natural.

Question 2

Marxism

Answer 2

Laws are created by the state, representing the interests of the ruling class. Any laws appearing to protect the working class are only done to appease the working class so they do not figure out the injustice within the criminal system. Committed through out social structure but those committed by higher classes often go unpunished. White collar crime, as well as being ignored causes more problems than those committed by the working class.

Question 3

Neo-Marxism

Answer 3

Agree with Marxists that capitalism is significant in the causes of crime: capitalism is to blame as it causes inequality and if we are to eradicate crime we must first move society away from capitalism. But believe labelling has some truth and the ruling class label the working classes to sustain their control over the working class. Thus your social background can result in deviant activity but only due to labelling from the ruling class.

Question 4

Feminism

Answer 4

Different explanations as to why crime statistics tell us that men commit more crimes than women. Sociologists say that ignorance of female crime is because society is patriarchal and focused on men, ignoring the women. Issues debated by other sociologists are unimportant and the biggest issue is that women are ignored. Gender bias in the criminal justice system eg the Chilvary thesis and women are less likely to get longer sentences.

Question 5

Left Realism

Answer 5

Need to be tough on crime, especially crimes committed by the working classes against the working classes. Crime is connected to deprivation. Relative deprivation is where groups feel deprived compared to other groups. Crime should be dealt with through tackling levels of relative deprivation= welfare, jobs creation, infrastructure improvements.

Question 6

Right Realism

Answer 6

Our behaviour is determined by the choices we make and our own free will. E.g inadequate socialisation. The individual is to blame not
Society.

Question 7

Interactionalists

Answer 7

Disagree with functionalist sin that society has a consensus about what crime is and the idea that crime is caused by “external forces”. Everyone commits crime and deviance, it is more important to look at how society reacts to this behaviour. Importance of labelling and societal fraction. Highlights fact that we have a typical criminal but fails to say why certain people are labelled as criminal.