SOCI LECTURE 10 NOTES

Question 1

What are the arguments for the Biological theories of deviance?

Answer 1

The biological theories of deviance attributes physical abnormalities and predisposition as the root cause of deviance

Question 2

What was Lombroso’s theory suggests?

Answer 2

Criminals are primitive beings that resemble their ape-like ancestors. They are born as deviant
- women are inferior to men
- deviant behaviour is innate
- rehabilitation is useless

Question 3

Gooring and Hooton’s theory on deviance

Answer 3

• they argued that there are physical inferiorities are indicative of certain criminal types
• Sheldon (1949) argued that criminals are more active, muscular, and aggressive than none criminals
• Three types of human physic
  
  • more muscular: criminal
  • thin
  • fleshy

Question 4

What are the genetic predispositions to deviance?

Answer 4

• extra XXY syndrome creates a double/super male with an apparent predisposition to deviance
• Psychological: certain attempts to link personalities to deviant acts

Question 5

What are the issues with bio/psych theories of deviance?

Answer 5

• Many muscular people who look like criminals do not engage in criminal activity
• not all people with an extra y chromosome are not criminals
• biological and social explanations focus on the individuals ignoring the environment and social factors
• Most importantly, bio/psych theories are positivist

Question 6

What is positivism?

Answer 6

Positivist suggests that scientific methods are needed to deal with social problems like deviance
Positivism assumes that
- deviance and crime is a signs of something wrong with individual
- scientific methods can reveal the truths about deviance
- scientific methods suggests that by assigning a treatment to the problem, the problem will disappear

Question 7

What is the structural perspective on deviance and crime?

Answer 7

The structural perspective on deviance and crime was outlined by Durkheim

• It suggests that deviance is acquired from structural forces –> morality that is introduced to us from an early age
• Social disintegration and anomie are more popular in the modern day than before
• Deviance can be functional for society: give rise to social consensus and moral belief, reminds people of the social boundaries

Question 8

Strain Theory: Merton 1938

Answer 8

• Crime is located in the structure of all society
• Merton suggests that not all people have the same access to resources. People within the lower class have more roadblocks
• Individuals who are limited by social roadblocks are more likely to commit to illegitimate ways of achieving success

Question 9

Differential Opportunity Theory criticism of Merton

Answer 9

• He was correct that not all people have the same access to resources
• He was incorrect that not all people have the same access to choosing crime (you can more likely to successful as a druglord in Columbia as a male)

Question 10

What are the three types of deviant opportunities?

Answer 10

• Criminal: opportunities that arise from a person’s access to deviant subcultures
• Conflict: opportunities that attract a person with a propensity for violence (skilled in violence)
• Retretist: a person (drug user) who seeks to withdraw from society

Question 11

Richard Quinney’s Social Power Conflict Theory

Answer 11

• Conflict arises from the conflicting interests of diverse groups
• Behaviours of the powerless are criminalized and seen as deviant
• The law is a weapon for the dominant to maintain their interest
• Poverty often pushes people to commit crimes

Question 12

Feminist Theory

Answer 12

• Patriarchial society is responsible for the discrimination and oppression of women
• Patriarchy pervades a social structure that is inherently sexist
• Thus, deviance is generally made centred as women are systematically subject to verbal, physical, and sexual abuse by men that are rarely experienced by men (for example maximum security prison)