Social class and crime Flashcards
Define White collar crime and Corporate crime?
WCC- middle class, fraud.
Corporate crime- committed by organisations.
Interactionist Cicourel’s 2 stage process of why most delinquents come from working-class backgrounds.
- Police stop and search- decision based on what’s ‘unusual’.
- Youth go to juvie. Officers have stereotype of ‘typical delinquent’ in mind (slang, appearance).
Why are middle-class delinquents that have been arrested less likely to be charged, according to interactionists?
don’t fit stereotype of ‘typical delinquent’. Parents present them as reasonable, remorseful.
According to Merton (strain theory), why is crime higher amongst the working-class?
fewer opportunities to achieve material success through legitimate means, thus adopt innovative cultural responses to achieve material success through criminal means (drug).
Define status frustration.
sense of personal failure and inadequacy.
What does Cohen say status frustration is achieved because of and how it is frustration resolved?
Working class boys strive to emulate middle-class values, lack means to achieve success- led to status frustration.
Resolved by rejecting socially acceptable values/ behaviour (gangs).
According to Marxists, how does capitalism encourage a criminogenic society?
1) Encourages individuals to pursue self-interest before everything else.
2) Encourages individuals to be materialistic, aspire to unrealistic lifestyle.
3) Capitalism generates inequality/ poverty, correlated with higher crime rates.
How does Marxist, Gordon, say that supports capitalism encouraging self-interest?
Capitalists societies ‘dog eat dog societies’
What do Marxists say evidence of inequalities between classes does to those in the bottom classes? What does Chambliss say that supports this?
Frustration that they aren’t part of the wealth being flaunted in front of them.
Chambliss- economic crime ‘’represents rational responses to competitiveness/ inequality of life in capitalist societies”.
E.g., Drug dealers see themselves as innovative entrepreneurs. Internalised desire to be successful breaking law minor risk.
Why do Right Realists disagree with Marxists about who is responsible for crime in society?
underclass responsible for disproportionate crime in society.
Murray- changes to family structure responsible for increase in crime rate 1970s/ 80s
Underclass kids fail to learn difference between right and wrong.
Why does the underclass contribute to crime, according to Murray? Critique this.
Murray- lone mothers ineffective agents of socialisation.
Young boys without male role models turn to delinquent subcultures, thus crime.
Means of providing for family, lack of opportunities.
Do Left Realists believe relative deprivation causes crime? Give an example.
Lea and Young- crime roots in deprivation, not directly responsible for crime
E.G., living standards risen since 1950s, lvl deprivation fallen, crime rate higher today than 1950s.
What’s Runciman’s concept of relative deprivation to explain crime
how someone feels in relation to others/ compared own expectations.
Explains increasing crime in context of increasing wealthy society.
PP better off today, greater feeling of relative deprivation because of media, raised expectations for material possessions.
