Sociolgy Flashcards
Social inequality and crime
Carlen (1988) focuses on gender, social class and crime from a
feminist perspective.
she argues that working-class women are expected to make the
class deal and the gender deal.
When rewards not available or turn out not worth
it, the class and gender deals break down. crime
becomes a possibility.
women in Carlen’s study identified four major factors linked
to their law breaking:
poverty
living in residential care
drug addiction
the search for excitement.
poverty and being in care led them to reject the class and gender
deals.
Most of the women lacked legitimate ways of earning a decent
living. They had little experience of the rewards of the class deal,
such as consumer goods. Crime was a way of trying to solve the
problems of poverty.
Having lived in residential care, many of the women had not
experienced the rewards of the gender deal such as fulfilment
from family life. They had nothing to lose by committing crime
Heidensohn on Female Conformity
Women have a lower rate of officially recorded crime than men
and commit fewer serious crimes. Heidensohn (1985) uses control
theory to explain this from a feminist perspective
Emphasis social bonds between people (families and friends) can prevent turning to crime and act as an agency of social control.
patriarchal society has separate spheres for men and women.
Public life is men’s sphere and home is woman’s place.
When studying female criminality, Heidensohn examines female
conformity and the control of women.
Patriarchal society controls women more effectively than men so it’s harder for them to break the law. Women are controlled at home, in public and at work.
Women’s opportunities to commit crime limited by housewife
role. time taken with housework and monitoring others
(children) in home. women’s role as
mothers constrain behaviour.
behaviour in public is controlled by fear of male
violence. preventing going out after dark.
In workplace men have power over women,
managers or supervisors. Sexual harassment is a form of male
control and limits women’s freedom in the workplace.
Deviance
Doesn’t conform to norms/values of society
Eavesdropping
Both legal and illegal activity
Crime
Illegal actions that break the law
Some illegal across not considered deviant
Identity theft and acts related to terrorism
Independent sector
Fee passing schools private and public schools 7% go to then
Advantages
Lowers teacher- student ratio than state so more individual attention during lessons
Better recorded and facilities
Above National average exam results
High patent input in fees, support and expectations
State schools
Not based on ability to pay fee
More socially mixed
Route of upwards social mobility for low income family students
Not far travel to attend
Tripartite system
Free state education based on individual ability
Based on 11 plus exams
Secondary modern
Secondary technical
Grammar
according to aptitude and needs
Admissions may be based on entrance exams
Comprehensive system
Advantage
Cater for all students ability no entrance exams or labelling of failures
Breaks down social barriers due to mixed social classes in one school
Problems
Limits parental choice( attends closest school regardless of reputation)
Mixed ability groups hold back academic students
Academic working class children will do better at grammar schools
Home schooling
Taught at home with turners or parents
Concerns on standards and impact of child social development
Illich argues school represses children and promotes passive conformity
Supports deschooling and argues educating in current form would be abolished
Should decide what and how they learn
Marketisation and effects on school
Publication of league tables mean schools event to arena motivated parents and able children-well in exams
Middle-class parents know how to deal with secondary school choices. Working-class parents are more likely to send children to local schools.
Material resources bring advantages in the market place. For example,
parents with their own transport have a wider choice of schools.
Having the right sort of cultural capital helps parents to play
the market. It brings knowledge of the education system and
confidence in how to work it.
Ballet al. arque that marketisation and educational reform
reinforce the advantages of middle-class parents and make
education less equal. Schools are now more concerned with
attracting gifted and advantaged students than with helping
disadvantaged ones.
Willis on subcultures in schools
Carried our study of 12 working class boys
Counterschool culture involved resisting , teaches and authority
Focused on dossing and having a laff
Saw boys that confirmed as cissies
Values stressed masculinity and toughness being able to handle oneself
Rejected mental worth of learning- unmanly
Manual work as real work
Counter school chiller prepares for working class Jim’s
Class structure replaced over time
Criticism of Willis
Feminists argues girls experience ignored
Not exploring conforming boys experience or view on lads
Small sample size
May not be relevant to today less manual jobs for school leavers
Functionalist see education linked to role allocation and meritocracy
Girls improvement
Feminism changed attitudes to gender roles girls see educational success as a route to employment and financial independence
Sex discrimination act equality act made gender discrimination in education illegal
Girls rounded access to same subjects as boys because of National curriculum
Sexism in schools
Some feminists argue that education system is still patriarchal
Girls still experience sexism in schools
Men more likely than women to become secondary school heads
Boys underachievement
Underperforming compared to females
Feminism of primary schooling- most primary teachers female not enough male to act role models to act laddish behaviour to boys
Schools to girl friendly or biased to females boys forced to learn in ways that don’t suit them
Crisis of masculinity- masculine identity under threat not clear cut role in society impact self esteem
Males have pressure to conform to street culture that don’t value education
Anti learning stifled pressure of hard work being uncool
Middle class boys don’t see education as uncool achieve status with academic skills
Teachers lower expectation of male students -see as having motivation
Labelling leads to self fulfilling prophecy
