sociological appr Flashcards
general assumptions of socio apprs?
-Crime & deviance are normal, inevitable, and even functional occurrences in all society
-Often the result of environmental, social, economic, or structural factors (opposed to the individualistic factors of biology/psychology)
-Assumes a macro-level approach to explaining crime
origins of socio appr?
-can be traced back to the chicago school
founder of sociological appr?
-Émile Durkheim
-foundational figure for sociology and criminology
↳influential within the Positivist school
-Rejects their assumption that crime was ‘abnormal’, unnatural
↳saw crime as a normal and functional component of society
↳coined the term anomie
what does anomie mean
-Anomie: The uprooting or breakdown of any moral values, standards, or guidance for individuals to follow
-May have been caused by rapid changes in our society and/or societal changes, ex. COVID-19
strain theory?
-Merton attempted to apply Durkheim’s concept of ‘anomie’ to crime
Argued about the idea of the “American dream”; breakdown between cultural goals of their society, and access to institutional needs
↳the ‘American dream’ exists but not for everyone
↳the strain may cause anomie that could lead to criminal behaviour
how do individuals experience anomie/strain
- Conformity.
- Innovation.
- Ritualism.
- Retreatism.
- Rebellion.
-The adaptations depends on whether they accept the cultural goals and institutionalized means of achieving those goals
↳some are more likely to inspire criminal behaviour than others
conformists?
-Accept the cultural goals and the institutional means of achieving those goals
↳not likely to be criminal
innovators?
-Accept the cultural goals, but do not achieve the institutional means of achieving them
↳most likely to turn to criminality
ritualists?
-Rejects the cultural goals but accepts the institutional means of achieving them
↳not likely to turn to crime
retreatism?
-Rejects the cultural goals and institutional means
↳may turn to deviance
rebellion?
-Rejects both the cultural goals and institutional means
↳ may turn to crime depending on the extremity of their beliefs
albert cohen?
-Built on Merton’s work on sprains to explain why youths (low-income,
urban, male youths specifically) were joining gangs
-Argued that such individuals faced
disproportionate barriers to success.
* Argued that the education system presented
another unique obstacle to their success.
education and strain theory?
↳middle-class values (through high school)
Punctuality, obedience, discipline, etc.
Better prepares children for the real world
‘Failure’ in school translates to ‘failure’ in other life areas
↳lower-class rejects those values, and replaces with their own
general strain theory?
- Robert Agnew (1980s) proposed some major amendments to
Merton’s original strain theory. - Meant to be a more all-encompassing and general version of
strain theory. - Original Strain Theory focused primarily on the failure
to reach positively valued goals - Economic success, ‘the American Dream’, etc.
- Simply – the more strain one experiences, the more
likely they are to turn to deviance/crime.
agnew’s 2 new sources of strain
- The presentation of noxious stimuli (bad things).
- The removal of positive stimuli (good things).
failure to reach positively-valued goals?
- Merton defined
positive goals primarily through economic terms. - Agnew extended this definition to refer to any
unmet/failed goal, economic or otherwise. - e.g. Not making a sports team, not getting accepted
to a certain school, experiencing a romantic
rejection, failing an exam/course, etc.
the presentation of negative stimuli
-Any negative force that impacts your life
-This can take the form of a person, a situation, a
relationship, a financial cost, etc.
* An abusive relationship, a loud neighbour, a flat
tire, an unplanned pregnancy, a bully at school,
an unexpected financial cost, injury, sickness, etc.
the removal of positive stimuli
Any positive force removed from your life
* The removal of such a force causes negative
emotions and strain.
* A best friend moves to a different town, fired
from a job, ‘dumped’ by romantic partner, the
death of a pet or loved one, etc.
the chicago school?
↳ ‘ecological school’
Focused on urban sociology (patterns of crime in neighbourhoods in the city)
Argued that social environments were predictors of criminal behaviour/crime rates
Social Disorganization Theory
-Growth of population in Chicago from early 19th to early 20th century
↳Primary assumption:
The residential location is a factor in how likely an individual would be involved in criminal activities
-Youths from disadvantaged neighborhoods will have
more exposure to and opportunities for engaging
with delinquency and criminality.
concentric zone model
-explains chicago’s rates of criminality
↳a city’s statistics are often predictable and patterned
Zone of transition experiences more pressure as cities grow
↳zone of transition was marked by higher rates of social disorganization (according to a study)
* Found that rates of juvenile delinquency were higher in such areas.
* And that rates went down the further out you went (into the suburbs).
* Studies conducted in different cities/countries have supported this
model.
Differential Association Theory (DAT)
-Developed by Edwin Sutherland, built on Social Disorganization
-Argued that criminal behaviour is learned through social organization and interaction
↳ same as skills, attitudes, etc.
assumptions of DAT?
Criminal values are transmitted through generations
‘Crime’ is learned both practically and as a cultural attitude
* ‘Culture conflict’ exists between conventional life and
criminal life, with the former being much stronger in some
environments.
* Higher crime rates are therefore, to be expected in socially
disorganized areas.
Life Course Theory (Sampson & Laub)
-Most crime and deviance are committed in the teens - early 20’s
↳age out of criminal behaviour
-Extension of the original social bonds theory
-Social bonds emerge around adulthood that deters from criminal behaviour
-Stakes in conformity are higher
