sociological theories

Question 1

what do marxists want

Answer 1

society to be equal

Question 2

what do the ruling class do

Answer 2

control police and CJS who target working class and explot for power

Question 3

who many controls society (marxism)

Answer 3

small amount of people

Question 4

2 strengths of marxism

Answer 4

1) identfies the inequalities in society
2) provides an explanation for all types of crime

Question 5

2 limitations for marxism

Answer 5

1) overinstates the amount of working class crime
2) people have been prosecuted for white collar crime (Jordan belford)

Question 6

what does functionalism focus on

Answer 6

focuses on holding society and how we are socialsied into having the same norms and values

Question 7

what is the value consensus

Answer 7

the shared norms and values society has on what is right and wrong

Question 8

social solidarity

Answer 8

the shared values bind people together making them feel like they belong

Question 9

subcultural groups (functionalism)

Answer 9

those that deviate will have diffrent norms and values on right and wrong meaning the amount of shared values will decrease in society and can be a threat.

Question 10

how can crime be good (functionalism)

Answer 10

allows deviatenst to test the boundary of right and wrong

Question 11

functions of crime

Answer 11

1) boundary maintenance, can unite those with shared values
2) saftey values, stops worse crime
3) warning signs, shows society what needs to be fixed

Question 12

strength of functionalism

Answer 12

first theory to say how crime is beneficial to society

Question 13

2 limitations to functionalism

Answer 13

1) says crime is benefical but doent say how much
2) there are still victims

Question 14

goals and means

Answer 14

goals: what we are socialised into believeing we need to achienve
means: the structures put in place to achieve

Question 15

how is a strain created

Answer 15

not everyone has access to achienving the goals due to not having access to the means such as working class dont have access to good eductaion

Question 16

5 types of people (strain theory)

Answer 16

1) conformists: accept goals and find legitement ways of achieveing
2) innovatives: accept goals but find illegitement ways of ahieving
3) rituralists: give up on goals
4) retreatests: give up on goals and means
5) rebels: replace goals and means with their own that benefit society

Question 17

2 strengths of strain theory

Answer 17

1) explains crime rates in the official statistics
2) shows how crime and deviance can be from the same goal

Question 18

2 limitations of strain theory

Answer 18

1) focuses on working class crime and ignores ruling class
2) ignores crime with no economic value (vandalism)

Question 19

what does being called a criminal do

Answer 19

hold a lot of power and if you are treated as such you will act like one

Question 20

how is crime and criminals created (linteractionalism, labelling theory )

Answer 20

social interactions

Question 21

2 strengths of interactionalism, labeling theory

Answer 21

1) highlights weaknesses in the offical statistics
2) shows how the media creates crime and deviance and creates moral panic

Question 22

2 limitations of interactionalism, labeling theory

Answer 22

1) ignores the victims of crime
2) doesn’t explain why crime and deviance happen in the first place

Question 23

what is right realism

Answer 23

ideology that the poor are the problem, favours punishment and that poor education and parenting are to blame, conservative

Question 24

what is inadequate socialisation

Answer 24

charles murray believes that parents arent socilaising their children right and that there is more chance for crime in young boys due to lack of male role model

Question 25

what is the rational choice theory

Answer 25

we have free choice to commit crime and its based on the consequenses. if there are better consequences to commit crime it is likely to be done

Question 26

what is left realism

Answer 26

ideology that the governemt and capatalism are to blame as they put the working class at a disadvantage

Question 27

what does Lea Young say about left realism

Answer 27

most offenders commit crime on their own class due to relative deprevation

Question 28

what is marginalisation in left realism

Answer 28

young people feel they cant change their circumstances and when they are treated negatively by police it causes confrontatiiion. this leads to deviant subcultures