Sociological Theories Flashcards
What is Functionalism
Functionalists see society as a stable social structure based on shared norms, values and beliefs about right or wrong. - value
consensus
This value consensus binds people
together and creates a social solidarity were members of society feel they belong to the same harmonious unit.
How do functionalists explain the causes of criminality
Crime is inevitable in society, because some people have been inadequately socialized and are likely to deviate from the norms and laws.
Society contains subcultural groups
who have different norms and values to the majority.
As a result the shared rules of behavior become less clear. Durkheim call this anomie – normless. It occurs when shared norms become weakened.
What are the Functionalists view on crime
Crime exists because it has a function that benefits society
however too much crime ss a threat to society and causes anomie
What are the functions of crime
-Boundary Maintenance
-Adaption and Change
-Safety Valve
- Warning Sign
What is boundary maintenance
crime produces a reaction from
society, uniting its members in condemnation of the wrongdoers,
so this reinforces their commitment to society.
What is Adaption and change
criminals are testing whether the law is in step with society, if it is not in step with society it can change.
What is the safety valve
crimes prevent worse crime and
therefore benefit society.
What is the Warning Sign
warning sign that something in society is not functioning properly, and needs a political intervention
Strength of functionalism
Durkheim was the first to recognize that crime can have positive functions for society, e.g. reinforcing boundaries between right and wrong by uniting people against the wrongdoer.
Limitations of Functionalism
- Durkheim claims society requires a certain amount of deviance to function but offers no way of knowing how much is the right amount.
- While crime might be functional for some, it is not functional for victims.
What is the Strain Theory
that pressure derived from social factors, such as lack of income or lack of quality education, drives individuals to commit crime, as they strive for a better standard of life
What are goals and means in the Strain theory
What we are socialized to
achieve
The structures we are
supposed to used to achieve the goals.
How does the Strain theory explain criminality
Not everyone has an equal chance of achieving society’s goal (the American Dream) because society is unequal
Opportunities for working class people are often blocked because of poverty and inadequate schools.
This creates a ‘strain’ between the
goals and the means.
What are the adaptations in the Strain Theory
- Conformity
- Innovation
- Ritualism
- Retreatism
- Rebellion
What is the Conformity adaptation
Accepts approved goals and pursues them through approved mean
What is the innovation adaptation
Accepts approved goals but uses
disapproved means to get them
What is the Ritualism adaption
Abandons society’s goals but will
conform to approved means
What is the Retreatism adaptation
Abandons approved goals and
approved means
What is the Rebellion adaptation
Challenges approved goals and
approved means
Strengths of the strain theory
- Merton shows how both normal and deviant behavior arise from the same goals. Conformists and innovators both pursue ‘money success’, but by different means.
- He explains the patterns shown in official statistics: most crime is property crime, because society values wealth so highly; working-class crime rates are higher, because they have less opportunity to obtain wealth legitimately.
Limitations of the Strain theory
Merton ignores crimes of the wealthy and over-predicts the amount of working-class crime.
Merton focuses on utilitarian crime, e.g. theft, ignoring crimes with no economic motive, e.g. vandalism.
What is Marxism
Marxists believe that the cause of crime is a combination of factors related to the capitalist system
What is capitalism in Marxism
In a capitalist society the means of creating wealth (resources, trade and industry) are owned and controlled by a small minority of
people classed the ruling class.
How does Marxism explain criminality
Marxists believe that capitalism is criminogenic – it causes crime at all levels of society.
- Blue Collar crime –The crimes of the powerless.
Poverty means that crime might be the only way some working class people can survive.
Capitalism is based on consumerism and may the working class want the goods produced by capitalism, the problems is they often can’t afford them without turning to crime.
The working class Lack of control over their lives and this leads to frustration and aggression
- White Collar crime
– The crimes of the powerful
The greed and self-interest of
capitalist society makes the ruling
class commit crime too. E.g. Occupational crime, Corporate
crime and State crime.
How do Marxists see law and punishment
The ruling class control the political system, the criminal justice
system and the legal system, therefore Laws are created to protect the interests of the ruling
class. Laws are not made to protect the working class.
Police patrol poorer areas, more likely to arrest poorer people
Judges give harsher sentences to the poor
The media heavily focuses on crimes committed by the poor, and ignores those committed by the rich
Strengths of Marxism
It shows how poverty and inequality can cause working-class crime, and how capitalism promotes greed and encourages upper-class crime.
It shows how both law-making and law enforcement are biased against the working class and in favor of the powerful. For example, corporate crime is rarely prosecuted.
Limitations of the Strain theory
It focuses on class and largely ignores the relationship between crime and other inequalities, such as gender and ethnicity.
It over-predicts the amount of working-class crime: not all poor people turn to crime.
What is Interactionism in the labeling theory Labeling Theory
We create society through our
day to day interactions
with other people.
These interactions are being
based on shared meanings
or labels.
What is the Labelling theory
‘Criminal’ is a label that some
people such as police officers
and judges have the power to
attach to other (such as young
males) in their interaction
with one another.
Crime and criminals are social
constructions - meaning we
create through our social
interactions.
What does interactionism believe about deviance and crime
There is no such thing as a deviant person nor a deviant act.
Acts only become seen as crimes once society has reacted and decided they are offended by the
behavior.
Likewise, you are only a criminal once you have been caught and then get treated as one.
How does the Labelling theory explain the causes of criminality
Howard Becker believes in selective law enforcement - All people commit criminal acts but only some
people are caught and subsequently prosecuted
Just because someone breaks a rule it does not necessarily follow that others will define it as
deviant.
Someone must enforce the rules, drawing attention to them.
If the person is successfully labelled as a criminal, then consequences follow.
What are Typification’s in the Labeling theory
The police and judges have (stereotypes) of the kinds of people who are ‘typical criminals’.
And they use these stereotypes when deciding a punishment
Strengths of the labeling theory
- It shifts the focus onto how the police create crime by applying labels based on their stereotypes (‘typification’s’) of the ‘typical criminal’. This selective law enforcement may explain why the working class and minority groups are over-represented in the crime statistics.
It shows how attempts to control deviance can trigger a deviance amplification spiral (e.g. in a moral panic) and create more deviance.
limitations of the Labelling theory
It fails to explain why the labels are applied to certain groups (e.g. the working class) but not to others.
Its emphasis on the negative effects of labelling gives the offenders a ‘victim’ status, ignoring the real victims.
What is Realism
Both realist approaches disagree with the Interactionist idea that crime is socially constructed.
They both agree that:
Crime is a real, and growing problem that blights communities and individuals.
Crime statistics give an accurate indication of the scale of the problem
There are realistic social policies that governments can introduce to reduce crime
What is Right Realism
The belief that the cause of crime is essentially poor people who would rather live in a welfare state and commit crimes rather than seeking gainful employment
How does Right Realism explain the causes of criminality
There is a moral breakdown in society, parents are not socializing their children effectively and are not living in nuclear families
There is a growing underclass of non-workers who are dependent on benefits and the state
There is more opportunity for criminal behavior and because
young boys lack a male role model they are turning delinquent
Communities are breaking down and deteriorating, which allows
crime to happen (broken windows)
What is the Rational Choice theory in Right Realism
People have free will and the
decision to commit crime is a
rational choice based on the likely
consequences.
If the rewards are greater than the
costs then the individual will
continue to behave in a criminal
way. If benefits of crime appear
outweigh the risks, people are more
likely to offend.
What is the Routine Activity Theory in Right Realism
Routine activity theory
For a crime to occur you need:
A motivated offender
A suitable target (victim
/property)
The absence of a ‘capable
guardian’ to deter them – e.g
.police officer or neighbor
Strengths of Right Realism
- Several studies support RCT. Rettig gave students a scenario of an opportunity to commit a crime. He found that the degree of punishment determined whether they chose to commit the crime.
- Bennett and Wright interviewed convicted burglars. The burglars considered the potential reward, difficulty of breaking in and risk of being caught. Risk was the most important factor influencing their decision to commit the crime.
Limitations of Right Realism
- Rettig and Feldman’s studies were experiments; the results may not apply to real offenders.
Not all crimes are the result of rational decisions. Violent crimes are often impulsive. Offenders under the influence of drugs or alcohol may also be unlikely to calculate the risks and rewards before offending.
What is the Left Realism Theory and how does it explain the causes of crime
Believes that most of the offenders come from the same social background as their victims. (Poor on poor).
Working class people commit crime due to relative deprivation. This is where people see themselves as being deprived in comparison to others in the same social or ethnic group.
- Individualism, where the individual focuses on themselves in the pursuit of selfish interests
This can lead to a lower working class ‘bulimic society’ where they feel excluded by the rest of the
population; they see the material goods consumed by others but are unable to consume them themselves i.e. they are starving
What is Marginalisation in Left Realism
Young people often feel marginalised (they feel they have
little or no power to change their situation) and are excluded from opportunities
- Negative treatment by the police may increase the
problem and lead to confrontation with authority.
What is Subculture in Left Realism
Some people who may experience marginalisation may form deviant subcultures. These subcultures react to the perception that society does not value them, by becoming involved in street crimes such as drug dealing, territorial gang violence and anti-social behavior.
Strengths of Left Realism
Left realism draws attention to the importance of poverty, inequality and relative deprivation as the underlying structural causes of crime.
It draws attention to the reality of street crime and its effects, especially on victims from deprived groups.
Limitation of Left Realism
It over-predicts the amount of working-class crime; not everyone who experiences relative deprivation and marginalisation turns to crime.
Its focus on high-crime inner-city areas gives an unrepresentative view and makes crime appear a greater problem than it is.
