Sociological Theories Flashcards

Question

How do Marxists see law and punishment

Answer 1

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

Answer 2

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.

Answer 3

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.

Answer 4

We create society through our day to day interactions with other people. These interactions are being based on shared meanings or labels.

Answer 5

‘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.

Answer 6

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.

Answer 7

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.

Answer 8

The police and judges have (stereotypes) of the kinds of people who are ‘typical criminals’. And they use these stereotypes when deciding a punishment

Answer 9

- 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.

Answer 10

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.

Answer 11

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

Answer 12

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

Answer 13

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)

Answer 14

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.

Answer 15

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

Answer 16

- 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.

Answer 17

- 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.

Answer 18

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

Answer 19

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.

Answer 20

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.

Answer 21

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.

Answer 22

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.