Sociological Theories Flashcards
Name three Marxism strengths
Covers all social classes, highlights selective law enforcement, 3/200 companies successfully sued for broken safety laws
Name three Marxism weaknesses
Overstates capitalism’s power, many WCC prosecutions, deterministic
Who made labelling?
Howard Becker
Who has the power to label individuals as deviants?
Moral entrepreneurs
What is a self-fulfilling prophecy?
After being labelled they’ll live up to it
RR Causes of Crime: What are biological differences?
Less intelligence + impulse control, extrovercy and being a risk taker are reasons crime is committed
RR Causes of Crime: What is inadequate socialisation?
Charles Murray, relying on welfare leads to Lome mothers with children who lack father figures and use criminals instead
RR Causes of Crime: What is Rational choice theory?
Crims use Rationality on IF they’ll risk a crime
Right Realism Strengths:
Practical approach as it led to higher sentences in London Riots, RETTIG scenario showed students using Rational choice for committing crime, BENNET AND WRIGHT did the same with convicted crims
Right Realism Weaknesses
Ignores wider structural causes, doesn’t explain WCC, contradictory as it implies crims are and aren’t rational
LR Causes of Crime: What is relative deprivation
Crime is caused by how much someone believes they deserve, if they don’t have it they commit crime
LR Causes of Crime: What is a subculture?
A group’s solution to relative deprivation. They turn to materialistic goals, but as they’re blocked they commit crime
LR Causes of Crime: What is marginalisation?
Groups such as workers and the unemployed with no organisation who are frustrated. They express this through violent means such as rioting
Left Realism Strengths:
Brings attention to poverty, inequality and deprivation as reasons for crime. Has impacted policies, draws attention to the reality of crimes
Left Realism Weaknesses:
Fails to explain corporate crime, makes crime seem larger than it is, overpredicts amount of BCC
