Sociological theories Flashcards
1
Q
what do right realists think
A
thinks crime needs tougher policing and to crack down on individuals
2
Q
what are the 4 causes of crime according to right realism
A
broken window theory
rational choice theory
underclass theory
biosocial differences
3
Q
who created broken window theory
A
wilson and kelling
4
Q
what is the broken window theory and how can it reduce crime
A
if useless incivilities are kept minimal eg graffitti, then wider antisocial behaviour and crimes will follow
5
Q
who created rational choice theory
A
clarke
6
Q
what is rational choice theory
A
free will and decision to commit crimes is a choice- if rewards outweigh risks, may cause crime as perceived costs are low
7
Q
who created underclass theory
A
Murray
8
Q
what is underclass theory
A
growing underclass of those detached from society as communities are breaking down- underclass prone to criminality, violence, fail education etc
9
Q
what does the underclass theory blame
A
inadequate socialisation and not raised properly
10
Q
who created biosocial differences theory
A
wilson and herrnstein
11
Q
what is biosocial differences theory
A
biological factors predispose to commit crimes and sociological factors enhance- eg low intelligence due to both
12
Q
what are the two solutions according to right realism
A
zero tolerance policing
target hardening
13
Q
what is zero tolerance policing
A
punish harshly and advocate use of prison
14
Q
when was an example of zero tolerance policing
A
New York 1990s
15
Q
how much did crime rate drop in new york 1990s from zero tolerance policing
A
39%
16
Q
what is target hardening
A
making it difficult for crime to happen eg CCTV
17
Q
what do left realists think
A
they look at what causes an individual to commit crime
18
Q
what are the 3 causes of crime according to left realists
A
relative deprivation
marginalisation
subcultures
19
Q
what is relative deprivation
A
deviance occurs when people feel deprived of their ‘fair share’ in comparison to others
20
Q
what is marginalisation
A
people who lack power pushed to edge of society- crime as there’s less oportunity
21
Q
what are subcultures
A
peer pressure within relative deprivation and marginalisation encourage deviance - recognises antisocial behaviour often collective
22
Q
who identified the three causes of crime in left realism
A
lee and young
23
Q
what are the solutions to crime according to left realism
A
community approach to policing and increase diversity= fairer, equal society
grassroots initiatives build community
24
Q
what is the issue to left realism solutions
A
90% crime cleared up by police due to info from public yet public confidence in police declined
25
what did durkheims functionalism say
crime is inevitable even in a society of saints- little crime is good, too much is anomie
26
what are the 5 positive functions of crime in functionalism
social integration
social regulation
social change
safety valve
warning light
27
what is social integration
brings people together- social solidarity
28
what is social regulation
outlines and reinforced expected behaviour
29
what is social change
social and legal change eg black rights- brings equality
30
what is a safety valve
if allow a little crime, stops large scale crime
31
what is a warning light
tells when society is not working
32
what are the 3 values of functionalism
social solidarity
value consensus
socialisation
33
what is social solidarity
all members of society socialised into shared norms and values
34
what is value consensus
extent individuals within society share the same values
35
what is socialisation
where individuals learn norms and values
36
what is an example for functionalism
2011 london riots
37
how many offences were there in the london riots
3296
38
why is the london riots an example of functionalism
happened because values break down and issues in social solidarity
39
what does hershi's bonds of attachment theory think
crime most common in those detached from society eg homeless, unemployed
40
what are the 4 types of attachment from Hershi
commitment
involvement
attachment
belief
41
what is there a correlation between for hershis bonds of attachment
crime and -absent parents
-unemployment benefits
-truancy
42
who found a correlation between crime and absent parents
Cambridge study by Farrington and West
43
how much more likely are people on employment benefits to have a criminal record
2x more likely
44
offenders are how much more likely to be excluded
5x more likely to be excluded
45
what does Merton's strain theory suggest
society encourages material success but strain between cultural value system and social structure- fails to provide opportunities to achieve goals
46
what are the 5 responses to strain
conformity
ritualism
innovation
retreatism
rebellion
47
which of the responses to strain are deviant
innovation-most criminal
retreatism
rebellion
48
what is conformity
accept goals and continue to strive
49
what is ritualism
accept won't achieve goals but keeps working
50
what is innovation
strive for goals but find different ways to achieve
51
what is retreatism
reject goals and institution eg homeless and drug addicts
52
what is rebellion
new goals and new ways to achieve
53
why does merton think people become criminal
if deemed a failure for not achieving goals, may turn to crime to achieve them
54
what is a real example for strain theory
2011 London riots
55
why is the london riots an example for strain theory
society didn't support them so responded with deviance- innovation
56
what does marxism say about crime
inequalities in capitalism generate crime and it is used by bourgeoisie as social control
57
what is the bourgeoisie
ruling class, control power and wealth
58
what is the proletarait
no wealth or power, working class
59
what is a capitalist society
based on money and private ownership of property- all institutions set up for bourgeoisie eg police
60
what did marxism say about capitalism causing crime- what happens but shouldnt
-capitalism is criminogenic
-law made by capitalist elite and works in their interests
- all classes commit crime
-selective law enforcement
61
what does criminogenic mean
encourages crime and greed
62
what sort of laws work in bourgeoisie interest
tax laws, media control, blaming immigrants
63
what does marxism say about all classes committing crime
bourgeoisie often worse crimes but its brushed away eg white collar crime
64
real examples of bourgeoisie crime
Bernie Madoff fraud $65 billion
Bhopal toxic gas explosion-blinded people and killed 1000s in sleep
65
what is selective law enforcement
focus on marginalised not wealthy- makes look like crime is working class fault
66
how much statistics be government are false and misleading- support marxism
42%
67
what is beckers labelling theory
once act labelled as deviant, label becomes 'master status' part of identity so commit more crime- self fulfilling prophecy
68
what is primary deviance according to lemert
act of deviance not socially labelled as deviant
69
what is secondary deviance according to lemert
an act labelled as deviant- causes labelling theory
70
what does cohen say about media
media reaction sensationalised criminality and enhances it
71
how does labelling link to moral panics
media demonise people socially labelled as deviant creating moral panic
72
how do moral panics cause deviance amplification
moral panic marginalises and alienates them further causing deviance amplification
73
what is a deviance amplification
amplifies a situation and more difficult to change opinion so people live up to it
74
example of moral panic
mods and rockers
75
how many arrests in mods and rockers moral panic
headline 97 arrests but only 24 really
76
1st strength of funstionalism
first to suggest some level of crime was normal and useful
77
2nd strength of functionalism
made link between healthy society and crime
78
3rd strength of functionalism
enable further consensus theories to develop eg strain and bonds of attachment
79
1st weakness of functionalism
not all crimes have positive outcomes eg murder and rape
80
2nd weakness of functionalism
crime still occurs with good socialisation
81
3rd weakness of functionalism
deterministic as lacks a full solution to make socialisation better
82
1st strength of strain theory
explains financial crime- want to be super rich
83
2nd strength of strain thwory
explains how normal and deviant individuals arise even when sharing same goals- conformity and innovation
84
1st weakness of strain theory
doesn't explain violent crime- only really explains utilitarian crime
85
2nd weakness o strain theory
doesn't explain who will commit crime as not all people who lack legitimate opportunities turn to crime
86
1st strength of bonds of attachment
cambridge study by farrington and west found correlation between absent parents and crime
87
2nd strength of bonds of attachment
people on unemployment benefits 2x more likely to have criminal record
88
3rd strength of bond of attachment
offenders 5x more likely to be excluded- correlation with truancy
89
weakness of bonds of attachment
doesn't explain issue of why some members of society have secure binds of attachment and others are marginalised
90
1st strength of interactionalism
highlights weaknesses in official statistics which allow bias in law enforcement
91
2nd strength of interactionalism
highlights differences in deviance between people and shows rules can be applied in a discriminatory way- consequence of labelling
92
final strength of interactionalism
highlights tole of media in defining and creating deviance and for producing moral panics
93
1st weakness of interactionalism
fails to explain why deviant behaviour happens in the first place. there is no acceptance that some may choose deviance
94
2nd weakness of interactionalism
focus on negative effects of labelling and can ignore the victims, focusing on the offender
95
final weakness of interactionalism
criminals don't need a label to know they are doing wrong. and labelling doesnt always leads to self fulfilling prophecy
96
1st strength of marxism
theory demonstrates how the law reflects differences in power between social classes and how inequality can lead to criminality.
97
2nd strength of marxism
provides an explanation for crime that covers all social classes and a variety of offenses
98
final strength of marxism
highlights the impact of selective law enforcement and how white collar crime is under policed
99
1st weakness of marxism
overstates the amount of crime in working class communities- not all working class commit crime
100
2nd weakness of marxism
not all capitalist societies have high crime rates eg japan and switzerland
101
3rd weakness of marxism
there are many prosecutions of white collar crime and corporate crime eg bernie madoff and wolf of wall street
102
final weakness of marxism
ignores other non-class inequalities such as gender or ethnicity
103
1st strength of left realism
it recognises multiple causes of crime
104
2nd strength of left realism
appreciates that crime is a real problem and aims to find the causes of the problem
105
final strength of left realism
explores the role of the victim of crime, especially the poor or vulnerable, in much more depth than any other criminological theory
106
1st weakness of left realism
doesn't explain why not everyone in relative deprivation turns to crime- overly deterministic
107
2nd weakness of left realism
focuses on crime taking place in inner cities which gives unrepresentative view of criminality
108
final weakness of left realism
fails to explain crimes such as white collar crime or corporate crime
109
1st strength of right realism
works as crime rate dropped 39% in New York 2011
110
2nd strength of right realism
has helped to produce and shape governments research into crime- eg has stimulated range of victim surveys and practical measures to combat crime
111
who supports right realism
Flood-Page et al
112
what was the research by flood-page et al to support right realism
supports view of decline of family. they found children, particularly males from lone parent backgrounds and step families were more likely to offend than those who lived with two natural parents
113
1st weakness of right realism
doesn't reduce crime, just moves it- crime displacement
114
2nd weakness of right realism
too readily accepts crime statistics - eg fails to explain white collar crime
115
who is against right realism
Levitt and Dunber
116
what did levitt and dunber argue about right realism
argue there are other accounts for crime rates dropping
117
final weakness of right realism
ignores wider structural causes of crime eg poverty
