Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Sociology Crime and Deviance > sociological theories of crime > Flashcards

sociological theories of crime Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

what is a crime?

A

= the breach of rules/laws, in which the government authorities can prescribe a punishment.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

what did the Functionalist, DURKHEIM, say about crime?

A

-crime is functional
-all societies need a certain amount of crime, in order for society to be friendly.
-we need just the right amount of crime

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

what are the 4 positive functions of crime according to functionalists?

A

1- BOUNDARY MAINTENANCE
2- ADAPTION AND CHANGE
3- SAFETY VALVE
4- WARNING DEVICE

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

what is boundary maintetance? -Durkheim

A

crime maintains boundaries by demonstrating difference between right and wrong
this strengthens social solidarity/value consensus, creating togetherness after a crime.
AO3- it unites society together

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

what is adaption and change? -Durkheim

A

crimes can lead to adaptations and changes to laws and policies.
A03- without this society would stagnate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

what is safety valve? -Davis

A

minor crime is a safe outlet for tension and frustration
-the man can release his frustrations in a safe way, eg- prostitution

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

what is warning device? -Cohen

A

crime can act as a warning sign that institutions are failing to do their jobs properly.
A03- this will signal to policy makers that new policies need to be made appropriately

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

what did Marxist, GORDON, say about crime?

A

CRIMINOGENIC CAPITALISM
-capitalism causes crime, crime is built into the ‘genes’ of capitalism
-getting rid of capitalism will get rid of crime

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

what are the 5 Marxist points of crime?

A

-poor commit crime to gain material goods, response to poverty/desperation, due to false needs/anger or frustration due to exploitation.
-crime encourages greed, leads to middle/upper class crime and a ‘Dogs eat dog’ world, middle class think they won’t be caught (invisibility to crime)
-STATE AND LAW MAKING
-SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT
-IDEOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS AND THE LAW

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what is the Marxist view on the state and law making?

A

-laws only serve interest to capitalist class.
-bourgeoisie create laws to protect interests

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

what did REIMAN say about state and law making?

A

‘the rich get richer, the poor get prison.’

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

what is the Marxist view on selective enforcement?

A

-powerless groups in society are over-criminalised
-police/courts ignore crimes of the powerful

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

what is the Marxist view on ideological functions of crime and the law?

A

-laws, policies and punishments control the way we think, the CJS brainwash us
-laws are a ‘smokescreen’.
-laws passed benefit working class, however they are and illusion.
-laws benefit capitalism, by keeping a fit and healthy work force.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

what is the Feminist belief on crime?

A

women are treated harshly by the criminal justice system, so it is clearly a PATRIARCHAL SYSTEM.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

what are the 4 feminist theories on crime?

A

1- SECONDARY VICTIMISATION
2- MAD AND BAD THEORY
3-DOUBLY DEVIANT
4- LADETTES

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

what do Feminists say about secondary victimisation?

A

-women are blamed by courts/media for being a target of crime, victim blaming.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

what do Feminists say about mad and bad theory?

A

-when committing a crime, women are portrayed as ‘mad’ or ‘bad’
-mad= crazy, neurotic, hormonal
-bad= evil, monsters, manipulators

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

what do Feminists say about doubly deviant?

A

-women who commit crimes are seen as deviant for committing crimes
-they are further seen as doubly deviant for going against their gender expectations, such as feminine, caregiver, etc

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

what do Feminists say about ladettes?

A

-there has been a rise in female crime, as they take on laddish behaviours, eg fighting, anti-social behaviour.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

what did labelling theorist, BECKER, say about crime and deviance?

A

-deviance is in the ‘eye of the beholder.’
-this means that it is subjective, in which we attach judgement/stereotypes to certain groups, labelling them as more/less criminal.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

what are the 4 point of the labelling theory view of crime?

A

1-TYPICAL CRIMINAL
2- MORAL ENTREPRENEURS
3- SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY
4- NEGOTIATION OF JUSTICE

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

how would the labelling theory describe a typical criminal?

A

-some groups fit the common typification of the typical criminal
-therefore, they are perceived more as a criminal than other groups by the criminal justice system, media and victims.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

how would the labelling theory describe moral entrepreneurs?

A

-the people in society with power, attach labels and enforce them
-the people/institutions who lead to a moral crusade of to change the law
-this increases stop and searches, arrests and convictions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

how would the labelling theory describe self-fulfilling prophecy?

A

-once labelled and treated like a criminal, some will internalise and become the label
-this then becomes their ‘master status’, which further controls their identity.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

how would the labelling theory describe negotiation of justice?

A

-some people (eg- middle classes), have the power/ability to avoid labels being successfully attached, and so they avoid the consequences, as they do not fit the idea of a typical criminal
-law is not successfully enforced.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

what quote did functionalist DURKHEIM say?

A

‘crime is a normal, integral, inevitable part of all healthy societies.’

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

what is the functionalist cause of crime?

A

anomie, when people start to pursue their own selfish needs.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

what did POLSKY say about safety valve?

A

-pornography safely channels a variety of sexual desires without threatening the monogamous nuclear family

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

what are the overall strengths of the functionalism and crime perspective?

A

it is the only theory that identifies the positives of crime in society

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

what are the overall weaknesses of the functionalism and crime perspective?

A

-contradiction
-gender blind
-positive nature is exaggerated
-do not see crime as a real problem
-crime doesn’t maintain a value consensus but instead capitalism.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

what is the AO3 of adaption and change?

A

society would stagnate without this.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

what is the impact of boundary maintenance?

A

it unites society together

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

what is the evaluation of boundary maintenance?

A

we don’t always have solidarity, it can cause fear and isolation, pushing people away.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

what is the evaluation of safety valve?

A

functional for men, Feminists would say that this ignores the women involved

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

what is the impact of warning device?

A

it will signal policy makers to make appropriate changes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

why are the marxist theories of crimes useful?

A

-acknowledges that official statistics crime as a WC problem
-offers an explanation to why borh WC/MC cmmt crime?

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

what do marxists say are the causes of crime?

A

-structure of capitalist society

38
Q

who said ‘crime is a rational response to living in a capitalist society?

A

Gordon (marxism)

39
Q

what are the 3 reasons why WC commit crime?

A

-response to poverty (for survival)
-alienation (frustration at system) causing violent crimes
-relative deprivation/false needs

40
Q

what are the reasons why MC commit crime?

A

-to maintain wealth/power
-competition with other companies
-they know they can get away with it

41
Q

what is the analysis of criminogenic crime?

A

‘rid capitalism, rid deviance’ meaning that communism should be the solution

42
Q

what is the evaluation of criminogenic capitalism

A

-the solution is unrealistic
-deterministic, only see capitalism as the problem
-those in high power will not make changes

43
Q

what did SNIDER say about state and law making?

A

the RC have power to prevent certain laws from being introduced that would would otherwise threaten their interests

44
Q

what is the law used as according to state and law making?

A

a tool to prop up capitalism

45
Q

in the uk, how many people are homeless and how many empty houses are there, and what does this show?

A

100,000 people and 300,000 home
this shows that the rights of property is put first before the rights of the needy

46
Q

what did Chambliss say about the capitalist system as part of the state and law making?

A

at the heart of the capitalist system, is the protection of private property and other RC interests

47
Q

is Chambliss theory being 800 years a problem?

A

no, as it still exists

48
Q

what is the evaluation of state and law making?

A

there are occasional laws against ruling classes

49
Q

what is the evaluation of the evaluation of state and law making?

A

the alternative laws are a manipulative function making us think there is equality.
LAWS ARE SMOKESCREEN

50
Q

what is a key quote to do with selective enforcement?

A

‘we focus on crimes of the streets and ignore crimes of the suites.’

51
Q

who said ‘cooperative crime is far more harmful than the street crime but less regulated’ as part of selective enforcement?

A

Snider

52
Q

what is a piece of evidence to do with selective enforcement?

A

in 2019, 47000 knife crime offended in UK were media/police focused, but 69,000 people were seriously injured in work.

53
Q

what evidence did Carson find of selective enforcement?

A

200 companies, all broke health and safety laws but only 3 were prosecuted

54
Q

what is the analysis of selective enforcement?

A

‘rich get richer, the poor get prison’
36% of 2100 inmates were unemployed on sentencing

55
Q

what is the evaluation of selective enforcement?

A

dark figure of crime
ICEBERG- a lot of MC crime goes underreported
surveys lack validity so are not accurate

56
Q

what did Pearce say in terms of ideological functions?

A

these create a ‘caring face’ of capitalism

57
Q

what is the impact of ideological function?

A

they uphold capitalism and falze class consciousness as people won’t question the system, as they will trust the laws, no uprising will occur

58
Q

what is the evaluation of ideological functions?

A

alternative= neo marxism, they believe crime is a conscious choice, so people are in a full class consciousness as they are deliberately acting in a bid to challenge the system.

59
Q

what is the evaluation of neo-marxism as part of ideological function?

A

they ignore MC crime but most crime is intra-class (poor steal from poor not rich)

60
Q

what are the strengths of marxism and crime?

A

-mentions both WC and MC
-utilitarian and non-utilitarian crime
-acknowledges that capitalism causes crime
-highlights the major flaws in OCS

61
Q

what are the weaknesses of marxism and crime?

A

-too deterministic
-ignores other inequalities
-what about victims, as we’re all victims to capitalism
-not all capitalist societies have high crime rates (Japan/Switz have 1/5 of crime compared to USA
-doesn’t blame criminal
-unrealistic solution

62
Q

why are labelling theorists different to to other theories?

A

they care about the interactions between deviants and who labels them, which explains the dark figure of crime

63
Q

what do interactionalists see crime as a product of?

A

micro-level interactions between the individual and the police

64
Q

according to labelling theorists, what is crime?

A

‘crime is socially constructed’

65
Q

what did Howard Becker say about crime?

A

‘deviance is in the eye of the beholder’

66
Q

what did Becker say happens when someone is labelled?

A

most people commit deviant acts but only some get labelled
-someone comes along and ‘slaps’ a label on them
-when people break rules they are labelled as ‘outsiders’

67
Q

what is evidence that supports Beckers idea that everyone is deviant?

A

survey- average British person breaks the law 17x a year

68
Q

what are the 4 moral entrepreneurs who attach labels?

A

-the law
-the government
-the police/CJS
-the media

69
Q

what are the 2 effects of moral entrepreneurs

A

1- creates a new group of outsiders
2- creates/expands a social control agency to force the rule and impose labels on an offender

70
Q

what did Platt say surrounding the moral entrepreneurs?

A

Victorian ME created juveniles who are seen as separate and have their own court

71
Q

with the typical criminal, what are the 3 things that affects whether a person is arrested, charged or convicted?

A

1- interactions with agencies
2- appearance, background and personal biography
3- the situation and circumstance

72
Q

who said that police decisions are based on physical appearance, gender, class, ethnicity, time and place?

A

Polishing and Briar (1964)

73
Q

who came up with common typification?

A

Cicourel

74
Q

what did Cicourel say about negotiation of justice?

A

‘justice is not fixed but negotiable’

75
Q

explain negotiation of justice further, including agents of social control?

A

-these agents reinforce the class bias
-they hold theory that juvenile crime is caused by broken homes, poverty and lax parenting
-they then see these youths as likely to offend and so are less likely to support non-custodial sentences

76
Q

as a part of negotiation of justice, what is said about MC youth?

A

MC youth is ‘counselled, warned and released’ rather than prosecuted

77
Q

what is the one strength of labelling?

A

it allows us to understand the dark figure of crime, as statistics don’t accurately measure the amount of crime and who commits it, as instead they claim count the decisions made but police?

78
Q

what are the consequences of labelling?

A

-internal master status and self-fulfilling prophecy
-can reduce opportunities
-stigmatisation.
-exclusion from society
-bad mental health/self-esteem
-high CR labels entire area

79
Q

who does labelling effect more?

A

the working class

80
Q

what is primary deviance according to Lement?

A

when the criminal act is not publically labelled
therefore, we should not focus on the cause of this as it is widespread and uncaught

81
Q

what is secondary deviance according to Lement?

A

when criminal acts are publically labelled and so it receives a societal reaction
-leads to stigmas, shame, humiliation, shunning and exclusion
-this further leads to a ‘master status’ and more deviance.

82
Q

what are deviant careers according to labelling theorists?

A

-caused by successful labelling
-because they have a criminal record, they have blocked opportunities and are forced into deviant careers
-in these careers, they gain status and respect from their subculture

83
Q

what are some examples of deviant careers?

A

-organised crime
-drug dealing

84
Q

what is an example of deviant careers according to Jack Young?

A

hippies in notting hill
-drug taking

85
Q

what is deviance amplification spiral?

A

when an attempt to control deviance through policing and controlling behaviour can cause more deviance

86
Q

who came up with the idea of deviance amplification spiral?

A

Stanley Cohen

87
Q

what is the evidence for deviance amplification spiral?

A

nearly half of all people released from prison reoffend within two year

88
Q

what is disintegrative shaming?

A

crime/criminal are both labelled and bad and so they are excluded from society

89
Q

what is the solution of disintegrative shaming and who said this?

A

BRAITHWAITE
-reintegrative shaming= label the act not the criminal
-offender is aware of actions but welcomed back into society

90
Q

what are the 6 strengths of the labelling theory?

A

-understanding of dark figures
-highlights law is not equal
-shows attempts to social control leads to deviance
-explains high re-offending
-shows we cannot trust the validity of OCS
-discusses interactions

91
Q

what are the 6 weaknesses of labelling theory?

A

-too deterministic, not everyone becomes label
-doesn’t explain the cause of crime
-ignores victims
-unrealistic solution
-implies that without labelling deviance would not exist
-recognises role of power but doesn’t analyse source of power.

Sociology Crime and Deviance (11 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions