Sociological theory Flashcards
Sociological theories
Social factors play a key role in crime
Functionalist and subcultural theories
Focus on the structure of society and how it is organised.
Durkheim’s functionalist theory
Society is a stable structure based on shared norms, values and beliefs. All members of society they belong in the same harmonious unit.
Crime is inevitable
Every society some individuals are inadequately socialised = deviant. Society contains many subcultures with different values.
Functions of crime
Boundary maintenance = society reminding wrongdoers about right and wrong.
Social change = individuals must challenge existing norms and values, seeming as deviant at first.
Safety valve = protection without threats
Warning light = deviance indicates an in situation isn’t working properly
Evaluation Durkheim functionalist
Strengths = crime can have positive sanctions for society Limitations = society requires a certain level of deviance to function, don’t know how much is right and wrong. Functional for some, but not the victims.
Merton’s strain theory
Crime lies in the unequal structure of society. People in lower classes experiences blocked opportunities as they have the same goals as those in wealth but can’t achieve them.
Deviant ways of adapting to the strain
Innovation = accept the goal but find illegal ways of achieving it by committing utilitarian crimes. Ritualism = give up striving for success. Retreatism = dropouts who reject both goal and means. Rebellion = reject the existing goals, replacing them with new ones with the aim of changing society.
Evaluation Merton functionalism
Strengths = both normal and deviant behaviour arise from the same goals. Patterns shown in official statistics (property crime as wealth is highly). Limitations = ignores crimes of the wealthy, over predicts working class crime. Deviance solely as an individual response, ignoring group deviance and subcultures. Focuses on utilitarian crime.
Subcultural theories
Delinquent subcultures = groups whose Norma and values are deviant. Subcultures allow their members to gain status by illegitimate means.
Cohen; status frustration
Subcultural deviance is a group response to failure, not just individual. Focuses on non-utilitarian crime. Working-class boys end up at bottom of school official status hierarchy, suffer status frustration - feeling of worthlessness. Subcultures offer a solutions by providing alternative status hierarchy, they win respect from peers through delinquent actions. Inverts society’s values .
Three subcultures
Criminal subcultures = arise in area with longstanding professional criminal network.
Conflict subcultures = only criminal opportunities are within street gangs. Violence provides a release of frustration
Retreatist subcultures = dropouts who have failed in both the legitimate and illegitimate opportunity structures
Evaluation of subcultural theory
Strengths = subcultures perform a function for their member by offering solutions to the problem of failing mainstream society. Different types of neighbourhoods give rise to different illegitimate opportunities and different subcultures. Limitations = ignore crimes of the wealthy . Assumes everyone starts off with mainstream goals and turn to subcultures when they cannot achieve them, some people don’t share those goals in the first place. Subcultures are not clear-cut, some may have characteristics of all.
Interactionism
Interactions with one another based on meaning or labels. Crime is work we create through social interactions.
Labelling theory
No act is deviant or criminal in itself, only becomes so when we apply rules to them . Focus on how certain actions and people get labelled as criminals in the first place.
Differential enforcement of the law
Social control agencies label certain groups as criminal. Law is enforced more on one groups than against others.police delicious to arrest were based on stereotypes.
Labelling and the self-fulfilling prophecy
Labelling certain people as deviant, society encourages them to become more so.
Primary deviance = involves acts that have not been publicity labelled.
Secondary deviance = results from labelling. Treat offender solely on their label.
Offender may be rejected by society and forced to be near other criminals, joking deviant subcultures.
Self-fulfilling = individual has now become what the label states - further offending.
The deviance amplification spiral
Attempt to control deviance through crackdown leads to increase in deviant behaviour. Forever an escalating spiral.
Interactionism and crime statistics
Reject the use of all crime statistics compelled by police, what police do rather than what offenders do.
Evaluation of interactionism and labelling theory
Strengths = law is not fixed set of rules. How police create crime by applying labels based on stereotypes. Attempts to control deviance can trigger a deviance amplification spiral. Limitations = once someone’s labelled, deviance is inevitable. Emphasises negative effects of labelling gives offenders a victim status. Fails to explain why people commit primary deviance in the first place. Focus es on officials who apply labels, rather than capitalist who make the rules. Why are labels applied to certain groups.
