Sociology, Book2, Topic Crime and Deviance

Question 1

3. Read Item A below and answer the question that follows. Item A Labelling theorists suggest that many people acts of crime and deviance, but it is stereotypes and assumptions held by the police and other agencies of social control that influence who gets caught and defined as criminal. Officially classified criminals are an unrepresentative group of offenders who have had their behaviour publicly labelled as ‘criminal’. Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why labelling theory may not provide an adequate explanation for the causes of crime.

Answer 1

The labelling Theory of Crime is associated with Interactionism – the Key ideas are that - crime is socially constructed, - agents of social control label the powerless as deviant and - criminal based on stereotypical assumptions and this creates effects such as the self-fulfilling prophecy, the criminal career and deviancy amplification. Interactionists argue that people do not become criminals because of their social background, but rather argue that crime emerges because of labelling by authorities. They see crime as the product of micro-level interactions between certain individuals and the police, rather than the result of external social forces such as socialisation or blocked opportunity structures. Four Key concepts associated with Interactionist theories of deviance 1. Crime is Sociology Constructed – An act which harms an individual or society else only becomes criminal if those in power label that act as criminal. 2. Not everyone who is deviant gets labelled as such – negative labels are generally (deviant/ criminal) are generally given to the powerless by the powerful. 3. Labelling has real consequences – it can lead to deviancy amplification, the self-fulfilling prophecy and deviant careers. 4. Labelling theory has a clear ‘value position’ – it should aim to promote policies that prevent labelling minor acts as deviant.

Question 2

3. Read Item A below and answer the question that follows. Item A Labelling theorists suggest that many people acts of crime and deviance, but it is stereotypes and assumptions held by the police and other agencies of social control that influence who gets caught and defined as criminal. Officially classified criminals are an unrepresentative group of offenders who have had their behaviour publicly labelled as ‘criminal’. Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why labelling theory may not provide an adequate explanation for the causes of crime.

Answer 2

The labelling Theory of Crime is associated with Interactionism – the Key ideas are that - crime is socially constructed, - agents of social control label the powerless as deviant and - criminal based on stereotypical assumptions and this creates effects such as the self-fulfilling prophecy, the criminal career and deviancy amplification. Interactionists argue that people do not become criminals because of their social background, but rather argue that crime emerges because of labelling by authorities. They see crime as the product of micro-level interactions between certain individuals and the police, rather than the result of external social forces such as socialisation or blocked opportunity structures. Four Key concepts associated with Interactionist theories of deviance 1. Crime is Sociology Constructed – An act which harms an individual or society else only becomes criminal if those in power label that act as criminal. 2. Not everyone who is deviant gets labelled as such – negative labels are generally (deviant/ criminal) are generally given to the powerless by the powerful. 3. Labelling has real consequences – it can lead to deviancy amplification, the self-fulfilling prophecy and deviant careers. 4. Labelling theory has a clear ‘value position’ – it should aim to promote policies that prevent labelling minor acts as deviant. Evaluation of Labelling Theory Labelling theory emphasises the following – That the law is not ‘set in stone’ – it is actively constructed and changes over time – That law enforcement is often discriminatory – That we cannot trust crime statistics – That attempts to control crime can backfire and may make the situation worse – That agents of social control may actually be one of the major causes of crime, so we should think twice about giving them more power. Criticisms of Labelling Theory – It tends to be determinstic, not everyone accepts their labels – It assumes offenders are just passive – it doesn’t recognise the role of personal choice in committing crime – It gives the offender a ‘victim status’ – Realists argue that this perspective actually ignores the actual victims of crime. – It tends to emphasise the negative sides of labelling rather than the positive side – It fails to explain why acts of primary deviance exist, focussing mainly on secondary deviance. – Structural sociologists argue that there are deeper, structural explanations of crime, it isn’t all just a product of labelling and interactions. https://revisesociology.com/2016/08/20/labelling-theory-crime-deviance/

Question 3

Practice Questions

Topic 1

1. Outline two ways in which crime and deviance are socially constructed. (4 marks)

Question 4

Practice Questions

Topic 1

2. Outline three reasons why some crime may be necessary and beneficial for the wee-being of society. (6 marks)

Question 5

Practice Questions

Topic 1

3. Read Item A below and answer the question that follows. Item A- Labelling theorists suggest that many people commit acts of crime and deviance, but it is the stereotypes and assumptions held by the police and other agencies of social control that influence who gets caught and defined as criminal. Officially classified criminals are an unrepresentative group of effenders who have had their behaviour publicly labelled as ‘criminal’. - Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why labelling theory may not provide an adequate explanation for the causes of crime. (10 marks)

Question 6

Practice Questions

Topic 1

4. Read Item B below and answer the question that follows. Item B - Some Marxist sociologists argue that capitalist society is criminogenic, that is, crime is an in-built and natural outgrowth of a capitalist society. Crime is a rational response to the competitiveness an inequality of life in capitalist society, and the law reflects ruling-class interests and ideology. - Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate the usefulness of Marxist approaches to an understanding of the causes of crime. (30 marks)

Question 7

Practice Questions

Topic 2

1. Outline two ways in which the criminal justice system may discriminate ageists some minority ethnic groups. (4 marks)

Question 8

Practice Questions

Topic 2

2. Outline three reasons why official crime statistics may not provide a valid picture of the patterns of crime in society.

Question 9

Practice Questions

Topic 2

3. Read Item A below and answer the question that follows. Item A - White collar crime is that committed by middle-class individuals who abuse their work positions for personal gain, at the expense of employers, the government or clients. Many white-collar crimes remain undetected, unreported and unrecorded in criminal statistics, or even manage to escape altogether from being labelled as criminal acts. Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why white-collar crime may be less likely to be reported to the police than crimes committed by working-class people. (10 marks)

Question 10

Practice Questions

Topic 2

4. Read Item B below and answer the question that follows. Item B - Statistics show that women commit less crime than men. Some suggest this may be because women are treated more leniently by the criminal justice system, and so are less likely to have their offices recorded. Others suggest it is because of different gender roles, which leads more men into crime, and women to commit fewer and less serious offences. Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate sociological explanations for gender differences in the patterns of crime. (30 marks)

Question 11

Practice Questions

Topic 3

1. Outline two ways in which green or environmental crimes may reinforce existing social inequalities. (4 marks)

Question 12

Practice Questions

Topic 3

2. Outline three reasons why the media may exaggerate the exaggerate the extent of crime in society. (6 marks)

Question 13

Practice Questions

Topic 3

3. Read Item A below and answer the question that follows. Item A - State crimes are those carried out by the state in pursuit of its policies, and involve violations of human rights as defined by international law. It can be difficult to investigate the extent of state crimes, because governments have the power to adopt strategies to either deny or justify human rights abuses, or reclassify them as something else that is not criminal. - Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why it may difficult for sociologists to investigate the extent of state crimes. (10 marks).

Question 14

Practice Questions

Topic 3

4. Read Item B below and answer the question that follows. Item B - Globalisation has created a global criminal economy and transnational networks of organised crime. New opportunities for crime and new types of crime have emerged. Less financial regulation and fewer state controls over business and finance have contributed to the globalisation of crime, along with other factors such as growing inequality, cultural globalisation and ideology of consumerism. - Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate sociological views of the effects of globalisation on crime. (30 marks)

Question 15

Practice Questions

Topic 4

1. Outline two ways in which situational crime prevention may reduce the incidence of crime in an area. (4 marks)

Question 16

Practice Questions

Topic 4

2. Outline three reasons why increasing surveillance in society may not be effective in reducing crime and disorder. (6 marks)

Question 17

Practice Questions

Topic 4

3. Read Item A below and answer the question that follows. Item A - Who is counted as a victim is socially constructed, as it depends on the attachment of the label of ‘victim’. Some may deny their victimisation, and there are many unreported and unrecorded victims who never come to the attention of the criminal justice system, such as victims of domestic and sexual violence, and of white-collar and corporate crime. - Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why victimisation in crime in considered to be socially constructed. ( 10 marks)

Question 18

Practice Questions

Topic 4

4. Read Item B below and answer the question that follows. Item B - Punishment of criminals may act in various ways: as retribution or revenge; as rehabilitation to prevent reoffending; as deterrence to others; as restoration of the harm caused to victims; as social protection from those who are dangerous; as reinforcement of social values; or as assertion of the power and authority of a sovereign or of a dominant social class. - Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate sociological explanations of the role of punishment in the prevention and reduction of crime. (30 marks)