Studies of crime

Question 1

Durkheim (Functionalist)

Answer 1

• Crime can be functional and dysfunctional
  
  • Crime can perform positive functions
    E.g. social regulation
• A limited amount of crime is necessary
• Believes that all social change begins with some form of deviance
• In order for change to occur, yesterdays deviance becomes todays norms

Question 2

Merton

Answer 2

• Developed the strain theory
  
  • Explains the rising crime rates in the USA in the 1940s. Said that social structures within society may pressure citizens to commit crime e.g. the American dream. Individuals may commit crimes such as drug dealing to gain financial security.
• Developed the concept of anomie to describe the imbalance between cultural gangs and institutionalized means
• Says that the working class is most likely to turn to crime.

Question 3

Cohen (Functionalist)

Answer 3

• Status frustration theory
• W/C subcultures emerge due to being denied status in society
• Could lead to boys, in particular, joining together against the school, for example, possibly leading to gang membership.

Question 4

Cloward and Ohlin (Functionalist)

Answer 4

ILLEGITIMATE OPPORTUNITY STRUCTURES

• Combine the theories of Merton and Cohen to identify different criminal subcultures in contemporary America
• Argued that there was a legitimate opportunity structure
• Also identified illegitimate opportunity structure which is available through gang membership.

Question 5

Marx

Answer 5

• The appearance of consensus is an illusion
• Values are manipulated by the working class
• Laws do not reflect a shared value system, but the imposition by one class od its ideology

Question 6

Chamberliss (marxist)

Answer 6

• Laws protecting private property are the cornerstone of capitalism
• Ruling class dominate law-making systems

Question 7

Snider (marxist)

Answer 7

• The capitalist state won’t pass laws that will regulate their business or harm their business in any way.

Question 8

Taylor et al

Answer 8

New Criminology

Social theory of deviance

Question 9

Gordon (marxist)

Answer 9

• Crime is a rational response to capitalism

- Law enforcement is selective and will sweep over M/C offenses.

Question 10

Walton and young

Answer 10

• We should abandon grand narratives of previous theories and focus on practical solutions to crime.

Question 11

Becker

Answer 11

• Labelling deviance leads to it being amplified

Question 12

Lemert

Answer 12

• Unlabelled primary deviance has few consequences for the individual concerned

Question 13

Cicourel

Answer 13

• Agents of social control
• produce delinquents through two stages involving
  subjective and biased judgement

Question 14

Jones

Answer 14

• Greater investment into particular areas where crime is high is needed
• Right realist parties in USA failed to prevent crime rate rising

Question 15

S. Cohen

Answer 15

• Media creates a moral panic about delinquency

- Media tends to amplify deviance

Question 16

Braithwaite

Answer 16

• Disintegrative and reintegrative shaming

Question 17

Murray

Answer 17

• The welfare system allows the underclass to continue rejecting norms and values
• Criminal activity should be more expensive
  
  • E.g. harsher punishments

Question 18

Felson

Answer 18

• Routine activity: For a crime to take place
  
  • Motivated offender
  • Suitable target
  • Lack of capable guardian

Question 19

Wilson and Kelling

Answer 19

Broken window theory:

states that visible signs of crime, anti-social behaviour, and civil disorder create an urban environment that encourages further crime and disorder, including serious crimes.

Question 20

Wilson

Answer 20

RATIONAL CHOICE THEORY

- Crime is a rational choice - Gains outweigh the chance of getting caught

Question 21

Lea and young Left realists

Answer 21

• Some groups offend more because of systematic inequality e.g. black youth.
• 3 causes of crime:
• Relative deprivation
• Subcultures
• Marginalisation

Question 22

Kinsey lea and young

Answer 22

Police system is flawed

Question 23

Lyng (Postmodernist)

Answer 23

Edgework - the thrill of crime

possible cause

Question 24

Young

Answer 24

• Different crimes are under/over policed

- Crime is rooted in social inequality

Question 25

Bowling and Phillips

Answer 25

• High rates of robbery by black people -> more racial profiling -> self-fulfilling prophecy

Question 26

Gilroy

Answer 26

• The myth of black criminality

Question 27

Hall

Answer 27

• Statistics do not reflect reality

Question 28

Pollack

Answer 28

• Mens duty of protection towards women stops them from prosecuting them
• Official statistics on gender and crime are extremely misleading and do not account for the true extent of female criminality

Question 29

Heidesohn

Answer 29

• Criminality is ‘malestream’

- Women are socialised away from crime

Question 30

Carlen

Answer 30

• Female offenders reject ‘gender deal’ - being outside of social control = more likely to offend

Question 31

Sutherland

Answer 31

• Criminal behaviour is learned from family /friends/associates