Theories Of Crime And Deviance

Question 1

What does Durkheim view as the 4 functions of crime?

Func

Answer 1

Boundary maintenance, Adaption and change, Safety valve and Warning system

Question 2

What is Boundary maintenance?

Func

Answer 2

Law defines the boundaries of acceptable behaviour.

Question 3

What is Adaptation and change?

Func

Answer 3

All change starts with deviance.

Question 4

What is Safety valve?

Func

Answer 4

Most violence can be seen as an outlet for discontent.

Question 5

What is Warning system?

Func

Answer 5

Crime can act as a ‘warning system’ that society isn’t working properly.

Question 6

What does Durkheim believe would occur following rapid social change?

Func

Answer 6

Very rapid social change can weaken the collective conscience, and this can lead to anomie (normlessness).

This causes an increase in crime.

Question 7

What does Durkheim believe crime is to a certain extent?

Func

Answer 7

Crime is inevitable ad not everyone can be fully integrated into the norms and values of society.

Those would don’t can remind others the importance of social solidarity.

Question 8

What is Cohens idea of status frustation?

Func

Answer 8

Young working class boys felt a sense of frustration as they lacked the job opportunities to enable then to achieve societies goals.

Question 9

What are the strengths of status frustration?

Func

Answer 9

Doesn’t blame the working class.

Recognises deprivation and poverty.

Question 10

What are weaknesses of status frustration?

Func

Answer 10

Doesn’t look at women or middle class.

Working class is overly policed.

Question 11

What do Cloward and Ohlin argue about working class lads?

Func sub

Answer 11

They’re likely to form deviant subcultures depending on their particular social circumstances (where they live).

Question 12

What do Cloward and Ohlin argue are the 3 deviant subcultures?

Func sub

Answer 12

Criminal, Conflict and Retreatists.

Question 13

What is criminal?

Func sub

Answer 13

Occurs in criminal neighbourhoods, young lads associate with adult criminals and serve as an apprentice.

Question 14

What is conflict?

Func sub

Answer 14

Occurs in socially disorganised areas with high population turnover and a lack of social cohesion. No one id there to ‘organise’ successful criminals.

Question 15

What is retreatist?

Func sub

Answer 15

Can occur in any neighbourhood, ‘double failures’ can’t be a good criminal or get a good job so retreat (explains drug addictions).

Question 16

What are weaknesses of Cloward and Ohlind ideas?

Func sub

Answer 16

Ignores wider power structure.

Over predicts the extent of working class crime.

Excludes young women.

Question 17

What does Lyng argue about young people commiting crime?

Func sub

Answer 17

Argues young people commit crimes in order to take risk and experience excitement.

Question 18

What does Matza believe we all share?

Func sub

Answer 18

We all share ‘delinquent’ value that left some to criminal behaviour but mist of us cab suppress the urge (due to societys norms and values).

Question 19

What do Marxists believe about capitalism?

Marx

Answer 19

Capitalism is criminogenic- by its very nature it causes crime.

Question 20

What does Gordan view crime as?

Marx

Answer 20

Crime is a national response to Capitalism- all social classes commit crime.

Question 21

What does Snider believe about the Capitalist state?

Marx

Answer 21

The Capitalist state are reluctant to pass laws that regulate businesses.

The main priority is profit.

Question 22

What did Chamblis find about law making?

Marx

Answer 22

Laws are made in the interest of the Bourgeoisie (eg private property laws).

Question 23

What are criticisms of the Marxist view of crime?

Marx

Answer 23

Doesn’t explain why crime exists in non-capitalist societies.

Don’t account for crime rates vary in a between capitalist societies.

Could argue that class is no linger relevant to who commits crime.

Question 24

What does Taylor et al believe about crime?

Neo-Marx

Answer 24

Crime is meaningful action and a choice made by an individuals often political acts to change society.

Question 25

What does Sutherland define as white collar crimes?

Answer 25

Crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course if their occupation.

Question 26

What does Cicourel believe about officer assumptions?

Answer 26

Officers assumptions led them to concentrate on certain ‘types’ of people, namely the working class. There is a class bias.

Question 27

What do Henry and Milovanovic think of crime? Postmod

Answer 27

Suggests that the concept of crime should be replaced with the concept of ‘social harm’. These fall into 2 main categories: -Harms of reduction -Harms of repression

Question 28

What are the differences between harms if reduction and repression? Postmod

Answer 28

Harms of reduction- use of power to cause harm. Harms of repression- where future growth is threatened.

Question 29

What does Lea and Young identify as the 3 causes of crime? Left realist

Answer 29

Relative deprivation- how people view their place in society can cause crime. Subcultures- form with w/c who view deviant behaviour as normal. Marginalisation- when people are unable to access rights and services available.

Question 30

How do Left Realists believe crime can be reduced? Left real

Answer 30

Developing trust with police. Creating a sense of community. Decrease in inequality. Develop greater understanding of role of victim.

Question 31

What are limitations of Left Realism? Left real

Answer 31

Fail to acknowledge white collar crimes. Focus too heavily on victims evidence. Doesn’t rake anything but class into account.

Question 32

Who does Murray believe is responsible for a lot of crime? New right

Answer 32

The underclass- he argues that an overly generous state has less to people becoming reliant on welfare benefits, which in turn encourages people to turn to crime rather than working for money.

Question 33

What do Right Realists believe is the cause of crime? Right real

Answer 33

Rational choice Inadequate socialisation

Question 34

What are Right Realist solutions to crime? Right real

Answer 34

Zero tolerance military style policing. Harsher punishments to deter. Cctv, speed cameras etc

Question 35

What are limitations of the Right Realist view of crime? Right real

Answer 35

Assumes people are inheritently selfish No interest in why people commit crimes Doesn’t take into account poverty Reinforces labelling through stop+ searches.

Question 36

What does Becker believe about crime and labelling? Inter

Answer 36

No act is inheritently deviant- its a social construct. Society’s reaction to the act thats important. Society labels what is and isn’t deviant.

Question 37

What does Lemert emphasise about the role of societal reaction? Inter

Answer 37

Deviance is caused by the agents of social control rather than with the individual deviant. Those who have power to label an act of deviant are creating the deviance.

Question 38

What does Cicourel mean by the negotiation of justice?

Answer 38

Upper/middle class are most able to negotiate justice due to economic capital. Older people are more likely due to being viewed as wise and trusted unlike young people.

Question 39

What do Functionalists believe that crime and punishment ensures? Func

Answer 39

Social cohesion- binds society together due to collective consensus.