THEORIES OF CRIME - SOCIAL CLASS

Question 1

what sociologists talk about social class and crime?

Answer 1

marxists

Question 2

what type of crime do marxists focus on?

Answer 2

white collar crime

Question 3

what 4 things do we have to rememeber for white collar crime?

Answer 3

definition and types of WCC
what marxists argue about them
findings of Goldthorpe and White
risk and white collar crime

Question 4

what is white collar crime?

Answer 4

also known as corporate crime and are crimes committed by the powerful, rarely goes unpunished and is less visible

Question 5

who found the two types of WCC?

Answer 5

Croall

Question 6

what types of WCC are there?

Answer 6

1. occupational - done by people during their jobs
2. corporate - carried out by businesses to increase profits
3. state crime- war/genocide

Question 7

what 2 marxists argue something about white collar crime?

Answer 7

Box

Tombs

Question 8

what does Box argue about WCC?

Answer 8

crime is defined by focusing on WC e.g. theft is shoplifting not fraud

Question 9

Box argues that WC crime causes..

Answer 9

more harm to society, but it is ingored

Question 10

what does Tombs argue about WC crime?

Answer 10

scale of unlawful workplace deaths outweigh number of homicides, therefore many ppl died in workplace have been ignored

Question 11

what were the findings of Goldstraw and White when studying WC criminals?

Answer 11

don’t see themselves as criminals through semi-structured int
due to the fact they don’t harm anyone

Question 12

who found that WC criminals don’t see themselves as criminals?

Answer 12

Goldstraw and White

Question 13

what did the offences range from in Goldstraw and White’s study?

Answer 13

£18m to £100m

Question 14

how is risk related to WC crime?

Answer 14

gamble or risk of money adds to the appeal of WCC

Question 15

who studied risk and WCC?

Answer 15

Friedrichs

Question 16

Friedrichs states that big businesses…

Answer 16

make decisions based on cost and benefit e.g. lack of health and safety

Question 17

Friedrich says it is highly immoral…

Answer 17

to weigh profit to life, but is seen as a central role in big businesses

Question 18

how can the Marxist view and WCC be criticised?

Answer 18

Realists - ordinary ppl frightened of street crime, marxists over-emph WCC, rather accept the fact most crim are WC

Question 19

what 2 explanations are there of WCC?

Answer 19

1. differential association

2. personality-based approaches

Question 20

what is differential association?

Answer 20

how frequently someone is exposed to deviant acts leads them on deviant act

Question 21

how did Sutherland link differential association to WWC?

Answer 21

increasing businesses resort to crim practices, therefore it is no longer deviant and WCC is seen as appropriate

Question 22

what are personality based approaches?

Answer 22

traits linked to success can also be like to criminality

Question 23

what is an example of a personality trait that can lead to crime?

Answer 23

successful ppl are ambitious

means that they can be dishonest and be prepared to read on others to get to the top

Question 24

what is there a lack of in WCC?

Answer 24

personal morality

Question 25

what 4 theories can also explain WCC?

Answer 25

merton
cohen
young
gordon

Question 26

how does Merton’s strain theory link to WCC?

Answer 26

MC/UC have mode of adaption of innovation, means they bend the rules to get their goals

Question 27

how does Cohen’s theory link to WCC?

Answer 27

frustrated with business position, therefore commit crime to have more power

Question 28

how does Young’s theory link to WCC?

Answer 28

believes in ‘bullimic society’
goals of materialism and greed are pushed
WCC have greed for money

Question 29

how does Gordon’s theory link to WCC?

Answer 29

links to WCC as it is seen as acceptable in the MC/UC to protect money e.g. through tax evasion