Topic 3: Sociological Theories of Crime

Question 1

State the main function of family in society

Answer 1

Populate/reproduce people

Question 2

State the main function of education in society

Answer 2

To prepare people for the workplace

Question 3

State the main function of the workplace in society

Answer 3

Allows people to produce things/ add to the system of production.

Question 4

State the main function of healthcare in society

Answer 4

To keep people alive (so that we can carry on working).

Question 5

State the main function of the criminal justice system in society

Answer 5

To maintain order so that the rest of us can live our lives the way we are supposed to

Question 6

State the main function of religion in society

Answer 6

Gives people comfort when their life is coming to an end (the idea of afterlife)

Question 7

Give one positive effect of crime in society

Answer 7

Creates morals within society-if we didn’t have morals, we wouldn’t know right from wrong

Question 8

Describe functionalism

Answer 8

A sociological theory that believes that society ‘works’, society is made up of different institutions, each with a specific function– generally in society we all get on and work together because we have a value consensus and feel a sense of solidarity to one another

Question 9

Summarise Merton’s Strain Theory

Answer 9

Focuses on the mis-match between the goals that people want to achieve in society and the means society offers to get them, society evolves so quickly that it doesn’t always offer people what they need to make them feel that they belong and as a result not everyone has the means to achieve the ‘socially accepted’ goals of society, therefore causing a strain between the goals and the means that cause criminality

Question 10

Define ‘value consensus’

Answer 10

When society feels a sense of solidarity to each other and the wider society

Question 11

Define ‘anomie’

Answer 11

A feeling of unease/panic which occurs during periods of rapid social transition, e.g. war, revolution and technological advances

Question 12

State the five reactions to strain

Answer 12

Conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism and rebellion

Question 13

Describe conformity

Answer 13

Accepts both means and goals, accepting the goals of society and accept the legitimate means of doing it, leading to no crime

Question 14

Describe innovation

Answer 14

Accepts goals, rejects means, accepts the goals of society but doesn’t accept the legitimate ways of doing it, leading to utilitarian crime such as theft

Question 15

Describe ritualism

Answer 15

Accepts goals, rejects means, common acceptance of a mundane life–accepting that they won’t have a ‘life of luxury’, leading to no crime

Question 16

Describe retreatism

Answer 16

Rejects goals, rejects means, people who have retreated into their own way of life–they know they will never have the goals, so they behave illegitimately, leading to crimes such as drug abuse, prostitution etc…

Question 17

Describe rebellion

Answer 17

Rejects goals, rejects means, trying to change the goals and change the means of getting it

Question 18

Summarise Marxism

Answer 18

Marxists believe that society is in ‘a constant state of conflict’ as society is divided into two social classes: the ruling class and the working class, marxists believe that the ruling class exploit and oppress the working class, thereby causing a divide in society

Question 19

According to Marxism, what are the 2 causes of crime?

Answer 19

Capitalism itself creates crime, the powerful dictate the definition and enforcement of crime

Question 20

Define ‘social class’

Answer 20

A division of society based on social and economic status

Question 21

Describe ‘capitalism causes crime’ as a cause of crime

Answer 21

Marxists believe that crime is a natural consequence of capitalism, capitalists want to maximise their profits as much as possible, often this is done illegally (greed, individualism and self-preservation), capitalism causes exploitation and motivation and desire–working class see what they don’t have, but could have, and are tempted into committing crime

Question 22

Describe ‘the powerful dictate the definition and enforcement of crime’ as a cause of crime

Answer 22

The ruling class have power over social institutions and control the criminal justice system- laws, police, courts etc, they are the ones who decide what is considered criminal and how the law should be enforced

Question 23

Summarise Interactionism

Answer 23

Focuses on the meaning we attach to people’s behaviour, interactionists see that our interactions with other people are based on meanings or labels and suggest that Interactionists see that our interactions with other people are based on meanings or labels

Question 24

What two things get labelled?

Answer 24

Acts getting labelled as crimes, people getting labelled as criminals

Question 25

How does labelling link to the idea of social construction?

Answer 25

The term ‘social construction’ refers to something that has been made or defined by society, rather than simply occurring naturally, exactly like labelling

Question 26

Summarise Becker’s Labelling Theory

Answer 26

Becker’s labelling theory looks at how and why certain acts are defined as deviant, essentially no acts are inherently evil- something only becomes criminal when it is labelled to be by others, Becker looks at why people choose to label certain behaviour as deviant and the effect on society

Question 27

According to Cicourel, who is most likely to be identified as criminal?

Answer 27

Working-class and ethnic minority youths

Question 28

What impact does labelling and typifications have on crime statistics?

Answer 28

Increases them, if people are told they will commit crime, then they are more likely to

Question 29

Explain ‘primary deviance’

Answer 29

Acts that have not been publicly labelled, they are often trivial and go uncaught, individuals who commit these acts don’t often see themselves as criminal, we go on about our normal lives because we haven’t given ourselves a label

Question 30

Explain ‘secondary deviance’

Answer 30

A result of labelling, people may treat the offender solely in terms of his label, then it can become his master status which leads to a more deviance– shows that the act isn’t actually deviant, society makes it deviant

Question 31

Define ‘master status’

Answer 31

A status of an individual that overrides all their other statuses (e.g. deviant overrides father, friend, hard worker etc…)

Question 32

Define ‘self fulfilling prophecy’

Answer 32

A process through which an originally false expectation leads to its own confirmation

Question 33

Define ‘self concept’

Answer 33

When an individual goes through a crisis of identity

Question 34

Define ‘moral panic’

Answer 34

Moral panic is an exaggerated, irrational overreaction by society to a perceived problem

Question 35

Define ‘folk devil’

Answer 35

A threat to society’s values

Question 36

Give an example of a case where moral panic occurred

Answer 36

Mods and Rockers (1964)–reality of it was minor property damage and a few punches but the media’s exaggeration triggered a moral panic, causing negative labelling of youths and public concern

Question 37

What does right-wing politics usually involve?

Answer 37

Embracing the view that certain social hierarchies are inevitable, natural and normal, it supports tradition and authority as well as conservatism

Question 38

What does left-wing politics usually involve?

Answer 38

Supports social equality and involves a concern for those in society who are perceived as disadvantaged to others, they believe that there are unjustified inequalities that need to be abolished

Question 39

What are the three main causes of crime according to left realists?

Answer 39

Marginalisation, relative deprivation and subcultures

Question 40

What are the three main causes of crime according to right realists?

Answer 40

Biology, socialisation and rational choice

Question 41

Summarise left realism

Answer 41

Left realists have a left wing political outlook, they see inequality in a capitalist society as the root of crime and argue that the main victims are disadvantaged groups (working class, ethnic minorities and women), they are reformist rather than revolutionary (pro gradual change), focus more on the problem rather than the criminal act

Question 42

Describe marginalisation as a cause of crime

Answer 42

Marginalised groups are the ones that lack organisations to represent their interests and lack clearly defined goals and lack legitimate means to change their life, these creates a sense of resentment and frustration which can lead to ‘acting out’ in violence, people that are under-qualified, unemployed or grew up in poverty are most likely to be marginalised

Question 43

Describe relative deprivation as a cause of crime

Answer 43

RD is how deprived or badly off someone is in relation to others, increases of RD include the media society becoming more unequal due to cuts in wages and benefits, left realists believe the capitalist system leads people to only be concerned about themselves, causing informal control through socialisation to be weakened and the break up of families, people feel jealous and discontent with what others have= illegitimate means to achieve goals

Question 44

Describe subculture as a cause of crime

Answer 44

A subculture is a group’s way of solving the problem of RD, some subcultures turn to crime as a way of solving the problem, groups that share RD play a large part in gang formation and gang crime, they turn to crime because legitimate means are blocked

Question 45

Summarise right realism

Answer 45

Right realists have a right wing, conservative political outlook and see crime as a real problem and threat for communities, they are concerned with practical solutions to reduce crime (control and punishment) and take a ‘zero policy’ attitude towards crime

Question 46

What are the three main causes of crime according to right realists?

Answer 46

Bio-social explanations, socialisation and rational choice

Question 47

Describe bio-social explanations as a cause of crime

Answer 47

Wilson and Herstein (1985) state that biological differences make individuals more likely to commit crime and personality traits associated with criminality such as aggressiveness or low IQ are innate, and therefore some people are more likely to commit crime than others and argued that a selfish society weakens social control, allowing biological factors to dominate behaviour

Question 48

Define ‘socialisation’

Answer 48

The process in which individuals learn the norms and values of society, resulting in social cohesion and a functional society

Question 49

According to right realists which agent is best for successful socialisation?

Answer 49

A nuclear family

Question 50

Socialisation as a cause of crime: describe Charles Murray’s views on the nuclear family

Answer 50

Murray believes that the nuclear family is being undermined by generous welfare benefits, causing a decline in marriage and growth of lone-parent families as fathers no longer need to provide for their families as the government do it for them (creating an ‘underclass’), he argues that lone mothers are ineffective for socialisation and absent fathers mean no role models for young boys, the ‘underclass’ is a cause of crime and a threat to societal values

Question 51

Describe rational choice theory as a cause of crime

Answer 51

RCT assumes that we are all rational beings with free will and deciding to commit a crime is a choice based on consequences, essentially it is weighing up cost vs benefit, right realists argue that the crime rate is high because the perceived costs of crime are low and they believe that sentencing is too lenient and that criminals do not expect to receive harsh punishments if convicted

Question 52

What are the 2 similarities between left and right realism?

Answer 52

• Both argue that crime is something that primarily affects the working classes and ethnic minorities
• Both say that crime is partly to do with the breakdown of the working class communities and community values

Question 53

What is the difference between left and right realism?

Answer 53

Different ideas about what causes the breakdown of working class communities– right think that it is these group’s own fault and their own responsibility to turn their life around, left think that it is society’s fault and society’s responsibility to make life equal for all