Topic 4: Sociological Theories of Crime Flashcards
State the main function of family in society
Populate/reproduce people
State the main function of education in society
To prepare people for the workplace
State the main function of the workplace in society
Allows people to produce things/ add to the system of production.
State the main function of healthcare in society
To keep people alive (so that we can carry on working).
State the main function of the criminal justice system in society
To maintain order so that the rest of us can live our lives the way we are supposed to
State the main function of religion in society
Gives people comfort when their life is coming to an end (the idea of afterlife)
Give one positive effect of crime in society
Creates morals within society-if we didn’t have morals, we wouldn’t know right from wrong
Describe functionalism
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
What were Durkheim’s key beliefs about crime?
Crime has an important function in society and crime is inevitable, normal and a necessary aspect of social life.
What are Durkheim’s 3 functions of crime?
Promotes social solidarity, maintains social boundaries and social change
Describe function 1: promotes social solidarity
In some, society can be seen as the victim of the crime because it affects everyone, society comes together in a state of collective sorrow and support each other–reaffirms the morals and values of society
Describe function 2: maintains social boundaries
It essentially helps society establish what is right and wrong– we need people to cross the boundaries and be punished for it so we firmly know how to behave
Describe function 3: social change
Deviance helps societies evolve, we review the way we do things and learn from it
Give an example of a case that Durkheim can be applied to
Manchester bombing at Ariana Grande’s concert in 2017
Define ‘anomie’
A feeling of unease/panic which occurs during periods of rapid social transition, e.g. war, revolution and technological advances
Define ‘value consensus’
When society feels a sense of solidarity to each other and the wider society
Summarise Merton’s Strain Theory
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
State the five reactions to strain
Conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism and rebellion
Describe conformity
Accepts both means and goals, accepting the goals of society and accept the legitimate means of doing it, leading to no crime
Describe innovation
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
Describe ritualism
Accepts goals, rejects means, common acceptance of a mundane life–accepting that they won’t have a ‘life of luxury’, leading to no crime
Describe retreatism
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…
Describe rebellion
Rejects goals, rejects means, trying to change the goals and change the means of getting it
Summarise Marxism
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
According to Marxism, what are the 2 causes of crime?
Capitalism itself creates crime, the powerful dictate the definition and enforcement of crime
Define ‘social class’
A division of society based on social and economic status
Describe ‘capitalism causes crime’ as a cause of crime
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
Describe ‘the powerful dictate the definition and enforcement of crime’ as a cause of crime
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
Name an example of a case where Marxism applies
Jordan Belfort (stock broker)— created a ‘pyramid scheme’ to scam people out of their money and make a profit (illegitimate means)
Summarise Interactionism
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
What two things get labelled?
Acts getting labelled as crimes, people getting labelled as criminals
How does labelling link to the idea of social construction?
The term ‘social construction’ refers to something that has been made or defined by society, rather than simply occurring naturally, exactly like labelling
Summarise Becker’s Labelling Theory
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
According to Cicourel, who is most likely to be identified as criminal?
Working-class and ethnic minority youths
What impact does labelling and typifications have on crime statistics?
Increases them, if people are told they will commit crime, then they are more likely to
Explain ‘primary deviance’
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
Explain ‘secondary deviance’
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
Define ‘master status’
A status of an individual that overrides all their other statuses (e.g. deviant overrides father, friend, hard worker etc…)
Define ‘self fulfilling prophecy’
A process through which an originally false expectation leads to its own confirmation
Define ‘self concept’
When an individual goes through a crisis of identity
Define ‘moral panic’
Moral panic is an exaggerated, irrational overreaction by society to a perceived problem
Define ‘folk devil’
A threat to society’s values
Give an example of a case where moral panic occurred
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
What does right-wing politics usually involve?
Embracing the view that certain social hierarchies are inevitable, natural and normal, it supports tradition and authority as well as conservatism
What does left-wing politics usually involve?
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
What are the three main causes of crime according to left realists?
Marginalisation, relative deprivation and subcultures
What are the three main causes of crime according to right realists?
Biology, socialisation and rational choice
Summarise left realism
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
Describe marginalisation as a cause of crime
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
Describe relative deprivation as a cause of crime
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
Describe subculture as a cause of crime
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
Summarise right realism
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
What are the three main causes of crime according to right realists?
Bio-social explanations, socialisation and rational choice
Describe bio-social explanations as a cause of crime
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
Define ‘socialisation’
The process in which individuals learn the norms and values of society, resulting in social cohesion and a functional society
According to right realists which agent is best for successful socialisation?
A nuclear family
Socialisation as a cause of crime: describe Charles Murray’s views on the nuclear family
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
Describe rational choice theory as a cause of crime
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
What are the 2 similarities between left and right realism?
- 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
What is the difference between left and right realism?
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
Which theory can be applied to the Columbine high school shooting?
Interactionism–Dylan Klebold was seen as deviant (labelling), perhaps this led to him believing he was (self-fulfilling prophecy) and therefore led him to behave in this way, the media also could have had an impact, in particular violent video gaming and music
Which theory can be applied to the Nick Leeson case?
Marxism–could be applied to Nick Leeson, he grew up as working class, never had much as a child and there may be frustration and anger that comes from that which leads to the desire for more, even if it means using illegitimate means to get it (working class oppressed by ruling class)
Which theory can be applied to the London Riots?
Realism–apply to London Riots, a way of the working class acting out against consumerism and the people who have so much more than them, this together forms a subculture where people come together in groups who share RD and resort to crime when legitimate means are blocked from them
