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criminology > Unit 2 > Flashcards

Unit 2 Flashcards

1
Q

what are the six biological theories

A

Lombroso - born criminals
Sheldon - soma types theory
Twin and adoption studies - Mednick et al and Christiansen
Jacobs XYY study - Jacob et al
Brain injuries’ and disorders - Phineas Gage
Biochemical explanations - Ellis and Coontz

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2
Q

what are the 8 individualistic theories

A

psychoanalysis - Freud
Maternal deprivation theory - Bowlby
personality theory - Eysenck
differential association theory - Sutherland
operant learning theory - Skinner
Social learning theory - Bandura
criminal personality theory - Yochelson and Samenow
moral development theory - Yochelson

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3
Q

what are the 9 sociological theories

A

cohen - status frustration
cloward and ohlin - 3 subcultures
marxism - karl marx
left realism
right realism
foucault - the panopticon
mathieson - synoptic surveillance
durkheim - fuctionalist theory
merton - strain theory

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4
Q

what are the key ideas of cohen status frustration

A

crime is a group response to unequal access to societys goal of wealth

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5
Q

what is the key idea of Lombroso’s born criminals

A

criminals are physically different than non-criminals

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6
Q

How did Lombroso do his study

A

measured many criminals heads and faces

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7
Q

what is cohen status frustration

A

working class boys end up at the bottom of schools official status hierachy and feel frustrated and worthless

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8
Q

what were Lombroso’s findings

A

criminals are more likely to have large jaws, long arms, aquiline noses

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9
Q

what is Atavism

A

the idea that criminals are throwbacks to a more primative stage of evolutions

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10
Q

what is cohen subcultures

A

subcultures offer a solution by providing an alternate status hierarchy in which societys values are inverted they gain status by being deviant

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11
Q

what are the strengths of Lombroso’s study

A

first person to study crime scientifically
shows importance of clinical and historical records of criminals
helps to focus on how to prevent crime rather than punish

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12
Q

what are the key ideas of durkheims fuctionalists theory

A

crime is the inevitable result of inadequate socialisation/anomie

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13
Q

what is boundary maintenence (durkheim)

A

crime unites societys members against wrongdoers, reinforcing the boundary between right and wrong

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14
Q

what are the weaknesses of Lombroso’s study

A

no further evidence to link facial features and criminality
did not compare with control group of non-criminals
Racist. equates criminals with savages / non-western society

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15
Q

what is social change (durkheim)

A

for society to progress, individuals with new ideas must challenge existing norms and values this is deviance at first

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16
Q

what is the key idea of Sheldon’s somatypes

A

the body type is related to criminality

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17
Q

how did Sheldon do his somatypes study

A

looked at body types and compared with likelihood of criminality

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18
Q

what were Sheldon’s findings about somatypes

A

mesomorphic somatypes are the most likely to be criminal

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19
Q

what are the strengths of Sheldon’s somatypes theory

A

-other studies have replicated his findings
-most serious delinquents had the mesomorphic somatype

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20
Q

what are the limitations of Sheldon’s somatype theory

A

-criminality is likely to be a combination of biology and environment not body type
- mesomorphic body type may be due to criminality
- social class might be true cause of offending and mesomorph body type
- mesomorphs more likely to be labelled

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21
Q

what does endomorph mean

A

rounded, soft bodies, lacking muscle. sociable, relaxed, outgoing. (medium sized person)

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22
Q

what does ectomorph mean

A

thin, fragile, lacking fat and muscle. flat chested, narrow hips and shoulders, thin face. self conscious, emotionally restrained, thoughtful. (small / thin person)

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23
Q

what does mesomorph mean

A

muscularly, hardbodies, little fat, strong limbs, broad shoulders, narrow waist. adventurous, sensation-seeking, assertive, domineering. (large person, muscularly)

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24
Q

what is a physiological theory

A

a theory that focuses on the physicals features of criminals that differ from non-criminals. these are biological theories

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25
Q

what are biological theories

A

these theories claim that criminals are biologically different than non-criminals and this causes them to commit crime.

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26
Q

what is the key idea of Christiansen’s twin studies

A

if crime is genetic - identical (MZ) twins should have identical criminality

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27
Q

what were the findings of Christiansen’s twin study

A

Christiansen: concordance in criminality MZ = 52% vs DZ = 22%

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28
Q

what is the warning light (durkheim)

A

deviance indicates that society isnt functioning properly so action can be taken to fix it

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29
Q

strengths of durkheim fuctionalists theory

A

first to recognise that crime can have positive functions for society

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30
Q

what is they idea of Mednick’s adoption study

A

adoptees share environment of adoptive parents/genes of biological parents. if genetic, criminality will match genetic more.

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31
Q

limitations for durkheims fuctionalists

A

does not suggest what the right amount of crime is for society to function properly
crime is not functional for all

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32
Q

what are mertons strain theorys key ideas

A

crime is the result of unequal access to societys goal of wealth

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33
Q

what were the findings of Mednick’s adoption studies

A

birth parent concordance = 20% vs adopted parent concordance = 14.7%

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34
Q

what are mertons strain theory blocked opportunties

A

not all have equal chance to achieve wealth - this creates strain for working class people who cannot access wealth legitimately

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35
Q

twin and adoption study strengths

A
  • twin and adoption studies give some support to genetic explanations
  • adoption studies overcome the problem of isolating genes and environment
  • research design of adoption studies is logical (nature vs nurture)
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36
Q

what is innovation (merton)

A

accept the goal but find illegal ways to achieve it - unilitarian crimes

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37
Q

twin and adoption study limitations

A
  • if criminality was only genetic MZ twins would have 100% concordance
  • it is impossible to isolate genetic effects fully form environment ones.
  • adopted children often placed with similar families to their birth families.
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38
Q

what is ritualism (merton)

A

give up striving for success. plod along in dead end job

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39
Q

what is retreatism (merton)

A

reject goal and means to achieve drop outs e.g drunks, vagrants

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40
Q

what is the key idea of Jacob’s XYY study

A

XYY syndrome in males makes them genetically predisposed to criminality.

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41
Q

what is rebellion (merton)

A

reject goal and means, replacing them with new ones in order to change society - political radicals and alternative cultures

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42
Q

how did Jacob do his XYY study

A

compared rate of XYY in imprisoned criminals with general population

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43
Q

strengths of mertons strain theory

A

shows how normal and deviant behaviour arise from the same goals
explains why most crime in statistics is property crime and why working class crime rates are higher

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44
Q

what were Jacobs XYY study findings

A

Higher than average proportion of inmates had XYY

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45
Q

Features of the XYY syndrome

A

very tall, well built, low intelligence, high aggression, violent.

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46
Q

Jacob’s XYY study strengths

A
  • Jacob et al found association with XYY and violent prisoners
  • Price and Watmore found links with XYY and property crime
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47
Q

limitations of mertons strain theory

A

ignores crimes of wealthy
only sees deviance as an individual response
focuses on utilitarian crime only

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48
Q

Jacob’s XYY study limitations

A
  • having the syndrome doesn’t mean that is the cause of crime.
  • XYY men fit stereotype of violent offenders - labelling theory.
  • low intelligence of XYY may give higher chance of being caught.
  • syndrome is too rare to explain much crime.
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49
Q

what is function

A

functionalists argue that everything has a positive role to play in helping society to run smoothly

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50
Q

what is structual theory

A

an explanation that focuses on the way in which society is organised

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51
Q

what is social solidarity/ intergration

A

all members of society feel like they belong to the same harmonious unit and most do not deviate from its shared norms

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52
Q

what is genetic explanation

A

criminality is the result of genes inherited from biological parents

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53
Q

what does monozygotic mean

A

identical twins that share 100% of the same genes

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54
Q

what does dizygotic mean

A

Non-identical twins that share only 50% of the same genes

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55
Q

what is anomie

A

normlesses society has multiple sets of norms and values that are often conflicting

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56
Q

what is strain

A

conflict between the pressure to conform to societys norms in but still achieve its main goals of the monetary

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57
Q

what is environmental explanation

A

criminality is the result of the surrounding a child grows up in

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58
Q

what is utilitarian crime

A

crimes committed for financial gain

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59
Q

what is a chromosome

A

made from DNA and protein. carry genetic information we inherit from our parents . most people have 23 pairs.

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60
Q

what is the key idea of cloward and ohlin :3 subcultures

A

different neighbourhoods give rise to different types of deviant subcultures

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61
Q

what is a super-male

A

another term for XYY syndrome. those affected carry an extra Y (male) chromosome on one of their 23 pairs.

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62
Q

what is the key idea brain injuries

A

brain injury can change personality and are more common in prisoners.

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63
Q

what are criminal subcultures (cloward and ohlin)

A

arise in areas where there is a longstanding professional criminal network. they select youths for an apprenticeship in utilitarian crime and future criminal career

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64
Q

what was the study of Phineas gage (brain injuries)

A

he had a metal rod through the brain. survived but personality changed.

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65
Q

what are conflict subcultures (cloward and ohlin)

A

arise where the only criminal opportunities are within street gangs. violence is a release for frustration and a source of status earned by winning territory from rival gangs

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66
Q

what are retreatist subcultures (cloward and ohlin)

A

made up of dropouts who have failed in both the legistimitate and illigitimate oppurtunity structures. often based on drug use

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67
Q

Strengths of subcultures theories

A
  • These theories show how subcultures perform a function for their members by offering solutions to the problem of failing to achieve goals legitimately
  • cloward and ohlin show how different types of neighbourhood give rise to different illegitimate opportunities and subcultures
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68
Q

Limitations of subcultural theories

A
  • ignore crimes of wealthy and over predicts working class crime
  • assume everyone starts with mainstream goals and turns to a subculture when they fail to achieve them , but some people don’t share those goals in the first place and may be attracted to crime for other reasons
  • actual subcultures are not as clear cut as cloward and ohlin claim. Some show characteristics of all three types
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69
Q

What is a subculture

A

A group within society that has its own set of norms and values that differ from the mainstream

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70
Q

What is status hierarchy

A

System of stratification based on social prestige this can be linked to occupation ,lifestyle

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71
Q

What are inverted values

A

Turning society’s values upside down so what is bad becomes good and vice Versa

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72
Q

What are non utilitarian crimes

A

Crimes committed without financial gain

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73
Q

What are legitimate opportunity structures

A

A way to work your way up in society while staying within the confines of the law

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74
Q

What are illegitimate opportunity structures

A

A way to work your way up in society within a criminal or deviant network

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75
Q

What is interactionism

A

Sees our interactions with each other as based on meanings or labels. Crime and criminals are social constructions

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76
Q

What is labelling theory

A

No act is deviant or criminal in itself it only becomes so when others label you as such

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77
Q

What is differential enforcement

A

Social control agencies use typifications to label some groups as criminal more than others

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78
Q

What is primary and secondary deviance

A

Lemert argues that labelling is a cause of crime, he explains this by distinguishing between primary and secondary deviance

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79
Q

What is self-fulfilling prophecy

A

When an offender is labelled , society’s reaction pushes them into further deviance . They have lived up to their label

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80
Q

What is the deviance amplification spiral

A

An attempt to control deviance through a crackdown leads to it increasing rather than decreasing. This leads to greater attempts to control and even more deviance

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81
Q

What is interactionism and crime statistics

A

Interactionists reject the use of statistics complied by the police because they believe they only measure what the police do rather that what the criminals do

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82
Q

What is the study of the young: the hippies

A

A study in which police attention and labelling led hippies to retreat into closed groups where drug use took over

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83
Q

what is they key idea of disorders

A

some brain diseases have been linked with criminal or anti social disorder. dementia, encephalitis lethargica’ brain tumors, Huntington’s chorea.

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84
Q

what are EEG readings

A

some studies show abnormal EEG readings in psychopathic criminals.

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85
Q

what is the study of cohens the mods and rockers

A

cohen uses the mods and rockers study to explain the amplification spiral

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86
Q

what are the strengths of brain injuries and disorders theories

A
  • a few extreme cases do show brain injury leads to changes in behavior including criminality.
  • some correlation between abnormal EEG readings and psychopathy.
    -prisoners are more likely than non-prisoners to have a brain injury.
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87
Q

what was the media exaggeration in the mods and rockers

A

media exaggeration caused growing public concern

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88
Q

what are the limitations of brain injuries and disorders theories

A
  • crimes caused by brain injury or disease are rare. original personality more important.
  • abnormal EEG not necessarily the cause and not found in all psychopaths.
  • prisoners higher likelihood of brain injury may be affect of criminality not cause - e.g. getting into fights.
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89
Q

what were the moral entrepreneurs in the mods and rockers

A

moral entrepreneurs called for a crackdown leading to more arrests and more concern

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90
Q

what is the key idea of biochemical explanations

A

biochemical substances and processes linked to criminality.

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91
Q

what is the theory about sex hormones in males in biochemical theory

A

Ellis and Coontz - testosterone peaks puberty at 20 which is the same a criminality.

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92
Q

what are the negative labelling in mods and rockers

A

negative labelling of mods and rockers as folk devils

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93
Q

what is the theory about sex hormones’ in females in biochemical theory

A

PMT, PND, lactation all used as defense in court e.g. affected mood/ self control.

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94
Q

what are the strengths of interactionism and labelling theory

A
  • shows that the law is not fixed set of rules but socially constructed
  • shifts focus onto how police create crime by applying labels may explain why some groups are overrepresented in crime statistics
  • shows how attempts to control can create more deviance
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95
Q

what is the theory about blood sugar in biochemical theory

A

hypoglycemia linked to aggression.

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96
Q

what is the theory about substance abuse in biochemical theory

A

prescription and illegal drugs and alcohol linked to crime. can lead to increased aggression.

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97
Q

what are limitations interactionism and labelling theory

A
  • derterministic assumes we have no choice but live up to labels
  • gives offenders a victim status
  • fails to explain primary deviance
  • doesnt say where power to apply a label comes from
  • fails to explain why labels are applied to some groups but not others
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98
Q

what are the strengths of biochemical theory

A
  • biochemical factors recognized by the courts.
  • sex hormones, alcohol, drugs all know to affect mood/ behavior
99
Q

what are the limitations of biochemical theory

A
  • biochemical processes may need an environmental trigger too.
  • some studies find testosterones not linked to physical aggression.
  • infanticide may be cause by isolation rather than hormones.
100
Q

what does EEG do

A

measures brain activity

101
Q

what is testosterone

A

male sex hormone linked to aggression, murder and rape.

102
Q

what does PMT mean

A

pre-menstrual tension - fluctuation in female sex hormones.

103
Q

what does PND mean

A

post-natal depression - used as defense in infanticide

104
Q

what is lactation

A

breast-feeding. used as defense in female crimes.

105
Q

what is hypoglycemia

A

low blood sugar. linked to aggression and alcohol abuse.

106
Q

how can environmental factors be used as a criticism of biological theories

A

biology may give potentially criminal characteristics but need environmental factors too. (biology wont always lead to criminality)

107
Q

what is primary deviance

A

acts that have not been publicly labelled- usually trivial and uncaught. offender soley in terms of their label - this becomes their master status

108
Q

how can sample bias be used as a criticism of biological theories

A

only studying criminals means we don’t know about those that got away - cant generalize

109
Q

how can gender bias be used as a criticism of biological theories

A

most biological research only tells us about male criminality.

110
Q

how can crime is a social construct be used as a criticism of biological theories

A

biological theories look for universal explanations, but crime varies over time, place and culture.

111
Q

what is a sfp

A

the individuals lives up to the label up to the label they have been given

112
Q

what is the key idea of Freuds psychoanalysis

A

our early childhood experiences determine our personality and future behavior including criminality

113
Q

what are folk devils

A

a group or individuals who is labelled negatively by society

114
Q

what are the 3 personality types of Freuds psychoanalysis

A

the 3 types are id, ego and superego

115
Q

what are typifications

A

ideas about what a typical criminal like

116
Q

how does Freuds psychoanalysis link to crime

A

anti social behavior caused by abnormal relationships with parents (neglect or excessively harsh or relaxed parenting). conflicts between id, ego and superego are unresolved. which leads to a weak, over-harsh or deviant superego.

117
Q

what is social construction

A

something that has been made or defined by society rather occurring naturally

118
Q

what is determinism

A

the idea that our behaviour is caused by an external force outside of our control -we have free will

119
Q

what are the strengths of Freuds psychoanalysis

A
  • points to importance of socialization and early family’s relationships in understanding criminal behavior.
  • some influence on policies for dealing with crime and deviance
  • critics doubt the existence of the unconscious mind
120
Q

what is the key idea of Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory

A

there is a link between maternal deprivation and deviant or anti-social behavior

121
Q

what are the limitations of Freuds psychoanalysis

A

unscientific and subjective - relies on accepting claims of a psychoanalyst about the unconscious mind of someone else. no way to tell if they are correct.

122
Q

what is attachment in Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory

A

that a child needs a close, continuous relationship with a primary carer from birth to 5 to develop normally.

123
Q

what is marxism two classes

A

society is divided into two main class groups - bourgeoisie and proletariat

124
Q

what is separation in Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory

A

if attachment is broken, even for a short time, it can lead to affectionless psychopathy and criminal behavior.

125
Q

what is marxims societys institutions

A

all institutions including the law and criminal justice system work to support capitalism and keep the working class in their place

126
Q

what is the evidence of Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory

A

study of 44 juvenile thieves referred to child guidance clinic. 39% suffered maternal deprivation before the age of 5 compared with 5% of control group of non-delinquents.

127
Q

what are the strength of Bowlby’s maternal deprivation

A
  • backed up with evidence form the 44 thieves study
  • shows the importance of parent-child relationships in criminality.
128
Q

what is the exploitation of capitalism causes crime

A

crime is often the only way to survive for the working class as they live in poverty

129
Q

what are the limitations of Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory

A
  • retrospective studies rely on memory
  • doesn’t explain why 61% were not delinquents
  • no evidence of affectionless psychopathy in further studies
  • overestimates how far early childhood affects later behavior
  • Sammons and Putwain - they say maternal deprivation is not linked to criminality
130
Q

what is consumerism in capitalism causes crime

A

advertising pressures people into utilitarian crimes to get goods

131
Q

what is alienation and frustration in capitalism causes crime

A

inequality causes people to lash out and commit non- utilitarian crimes

132
Q

what does id mean

A

instinctive ‘animal’ part of mind - selfish, pleasures seeking

133
Q

what is greed and the profit motive in capitalism causes crime

A

capitalism is a dog- eat - dog system and encourages corporate crimes to gain an advantage

134
Q

what does superego mean

A

conscience or moral part of mind - acting against it leads to guilt and anxiety

135
Q

what does ego mean

A

referees the urges of id and superego. tries to satisfy the ids urges in a socially acceptable way

136
Q

what is chambliss in making and enforcing law

A

laws are made to protect the private property of the rich

137
Q

what is a weak superego

A

less guilt feelings and more likely to act on ids urges.

138
Q

what is a harsh superego

A

craves punishment to release guilt feelings

139
Q

what is a deviant superego

A

successful socialization but into deviant moral code.

140
Q

what is a primary carer

A

the main person who looks after the child

141
Q

what is selective law enforcement in making and enforcing law

A

white collar and corporate crimes of the rich are much less likely to be prosecuted than working class street crimes

142
Q

what is attachment

A

describes the relationship between child and primary carer

143
Q

what is affectionless psychopathy

A

inability to form meaningful relationships as a result of broken attachment before the age of 5.

144
Q

what is socialization

A

process of learning norms and values

145
Q

what is the key idea of Eysenck’s personality theory

A

criminality is the result of a highly neurotic and highly extroverted personality types.

146
Q

what is the example : carson in making and enforcing law

A

out of 200 companies who had broken safety laws, only 3 were prosecuted

147
Q

what is the ideas about crime and law in ideological fuctions of crime and law

A

these are an ideology that conceal the inequality of capitalism

148
Q

what are the personality dimensions of Eysenck’s personality theory

A

extraversion vs introversion
neuroticism vs emotional stability and later added psychoticism

149
Q

what is selective enforcement in ideological functions and law

A

divides working class by making them blame each other instead of capitalism for the problems they face in society

150
Q

what diverts attention in ideological functions of crime and law

A

nobody focuses on the much more serious ruling class crimes

151
Q

what is a caring face in ideological functions of crime and la w

A

laws which seem to benefit working class actually benefit capitalism make it seem caring

152
Q

how does extraversion link to crime in Eysenck’s personality theory

A

have a nervous system with a high need for stimulation so constantly seek excitement through rule-braking and impulsive behavior.

153
Q

what is the strengths of marxism

A
  • shows how poverty can cause working class crime and how capitalism promotes greed and encourages ruling class crime too
  • shows how law making and enforcement are biased against the working class and in favour of the poweful
154
Q

how does neurotics link to crime in Eysenck’s personality theory

A

are harder to condition into following society’s rules because high anxiety levels prevent them from learning from punishment

155
Q

how does psychotics link to crime in Eysenck’s personality theory

A

people with high P score tend to be solitary misfits who are more likely to be criminal and may have serious mental illness e.g. schizophrenia

156
Q

strengths of Eysenck’s personality theory

A
  • describes how some measurable tendencies may lead to criminality
156
Q

limitations of Eysenck’s personality theory

A
  • Farrington’s study show that prisoners are not often extraverted
  • E measures two separate things - impulsiveness and sociability. these things don’t always correspond.
  • personality type and criminality are correlated, but this doesn’t prove personality types cause criminality.
  • convicted offenders may not be typical of offenders on the whole.
  • Eysenck used self-report questionnaires - people may lie making the results invalid.
157
Q

What are the limitatations of Marxism

A
  • focuses on class and ignores the relationship between crime and other inequalities
  • over predicts the amount of working class crime - not all poor people turn to crime
  • not all capitalist societies have high crime rates
158
Q

What is structural theory

A

An explanation that focuses on the way in which society is organised

159
Q

What is capitalism

A

An economic system in which there are 2 classes. The ruling class exploit the working class for profit

160
Q

What is proletariat

A

The working class. They have to sell the their labour in order to survive

161
Q

What is institution

A

A complex intergrated set of social norms

162
Q

What is consumerism

A

A society which values the buying or consuming of goods

163
Q

What is the bourgeoisie

A

The ruling. They own the means of production. They exploit the working class for profit

164
Q

What is corporate crime

A

Crime committed by or on behalf of a company

165
Q

What is ideology

A

A set of ideas of beliefs

166
Q

What is criminogenic

A

Causes crime

167
Q

What is collar crime

A

Crime committed by an employee within the workplace

168
Q

What is selective enforcement

A

When the law in applied differently to different people

169
Q

What is political outlook in left realism

A

Left wing , socialist. See inequality in capitalist society as root cause of crime. Crime reduction by making society fairer and more equal

170
Q

What is cause : relative deprivation in left realism

A

The media and growing inequality make people unable to afford the lifestyle that is promoted to them. Some turn to crime to gain what they think they should have

171
Q

What is cause : subculture in left realism

A

Criminal subcultures share society’s materialistic goals - legitimate opportunities to achieve them are blocked so they turn to crime

172
Q

What is cause : marginalisation in left realism

A

Marginalised groups have no goals or organisations to represent their interests. Their frustration leads them into non-utilitarian crime

173
Q

Strengths of left realism

A
  • draws attention to importance of poverty, inequality and relative deprivation as causes of crime
  • draws attention to reality of street crime especially effects on victims from deprived groups
174
Q

Limitations of left realism

A
  • Henry and milovanovic : fails to explain crimes of the powerful
  • over predicts working class crime. Not all poor people turn to crime
  • focus on the inner city high crime areas makes crime appear to be greater problem than it is
175
Q

What is the political outlook of right realism

A

Right wing conservative. See crime as a as a growing problem. Best way to reduce it or via control and punishment

176
Q

What is cause: biological differences in right realism

A

Wilson and hernstein : some individuals have biological traits which make them more prone to criminality

177
Q

What is cause : inadequate socialisation in right realism

A

The underclass is welfare dependent and does not have the right norms and values. Lone mothers mean boys lack a male role model and turn to gangs

178
Q

What is offending is a rational choice in right realism

A

People weigh up the costs and benefits of committing a crime before deciding to do it. They have free will

179
Q

What is felson in right realism

A

For a crime to occur there needs to be a motivated offender , a suitable target and lack of a capable guardian

180
Q

what are the strengths of right realism

A
  • rct is supported by rettigs study where students choice to committ crime was determined by severity of punishment
  • feldmans study also found that people would commit crime if risks were low with high rewards
  • bennet and wright : burglars said risk of being caught was important in deciding the decision to commit the crime
181
Q

what are the limitations of right realism

A
  • rettig and feldmans studies were lab experiments - not like real life
  • bennet and wright studiedconvicted burglars. may not be the same as successful ones
182
Q

what is right wing

A

the view that social inequality is inevitable, natural, normal or desirable

183
Q

what is conservative

A

adverse to change or innovation and holding traditional values. favours competition and meritocracy

184
Q

what is left wing

A

supports social equality and often in opposition to social hierachy. wants to support the disadvantaged and reduce inequality

185
Q

what is a socialist

A

believes in cooperation and collective ownership. favours equality and social welfare

186
Q

what is relative deprivation

A

feeling poor or disadvantaged in comparision to those around you

187
Q

what is the key idea of foucault :the panopticon

A

in todays society people engage in self - surveilance. we are also under electronic surveillance. surveillance has become an increasingly important form of crime control

188
Q

what is the panopticon in the foucault theory

A

a prison designed so that guards could see all prisoners, but prisoners did not know if they were being watched or not

189
Q

what is self surveilance in the foucault theory

A

prisoners had to assume they were being watched and behave properly just in case

190
Q

what is the disciplinary power in the foucault theory

A

foucault argues this design is now everywhere in society and disciplinary power and self surveillance now reaches every individual

191
Q

what is the key idea : synopticon in mathiesons theory

A

as well as surveillance from above, we are now surveilled from below aswell, everybody watches everybody

192
Q

what is an example of mathiesons synoptic surveillance

A

motorcyclists can monitor the behaviour of others with dashcams or helmet cameras. this may change behaviour of others they excersise self- discipline

193
Q

what is actuarial in actuarial justice and profiling

A

comes from the insurance industry - an actuary is someone who calculates the risk of certain events happening

194
Q

what is feeley and simon in actuarial justice and profiling

A

actuarial justice is a new form of surveillance. it aims to predict and prevent future offending. it uses statistical information to reduce crime by compiling profiles of likely offenders

195
Q

what are the strengths of surveillance theories

A
  • focaults work has led to more research into surveillance and disciplinary power - especially the idea of an electronic panopticon
  • researchers have identified other forms of surveillance such as actuarial justice and profiling
196
Q

what are the limitations of surveillance theories

A
  • focault exaggerates the extent of control
  • surveillance may not change peoples behaviour as faucault claims
197
Q

what is disciplinary power

A

power that is excersised over people, to develop their capacity for self control, or to encourage them to conform to societys norms and values

198
Q

what is self - surveillance

A

when people have to regulate their own behaviour because they know they could be getting watched

199
Q

what are general criticisms of sociological theories

A

the underlying causes - sociologists disagree with each other about the causes of crime
overprediction - dont explain why not every disadvantage person turns to crime
biological and psychological factors - neglect factors that might explain why one person might turn to crime but another person in the same social position might not

200
Q

what is extraversion

A

an outgoing, sociable, excitement seeking. impulsive, aggressive personality.

201
Q

what is an introvert

A

a reserved, inward-looking, serious, pessimistic, self- controlled personality.

202
Q

what does neurotic mean

A

anxious, moody, depressed, prone to over- reacting.

203
Q

what is conditioning

A

learning through experiences to seek pleasure (rewards) and avoid pain (punishments)

204
Q

what is genetic inheritance

A

some individuals are born with a nervous system that causes them to develop a criminal personality.

205
Q

what is psychoticism

A

having a personality that is cruel, insensitive, aggressive and lacking in empathy.

206
Q

what is correlation

A

relationship between two variables - not cause and effect

207
Q

what is validity

A

how true a test is - does it actually measure what it sets out to measure

208
Q

what is the key idea of Sutherlands differential association theory

A

criminality is the result of imitation and learned attitudes in groups that favor law breaking

209
Q

what study was used for Sutherlands differential association theory

A

group attitudes in the workplace often normalized behavior. members able to justify their crimes - everyone else is doing it.

210
Q

strength of Sutherland differential association theory

A
  • crime often runs in families
  • Matthews said that juvenile delinquents are more likely to have friends who commit anti-social acts - they learn from peer groups.
211
Q

limitations of Sutherlands differential association theory

A

not everyone exposed to criminal influences become criminal

212
Q

what is the key idea of skinners operant learning theory

A

if a behavior results in a reward it will be repeated. if it results in an undesirable outcome it will not.

213
Q

how does skinners operant learning theory link to crime

A

Jeffreys differential reinforcements theory (DRT) suggests that crime must therefore have more rewards for criminals than punishments

214
Q

strengths of skinners operant learning theory

A
  • if a behavior results in a reward it will be repeated. if it results in an undesirable outcome it will not.
  • DRT suggests that crime must therefore have more rewards for criminals than punishments
215
Q

limitations of skinners operant learning theory

A
  • animals are not the same as humans
  • theory ignores mental processes such as thinking, attitudes and values.
  • ignores free will of humans - deterministic
216
Q

what is the key idea of banduras social learning theory

A

much of our behavior is learned form imitating others (models)

217
Q

what is imitation

A

we are more likely to imitate people of higher status than us, and if we see them being rewarded

218
Q

what is the evidence behind banduras social learning theory

A

bobo doll study. children most likely to imitate violent adult model when they see them rewarded.

219
Q

strengths of banduras social learning theory

A
  • takes account of our social nature =- we learn from others experiences
  • banduras study shows importance of role models in learning deviance
220
Q

limitations of banduras social learning theory

A
  • based on lab studies so lacks validity
  • not all observed behavior is easily imitated - we may see criminals rewarded but lack the skills to copy.
  • ignores free will of humans - deterministic
221
Q

what is imitation

A

we acquire criminal skills through observing those around us.

222
Q

what is learned attitudes

A

socialization within a group teaches them attitudes and values about the law.

223
Q

what is behaviorism

A

the idea that rewards and punishments shape our behaviors - even criminality

224
Q

what is positive reinforcement

A

behavior is strengthened by a positive outcome (reward)

225
Q

what is negative reinforcement

A

behavior is strengthened by an undesirable outcome

226
Q

what is determinism

A

the idea that our behavior is caused by an external force outside of our control - we have no free will.

227
Q

what are models

A

people whose behavior we imitate

228
Q

what study was used for Yochelson and Samenow’s criminal personality theory

A

240 male offenders, most of whom had been committed to a psychiatrist unit

229
Q

What is the key idea of Yochelson and Samenow’s criminal personality theory

A

criminals are prone to faulty thinking and this makes them more likely to commit crime

230
Q

how Yochelson and Samenow’s criminal personality theory links to crime

A

criminals show a range of biases and errors in theri thinking and decision-making which may lead to crime e.g. lying, secretiveness, the need for power and control

231
Q

strengths of Yochelson and Samenow’s criminal personality theory

A
  • this has led to other research e.g. PICTS
  • successful treatment e.g. CBT have been developed from these ideas
232
Q

limitations of Yochelson and Samenow’s criminal personality theory

A
  • Yochelson and Samenow didn’t use a control group of non-criminals to compare thinking error with.
    -their sample was unrepresentative - only males, and mostly in psychiatric hospitals. cant account for all criminals
    -high sample attrition rate - only 30 left in study by the end
233
Q

key idea of Kohlberg’s moral development theory

A

our ideas of right and wrong develop through a series of levels and stages from childhood to adulthood.

234
Q

how does Kohlberg’s moral development theory link to crime

A

criminals are stuck at a less mature level of moral development and likely to think only of reward and punishment, not about how their actions affect others.

235
Q

what is CBT

A

cognitive behavioral therapy - treatment to ‘correct’ faulty thinking patterns - most likely treatment of cognitive theories

236
Q

what are the strengths of Kohlberg’s moral development theory

A
  • some studies support delinquents having less mature stages of moral development
  • found the theory to be truer for planned crimes such as theft and robbery than impulsive crime link violence
237
Q

what are the limitations of Kohlberg’s moral development theory

A
  • focuses on moral thinking rather than moral behavior. someone may be perfectly capable of thinking morally, whilst acting immorally
238
Q

what is cognition

A

thinking / mental processes such as attitudes, beliefs, reasoning, decision-making, self concept and how we interpret the world around us.

239
Q

what is cognitive theory

A

the idea that how we think, interpret a situation will affect how we respond

240
Q

what is PICTS

A

psychological inventory of criminal thinking styles - a questionnaire aimed at reveling criminal thought patterns

241
Q

what does representative mean

A

if the result of a study can be generalized to the whole population

242
Q

what is an attrition rate

A

the number of participants who drop out of a study

criminology (2 decks)

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