Unit 2 AC2.3 AC3.2 Describe/ evaluate sociological theories of criminality Flashcards
Define function.
What something does – functionalists argue that crime has a positive function.
Define structural theory.
An explanation that focuses on the way in which society is organized.
Define socialisation
Process of learning norms and values
Define anomie
‘Normlessness’ Society has multiple sets of norms and values that are often conflicting.
Define strain
Conflict between the pressure to conform to society’s norms but still achieve its main goals of monetary success
Define utilitarian crime
Crimes committed for financial gain
What is the key idea in Durkheim’s functionalist theory?
Crime unites society’s members against wrongdoers, reinforcing the boundary between right and wrong
State the four important functions of crime.
Safety valve, warning light, boundary maintenance, social change
What is boundary maintenance?
Crime unites society’s members against wrongdoers, reinforcing the boundary between right and wrong
How does crime link to social change?
For society to progress, individuals with new ideas must challenge existing norms and values - this is deviance at first
Why is crime described as a safety valve?
For example, prostitution acts to release men’s sexual frustrations without threatening the nuclear family.
Why is crime seen as a warning light?
Deviance indicates that a society isn’t functioning properly, so action can be taken to fix it.
State one strength of functionalist theory.
First to recognize that crime can have positive functions for society
State two limitations of functionalist theory.
Does not suggest what the right amount of crime is for society to function properly, crime is not functional for all - e.g., victims
What is the key idea in Merton’s Strain Theory?
Crime is the result of unequal access to society’s goal of wealth
What does Merton mean by blocked opportunities?
Not all have an equal chance to achieve wealth - this creates strain for working-class people who cannot access wealth legitimately
What are the four deviant adaptations to strain?
Innovation, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion
What is innovation?
Accept the goal but find illegal ways to achieve it - utilitarian crimes
What is ritualism?
Give up striving for success. Plod along in a dead-end job
What is retreatism?
Reject the goal and means to achieve it. Drop-outs e.g., drunks, vagrants
What is rebellion?
Reject the goal and means, replacing them with new ones to change society - political radicals and alternative cultures e.g., hippies
State two strengths of Merton’s strain theory.
Shows how normal and deviant behavior arise from the same goals, explains why working-class crime rates are higher
State two limitations of Merton’s strain theory.
Ignores crimes of the wealthy, only sees deviance as an individual response, focuses on utilitarian crime only
Define non-utilitarian crime
Crimes committed without financial gain
Define legitimate opportunity structures
A way to work your way up in society while staying within the confines of the law
Define illegitimate opportunity structures
A way to work your way up in society within a criminal or deviant network
What is the key idea in Cohen’s theory?
Crime is a group response to unequal access to society’s goal of wealth
What does Cohen mean by status frustration?
Working-class boys end up at the bottom of the school’s official status hierarchy and feel frustrated and worthless
How does Cohen explain subcultures?
Subcultures offer a solution by providing an alternate status hierarchy in which society’s values are inverted - they gain status by being deviant
What is the key idea in Cloward and Ohlin’s explanation of subcultures?
Different neighborhoods give rise to different types of deviant subcultures.
How do Cloward and Ohlin explain criminal subcultures?
Criminal subcultures arise in areas where there is a longstanding professional criminal network. They select youths for an ‘apprenticeship’ in utilitarian crime and a future criminal career.
How do Cloward and Ohlin explain conflict subcultures?
Conflict subcultures 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.
How do Cloward and Ohlin explain retreatist subcultures?
Retreatist subcultures are made up of dropouts who have failed in both the legitimate and illegitimate opportunity structures. They often involve drug use.
State two strengths of subcultural theories.
- They show how subcultures perform a function for their members. 2. They show how different types of neighborhoods give rise to different illegitimate opportunities and subcultures.
State two limitations of subcultural theories.
- They ignore crimes of the wealthy and over-predict working-class crime. 2. They assume everyone starts with mainstream goals and turns to a subculture when they fail to achieve. Actual subcultures are not as clear-cut as Cloward and Ohlin claim.
Define label
A name, meaning, or definition attached to a person or act.
Define primary deviance
Acts that have not been publicly labeled – usually trivial and uncaught. Offenders don’t see themselves as criminal.
Define secondary deviance
Results from labeling – people treat the offender solely in terms of their label, and this label becomes their master status.
Define the self-fulfilling prophecy
When an offender is labeled, society’s reaction pushes them into further deviance. They have lived up to their label.
Define media exaggeration
The media make the story about a crime seem worse than it is.
Define moral entrepreneur
Someone of high status who publicly calls for a crackdown on crime.
Define folk devils
A group or individual who is labeled negatively by society.
Define typifications
Ideas (usually held by the police) about what a typical criminal is like.
Define social construction
Something that has been made or defined by society rather than occurring naturally.
Define determinism
The idea that our behavior is caused by an external force outside of our control – we have no free will.
What is interactionism?
Interactionism sees our interactions with each other as based on meanings or labels. Crime and criminals are social constructions.
What is labelling theory?
Labelling theory states that no act is deviant or criminal in itself – it only becomes so when others label it as such.
What is differential enforcement?
Social control agencies use typifications to label some groups as criminal more than others.
How does labelling link to the self-fulfilling prophecy?
When an offender is labeled, society’s reaction pushes them into further deviance. They have lived up to their label.
What is the deviance amplification spiral?
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.
How do interactionists explain crime statistics?
Interactionists reject the use of statistics compiled by the police because they believe they only measure what the police do (who they arrest) rather than what criminals do (how much crime there actually is).
How does labelling link to Young’s study on the hippies?
Police attention and labeling led hippies to retreat into closed groups where drug use took over.
What interactionist concept does the Mods and Rockers study explain?
The Mods and Rockers study explains the deviance amplification spiral.
How does the Mods and Rockers study explain negative labeling?
The Mods and Rockers were negatively labeled as folk devils, which intensified the public’s reaction and labeling of them.