Unit 2 - AC2.3 - Describe sociological theories of criminality Flashcards
what is sociological theories of criminality
these focus on how society influences whether people become criminal
what are the 4 sociological theories
social structure / interactionism / realism / functionalism
what does social structure mean
this refers to how peoples place in the socioeconomic structure of their society influences the chances of them becoming a criminal
what does social structure mean
this refers to how peoples place in the socioeconomic structure of their society influences the chances of them becoming a criminal
what are the 2 theories within social structure
marxism / selective enforcement
who created the idea of marxism
karl marx
what is a marxist view on criminality
criminal activity is inevitable in a capitalist society
what are the 2 classes within society
the ruling capitalist class (bourgeoise) / the working class (proletariat)
what is the reason that marxists say the ruling class exploit the working class
profit
how many reasons did marx say there are as to why crime is inevitable
4
what is the first reason fir crime
the working class are exploited and driven into poverty, then they turn to crime to survive
what is the second reason for crime
aggressive advertising creates a desire for goods so people commit crimes to get them
what is the third reason for crime
frustration and alienation caused by feelings of inequality due to the wealth divide
what is the fourth reason for crime
profit is emphasised within society meaning competition is increased in the high classes leading to crimes like tax evasion, illegal dumping etc
what do marxists believe that the ruling class use crime as a means of
social control
what do institutions like police & schools encourage
conformity to capitalist values
what crimes do marxists believe laws tend to ignore
white collar / corporate
what crimes do marxists believe the law gives a higher profile to
street crimes / moral crimes
what do marxists believe that the government fabricate
crime statistics
what % of gov statistics are said to be false and misleading
42%
carson found that ?/200 companies that had broken the law were prosecuted
3
what is corporate crime usually punished with
fines
what is selective enforcement
choosing to enforce certain laws and not others
why do marxists think that the police/gov focus on crimes committed by the working class
to take the attention away from the ruling class who’s crimes tend to have more serious and widespread consequences
who do laws appear to protect
working class
who do marxists say the law actually protects
ruling class
strengths of the marxism theory
the theory covers all classes and crimes / has practical applications
weakness of the marxism theory
doesn’t address gender or ethnic inequalities / can exaggerate the amount of crime by the working class / some capitalist countries don’t have high crime rates like Switzerland and japan so cant be applied everywhere
what is interactionism?
how people within a society interact with each other.
what is the example of interactionist theory
labelling theory
what is the labelling theory
a label is given to someone and then how we interact with them is influenced by their label
what is argued about crime and deviance
no act is criminal or deviant itself, it becomes one when we create rules and regulations around the act to make it criminal
what is an example of this
homosexuality was made a crime in the 50’s in the UK, but is no longer
who identified the two types of deviance
edwin lemert
what two types of deviance did lemert identify
primary and secondary
what is primary deviance
trivial deviant acres that go uncaught like stealing stationary from work
what is secondary deviance
acts that have been labelled as deviant
what is a master status
the label given to someone
what is the process of interactionism
master status - deviant subculture - self-fulfilling prophecy - deviance amp spiral - moral panic - increase call for action - etc
define deviant subculture
a culture including deviance and crime
what is an example of interactionism in society
mods and rockers
strengths of interactionism
practical applications / shows media’s role
weakness of interactionism
doesn’t explain the origins of the deviance /
what are the 2 types of realism
right and left
what us right realism
right wing conservative political viewpoints that encourage tough crime sentences
what is crime related to in right realism
inadequate social control
what perspective is the right realism theory in direct contrast to
Marxism
what 3 factors do right realists see crime as a consequence of
biological differences / inadequate socialisation / offending as a rational choice.
what is an example of inadequate socialisation theory
maternal deprivation / nuclear family
strengths of right realism theory
Rettig’s research supports the theory / discourages crime
weaknesses of right realis theory
overlooks white collar crime / ignores poverty and situation as causes of crime / ignores impulsivity as a consequence of drugs and alcohol as a reason for crime
what is left realism
left wing socialist political opinions that see societal inequalities as the reason fir crime
what do left realists say the best way of reducing is
reducing inequality
who argues that there are 3 related causes of crime
Lea and Young
what are the 3 related causes of crime proposed by lea and young
related deprivation / subculture / marginalisation
what is relative deprivation
how deprived someone feels compared to others
what is subculture
a group who’s values may promote crime to achieve the lifestyle they desire
strengths of left realism
has practical applications / is seen as a more moral realism theory
weaknesses of left realism
fails to explain white collar crime / doesnt explain why many people from working class and deprived backgrounds dont commit crime
what is a FUNCTIONALIST view of crime
functionalists see crime as serving a number of functions in society
what does emile durkheim see crime as
inevitable because expecting equally committed social values and beliefs from all members of a society is unrealistic
what are the 3 functions does crime serve in society
uniting society / shared beliefs / social change
what can crime be a warning of
something is wrong in society and it isnt functioning correctly
strengths of functionalism
alternative viewpoint / it looks at crime as inevitable and that it has a function
