Unit 2 Crime Flashcards
What are crime and deviance?
Crime and deviance are two important terms that help to understand behaviour in
society. Some acts will be both criminal and deviant. Others might be criminal but
not deviant, or deviant but not criminal. It is important to understand the difference
between the two.
How is crime and deviance socially constructed?
Crime and deviance are both socially constructed. They vary in different societies, places, situations and times. Deviance can bring about social change.
How is crime and deviance linked to social control?
Social order is an important part of sociology. Sociologists agree that social control is kept through informal and formal methods. When informal social control fails in the family, schools and the community, formal social control is necessary, resulting in tougher sanctions.
How do agencies of informal social control keep order in society?
Informal social control is provided by a range of agencies. These include family, education, peers and the media. In addition, local community is part of this and religion may provide a strong binding force which controls its members, giving them a clear sense of right and wrong.
What is the role of the police?
The police play an important role in social control and do important and sometimes
unpleasant jobs. Functionalists see the police in a positive light, whilst Marxists raise
questions about who benefits from the way that policing in the UK is carried out.
What is the role of the courts?
Courts play a vital role in maintaining social control. They socialise the public,
interpret laws and use sanctions to protect the public from dangerous individuals.
Functionalism sees the positive role courts play in social control. Marxists are critical
and say that the courts’ main role is to control the working classes. There is also a
concern that women and ethnic-minority groups are not represented by judges.
What patterns of crime exist in the UK?
Figures for recorded crime have been coming down since the late 1990s, but there are some exceptions to this. Conviction rates for men (young men in particular), ethnic minorities and the working class are higher than for other groups. The New Right would argue that crime is worse than in the past, but it is not clear, drawing on official statistics, if this is actually the case.
Who are the victims of crime in the UK?
Official statistics might show crime in general is on the decrease. However, there are
alarming rises in certain crimes, and some individuals are more likely to be victims
of crime than others. While official statistics are questioned by sociologists, there are
some worrying trends in the patterns shown by the data.
How is age linked to crime?
Patterns of crime relating to age are that young people are more likely to commit
crime, but that children and young people are also more likely to be victims of
crime. This might partly be because young people’s crimes are more visible, but also
because young people have more opportunities for crime than older people. Elderly
people feel worried about crime and are more likely to be the targets of certain
types of crime.
What is the functionalist view of crime?
Functionalist views are based on the views of Emile Durkheim. They say that some
crime and deviance will always happen and is needed for a healthy society. It
strengthens society’s values, reminds us of right and wrong and can help society to
change. Too much crime, however, will be unhealthy.
How do structural theories explain crime?
Merton’s is a structural theory: it sees a person’s position in the structure of
society as the factor that makes them likely to become criminal. Merton
noticed that the emphasis on success in society puts pressure on individuals
which in turn creates anomie. He came up with a model of five possible ways that
individuals might respond.
How do subcultural theories explain crime?
Delinquent and criminal subcultures can explain the actions of those who break
norms, rules and the law. Cohen and Miller both see crime and delinquency as a group
response. The New Right also sees crime as a problem caused by the culture of the
poor. Matza questions the theory that only members of subcultures will commit crime.
How does Marxism explain crime?
Marxists make several claims about crime in capitalist society. They see the greed of
capitalism as the main cause of crime. They also claim that the system is unfair and
loaded in favour of the ruling class. To them, laws reflect ruling-class interests. Critics
say that Marxists are ignoring the harm that crime is doing, especially to the poor
working class. They also see the Marxist view as unrealistic and simplistic.
What is white-collar crime?
White-collar crime is a problem for society. Marxists would say that this crime is ignored because it is committed by high-status individuals. White-collar crime can be complex and difficult to understand, and therefore less attractive to news reporters. Even when white-collar criminals are caught, they tend to just lose their jobs, rather than being taken to court. This might be because companies do not like the bad publicity that criminal convictions bring.
What is corporate crime?
Corporate crimes are those committed by large companies. Marxists say that these crimes tend to be ignored by the media and police and treated less harshly by the courts. They see this as part of the way that the ruling class dominate society.
What do interactionists contribute to the study of crime?
There are many stereotypes about what a typical offender is like. Interactionists say
that there is no such thing as a typical offender. They provide an explanation for
crime based on the labels that are given by the rest of society. By labelling someone
as a criminal, we make them into one.
How is the media linked to crime?
Functionalists see the link between media and crime as a positive one. They claim
that the media attention on crime helps to reinforce our values. Interactionists have
used the idea of labelling to develop the theory of moral panic, which is useful to
understand reactions in society. Marxists argue that labelling benefits the ruling class.
How does social control affect the levels of female crime and deviance?
Feminists argue that there is much less female crime than male crime. The main
argument for this is that women are socially controlled much more closely and
so do not get the opportunities to commit crime. Females are also socialised
to have qualities, such as being gentle and kind, that do not fit in with criminal
behaviour. However, women are more likely to be victims of sexual assaults and
domestic abuse.
How does poverty affect female crime and deviance?
Feminists show that women are less likely than men to commit crime. However,
female crime is increasing as social norms for women are changing. Pat Carlen and
other feminists have begun to listen to the voices of women involved in crime. Carlen
makes strong connections between crime and poverty, ethnicity and social class.
Are feminists treated fairly by the forces of social control?
The sociology of female crime continues to develop. The chivalry theory offered the start of explanations for female crime, but feminists have developed these ideas and added to our understanding. These theories may also help us understand why men are so often convicted of crime.
What is the situation for ethnic minorities and crime?
Sociologists have raised concerns about inequalities related to crime and ethnicity. Some ethnic groups are over-represented in Britain’s prisons. Black sociologists, such as Paul Gilroy, have linked this to racism in society, arguing that crimes by black people are exaggerated in official statistics. Others have drawn attention to the dangers of labelling ethnic groups as being more involved in crime. In addition, people from ethnic minorities are more likely to be victims of crime.
What is institutional racism?
The Macpherson Report caused the police force to give itself a major shake up. The
government has strengthened laws against racism and other types of discrimination.
The police themselves have changed some aspects of their organisation and tried to
appoint more ethnic-minority officers. However, there are still criticisms of the police
and their attitudes and practices.
What problems are there with police statistics on crime?
Official statistics on crime are important to politicians who hope to show that they
are being tough on crime. However, sociologists raise many concerns about whether
these figures can be trusted. There are many factors that influence whether crimes
are even reported. The police also make many changes to the way they record crime.
All these issues make it difficult to be confident of official statistics.
How does the government collect official statistics on crime?
The use of victim studies adds to the accuracy of crime data collected by the
government. However, sociologists would still question how trustworthy these
sources are. The next topic will examine other sociological questions about how
trustworthy official statistics are.
