Unit 2.3 Flashcards
What did Bonger 1905 say about crime?
Capitalism is criminogenic:
- Poorer people forced into crime to obtain necessities.
- People are forced into competition with each other in capitalism, care less commit crime.
- Power and money make the laws in their interests e.g Vagrancy Act.
What did Chambliss argue about crime?
Argued that ruling class design laws to protect private property and that laws more lightly to be enforced in w/c areas.
How do Marxists view society?
Property-owners control culture and economy, rich make laws in their interests, class conflict is inevitable.
What is the Labelling theory?
Creates stereotypes and responses e.g young black men are disproportionally stopped and searched.
Labelling is a self fulfilling prophecy.
What is primary deviance?
Minor deviance acts where perpetrator does not view themselves as a criminal e.g fare dodging.
What is secondary deviance?
People may treat the offender mainly in terms of his criminal identity, this may cause the person to join a deviant subculture. (deviance amplification spiral)
What are some positives for Labelling theory?
- Shows how law is often enforced in a descriminality way.
2. Role of the media or communities in creating deviancy amplification.
What are the negatives for Labelling theory?
- Fails to explain why it happens in first place.
2. Labelling someone does not always mean they will link up to it.
How do functionalists view crime?
Crime is endemic to societies based on competitive individualism with a high division of labour.
They believe that crime is a social fact, and that it performs a positive social function as it reinforces social norms. (Norms break down due to times of economic crisis and crime increases)
Without crime society would be dysfunctional, and that crime allows people to express individual freedom.
What does the Strain theory (Merton) involve?
Based on the idea of the “American Dream”, social norms involve working to buy a house or car etc.
If the economy is poor, this causes a strain to social norms because it becomes more difficult to achieve economic success.
What are the types of breakdown accorded to the merton thoery?
Innovation
Ritualism
Retreatism
Rebellion
What is Left Realism?
Associated with the political left - liberal, socialists. e.g Labour Party.
What do Left Realists argue?
Crime is primary caused by capitalism, but relative deprivation and inequality is as relevant as poverty.
Capitalism encourages high levels of consumption, but cannot deliver this for all. People are motivated to commit crime by consumerism and materialism.
What is Right Realism?
Associated with political conservatism, questions the importance of economic cause of crime.
They look at family structure and changes in the role of women.
What do the Right Realistists argue?
The welfare state created an underclass, and it is dependent upon the welfare state.
They argue that there is a low work ethic in this class, and that rise in female lone parents has increased the number of work less men who do not play a father figure.
