Week 2 - Social Disorganisation And Ecological Criminology Flashcards
What considerations does the sociological study of crime make?
It considers extraneous societal factors as to why people commit crime
Why did these studies start in the 19th century?
Because of the start of the industrial revolution
What are the two types of deprivation?
Material derivation and multiple deprivation
What is material deprivation?
The absence of material goods such as food, clothing and housing
What is multiple deprivation?
The absence of both material goods and resources such as education and knowledge
What are the two types of poverty?
Absolute poverty and relative poverty
What is absolute poverty?
The absence of fundamental needs due to lack of income (e.g. “a family is poor if they cannot afford to eat” Keith Joseph, 1979)
What is relative poverty?
Relative poverty is when someone is poor within the overall standard of living within a society. If an individual is said to be poor if they lack the resources to achieve the lifestyle that is commonly acceptable.
What is social exclusion?
When a society pushes out the poor people within in, leading to poorer areas being denied opportunities for self-betterment such as education and employment
Who discussed the “ghetto poor”?
Wilson (1999)
What is the “ghetto poor”?
The ghetto poor is the poor community that experience multiple deprivations, from low educational qualifications and standards of health, to high levels of criminal victimisation
Give some examples of weak urban infrastructure
Inadequate public transport, community facilities and educational institutions
What does Wilson (1999) say are the effects of the “ghetto poor” and weak urban infrastructure?
They reduce the chances of social integration into society socially, politically and economically
Give three examples of the likeliest groups to experience poverty
Any of the following:
Women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, single parents, ethnic minorities and the working class
Give some examples of why the working class are poor
Any of the following:
Low pay, immediate gratification, unstable/temporary employment and low educational qualifications
What are the two themes sociological explanations of crime fall under?
Blaming the victim and blaming the system
What is the social democratic approach?
It is based on the ideas of labour and they believe that poverty is a result of the inequalities created by the labour market of capitalist societies (e.g. low wages and high unemployment results in a need for welfare)
Who discusses the “poverty trap”?
Field (1989)
What is the name of the social class proposed by Field (1989)?
The underclass
Who is the underclass?
Consists of three groups of people: the frail elderly pensioner, the long term unemployed and the lone parent
What is the cultural explanation of poverty?
It proposes that it is the norms and values of the poor that keep them poor, such as rarely taking opportunities and being reluctant to work or plan for the future
Who learns the “culture of poverty”?
Children learn it from their parents, creating the cycle of deprivation
Who is associated with the Cycle of Deprivation?
Sir Keith Joseph
Who developed the Cost of Exclusion?
The Princes Trust (2007)
