Crime Flashcards
What is crime
Act which breaks the formal laws of a given society eg burgular
What is deviance
Does not conform to the dominant norms of a specific society going against unwritten rules eg prostitute
What is socially defined behaviour
Whether an act is seen as criminal it deviant depends on the particular social setting / culture which it takes place
Place - where
Culture
Time
What does historical evidence tell us about crime
Beliefs on what is seen as normal and deviant changes over time
For example , WW2 Japanese kamikaze pilote fly planes into ships - was heroic it’s not now
What is social order
Society stable ordered and runs smoothly
What are the two approaches of conflict and consensus
Functionalism- consensus agrees broad agreement among people with norms and values
Consensus comes from the process of socialisation were we learn and share the norms and values of our society - maintained most people agree
Marxists - conflict- based on conflicting interests and social order maintained bourgeoise have power to enforce order
Eg influence the laws passed
What is social control and the two types
The way people are encouraged to follow formal and informal rules in society
Methods of social control- perused people to conform to them eg sanctions
Formal- based on written laws and is linked to the way the state controls behaviour
Agencies
Informal- unwritten rules and processes such as approval or disapproval of other people. Enforced via social pressure
Agencies of formal social control
The bodies that make laws and enforce them and punish that break them
Parliament- Make laws
Police- maintain order and enforce law
Magistrates- volunteer and deal with less serious crime and beer cases dealing with assaults
Crown court- deal with serious crime
Prison - punish and rehabilitate law breakers
Agencies of informal social control
Reactions of Family members Peers Teachers Friends
These reactions may take a positive or negative sanctions what are
What are formal rules
Guide people’s behaviour in many social settings such as schools police and on public transport
In the work place follow rules of health and safety
Written rules have official status
What are informal rules
Guide many aspects of social life - unwritten rules are guidelines on how we are expected to behaviour in particular social settings
Eg asking for toilet in school compared to when at home
What does Durkheim say about crime
Crime is vital and necessary part of healthy societies as it :
Produces a deep shock and outage which helps to remind people the boundaries of behaviour
Publicity in media help reinforce the values of beliefs that society have and together crime can contribute to social cohesion ( people should have a shared set of values)
What are the critiscms or Durkheim
3
Apply to small scale societies not modern
Many crimes harm victims and damage communities - unlikely to reinforce values
Marxists Argue Durkheim ignores the issue of power and that the law functions in interests of dominant
How does Merton explain crime
Merton argues- people want the American dream and people aspirations and goals are determined
However limited opportunities through legal means as Less access to legal op for Working class and ethnic minorities SO
anomie- sense of normlessness - be successfully illegal
What are five responses to anomie
Conformity - individuals accept the goals of success and the legitimate means
Innovation- accept goals of success but lack and turn to crime
Ritualism- reject and abandon the gaols and accept illegitimate means and stick to them
Retreatism- individuals reject goals and reject legitimate means eg drop outs
Rebellion- reject conventional success and replace with alternative eg people who some for change
Critics of Merton
Cohen argues much juvenile delinquency such as vandalism is not motivated by goods
Not clear why some break the rules and then to anomie while others conform
Many sociologist believe society based on conflict
Marxists argue like Durkheim Merton doesn’t consider power relations in society
How do Marxism explain crime
Marxists argue the bourgeoise exploit the poorer wc people and the proletariat
Capitalism causes
Materialism- bombarded by adverts games perfume
Selfishness- competition on how we complete to get ahead of each other
Consumerism- buying products of cap society
Individualism- only concerned about own pursuits
Media reinforce- what we should not/ have crab out a bowl trying to make it in a cap society
Selective law enforcement
Critical of law making they say rules are made to benefit the middle class and are made by them
Wc theft , robbery MC collar crime however in statistics wc crime but no mc crime as Marxists say police don’t see anything mc do
Even though middle class crimes are far more worse than working class frimes - selective law enforcement unfair
Chambliss- certain types of people and crime are more likely to be targeted by the police More police in working class areas - biased statistics = invalid
Critiscms of Marxist approach
Ignore that some middle class people get arrested
Some middle class people commit working class crimes
Unfairness in law enforcement
Functionalist- argue based on consensus not conflict
Feminists - ignore gender in patriarchal society
How does feminism explain crime
Chivalry thesis- women are treated more leaninetly to assume they’re delicate
Double deviance- women are treated more harshly by the CJS as they have deviated away from the norm and broken the law - more horrific when women involved
Feminist- heidsohn- women are a central figure in the socialisation process
Women not allowed to excerise control over men
Women’s behaviour controlled by patriarch
Women are passive
Harder for women to break the law as they are controlled
Explain heidsohn control theory
Public- women controlled by Male violence they fear crime and and sexual assault
Expected to be ladylike and are scared to go out after dark have rep
Home- opp to commit crime is limited and time taken up by housework and looking after others
Children’s exonerations- daughters housework
Son- freedom
Work
Men have more power and authority and are more likely to get promoted
Reason for increase in female crime
Feminism- society less patriarchal this means women becoming liberated from men and expectations decreased
= women become more assertive and confident so increase in crime
Carlen class and gender deals- controlled by deals for conforming to norms
Class deal- money
Gender deal- Male love and affection
Poverty- females more likely to be in poverty = lone parent and be unemployed so commit crimes
Ladette culture- females now take part in laddish behaviour and engage in risk taking
Double deviance garrod- women are treated more harshly as they’re now commuting more serious crimes
How does interaction explain crime
Marxists important
Question who makes rules
What does Becker say
Becker- labelling theory - deviant behaviour - is behaviour that people level as such and label becomes difficult to remove- person labelling has the power
She says: people can deviant careers over time but a master status can lead to self fulfilling prophecy = jimmy Savin pedo not tv presenter
Label depends on :
Time and place - May break rules at a one time in one place but not the other
Who commits the act and who’s harmed by it
Who makes the rules? Marxists Belice the middle class Male the rules because the tiles benefit them and they have the power to label
Critics of interaction approach
4
Feminist - ignores patriarchal and gender inequalities
People can reject their labels
Not all rules benefit middle class
Fails to explain why some break the law and become labelled
