Crime and Deviance Flashcards
(234 cards)
how does Durkheim say crime is normal?
-socialisation:
not everyone socialised effectively, underclass have a different set of norms and values
-subcultures:
suffer from anomie and normlessness making it hard to follow collective conscience
what are Durkheim functions of crime?
-Boundary maintenance
-Adaptation and change
what is boundary maintenance?
crimes that are concerning strike a reaction and unite members in opposition
punishment reaffirms shared values and society
what is adaptation and change in relation to durkheim and crime?
all forms of social change start with an act of deviance
divorce jesus
highlight immediate need for change
rosa parks civil rights
how does Davis support Durkheim view on crime?
prostitution acts as a safety valve releasing men’s sexual frustration without threatening monotonous nuclear family
how does Polsky support Durkheim view on crime?
pornography safely channels variety of sexual desires away from alternative like adultery
how does Cohen support Durkheims view on crime?
warning that an institution isn’t functioning properly high truancy rates tell us there are issues with the education system
what are evaluations for Durkheim ?
-realists criticise idea that crime is normal, crime is an issue for victims and society
-marxist: doesn’t consider where laws and value consensus come from
-doesn’t consider why some commit crime and some don’t
what does Merton mean by strain theory?
-American dream
-wealth and material success
-strain between socially encouraged goals and socially excepted ways to achieve them
what are the origins of strain theory?
-structural factors- lower class
-cultural factors- American dream
when they don’t marry strain happens
what are the responses to strain theory?
-conformist
-ritualist
-retreatist
-rebel
-innovator
what are strengths of Merton strain theory ?
-explains patterns in official crime statistics
-lower class crime rates higher as have least opportunity to obtain wealth legitimately
What are weaknesses of Merton strain theory?
-explains utilitarian crime by those with no education ( doesn’t explain middle class)
-take statistics at face value- deterministic and over represent working class
-ignores mc power to criminalise wc through laws
-ignores role of group deviance
what does cohen mean by status frustration?
-wc boys failed at school and face anomie in the mc habitus school system
-from subcultures in response
-reverse of mainstream values
what does cohen mean by alternative status hierarchy?
-subcultures value spite, malice, hostility
-praise what society condemns, inverts values of mainstream society
-tried but failed legitimate opportunity structure
-win status from peers
what are strengths of Cohens status frustration theory?
recognised non utilitarian crime
edgework- postmodernists
what are weaknesses of Cohens status frustration?
-demonises wc boys ( marxist white collar crime and corporate crime)
-ignores possibility that wc boys never shared same goals so dont see themselves as failures
what do cloward and ohlin focus on?
not everyone turns to innovation due to blocked opportunities
there is unequal access to illegitimate opportunities too
what are the three types of subcultures according to cloward and ohlin?
criminal subcultures
conflict subcultures
retreatist subcultures
what are criminal subcultures?
Youth apprenticeship for a career and utilitarian crime
Arises in neighbourhoods with an established hierarchy of professional adult crime
What are conflict subcultures?
High levels of social disorganisation
Only illegitimate opportunities are within loosely organised gangs
Winning turf
releases young men’s frustration
What are retreatist subcultures?
double failures
not succeeded at a legitimate route so turn to illegal drug use
what is the Chicago school?
-cultural transmission theory
-differential association theory
-social disorganisation theory
what did the chicago school mean by cultural transmission?
some places develop a criminal tradition which passes through generations