exam 2

Question 1

Shaw and McKay: what is Social Disorganization

Answer 1

it is the breakdown of social institutions in a community

Question 2

Shaw and McKay: how did they test their hypothesis and what where their findings?

Answer 2

examined how measures of crime were distributed in dif. zones of the city. found rates of crime by area were similar regardless of ethnic groups that lived there

Question 3

Shaw and McKay: what did they find regulated levels of delinquency?

Answer 3

characteristics of the area, not the people, regulated levels of delinquency

Question 4

Shaw and McKay: what areas had highest rates of delinquency

Answer 4

areas most disadvantageous in relation to economic, social, and cultural values

Question 5

Shaw and McKay: what happened in high rate delinquency areas?

Answer 5

competing and conflicting moral values developed. in contrast, low rate areas had uniformity, consistency, and universality of conventional values.

Question 6

Shaw and McKay: what happened in low rate delinquency areas?

Answer 6

they’d constructed leisure activities, supervised children, and resisted behavior that threatened conventional values

Question 7

Shaw and McKay: characteristics of high rate delinquency areas

Answer 7

many adult criminals, delinquents committed offenses in groups, allowed youths to be in contact with crime values, which get passed on thru generation

Question 8

Shaw and McKay: empirical support for social disorganization theory?

Answer 8

support that soc. disorg. is major cause of delinquency, started the Chicago area project which tried to change the neighborhood and help youth

Question 9

Shaw and McKay: criticisms of social disorganization theory

Answer 9

there is no measure of social disorganization, doesn’t explain why some offend and others don’t in the same area, doesn’t address factories moving in

Question 10

Sub-cultural soc. disorg. theory: Ferracuti and Wolfgang

Answer 10

examined the violent themes of a group of inner- city youth. says violence is culturally learned adaptation to deal with neg. life circumstances.

Question 11

Cultural and sub-cultural theories of crime?

Answer 11

assumes there unique groups in society that socialize children to believe that certain activities violate conventional law and are good and pos. ways to behave

Question 12

Sub-cultural soc. disorg. theory: Miller?

Answer 12

proposed entire lower class had its own cultural value system. there are 6 focal concerns: trouble, toughens, smartness, fate, autonomy, excitement.

Question 13

Anderson’s sub-cultural soc. diorg. theory?

Answer 13

says that due to deprived conditions in inner cities, blacks feel sense of hopelessness, isolation, and despair

Question 14

Anderson: the code of the streets

Answer 14

masculinity and control of ones environment are treasured traits: this control is perceived as only thing blacks can control given harsh conditions they live in

Question 15

social disorganization theory: Sampson

Answer 15

argued crime is higher in inner city b/c residents lost ability to exercise normal social control

Question 16

Sampson and Grove:

Answer 16

made survey to measure social disorganization (criticism of Shaw/mcKay)

Question 17

soc disorg. Sampson and Wilson- urban inequality

Answer 17

subcutural soc. disorg. and cultrual social isolation explained higher rated of inner city crime. argued variations in disrog. linked to racial inequality

Question 18

How did Sampson and Wilson connect soc. disorg. to racial inequality?

Answer 18

blacks more likely to live in areas with concentrated poverty due to macro structural factors

Question 19

Sampson and Wilson: cultural values and crime

Answer 19

in socially isolated areas, cultural values develop that view violence and crime as unavoidable given the situation.

Question 20

Sampson, Radenbush and Earls

Answer 20

further elaborated social disorg. theory. developed concept of collective efficacy which is willingness of community residents to excessive informal social control and trust and help each other

Question 21

how did sampson radenbush and earls enrich social disorg theory

Answer 21

added element that neighbors must mutually support each other. envisioned collective efficacy as dynamic factor

Question 22

what happens to communities low in collective efficacy

sampson, raden, and earls

Answer 22

they cant mobilize as a group to solve problems and thus have higher crime rates

Question 23

Emile Durkheim- anomie theories

Answer 23

insisted on primacy of groups and social organizations in understanding human behavior, specifically linked crime to broader social change

Question 24

Anomie and Strain theories

Answer 24

challenged biological based theories and says motivation for crime is derived from society. social forced pressure people into crime

Question 25

Merton's Anomie theory

Answer 25

focuses on why US has higher rates of crime than others, focuses on relative emphasis placed on cultural goals and institutionalized norms for achieving these goals

Question 26

Merton: cutural and social strucutures

Answer 26

consists of the goals and norms. the gap between cultural goals and institutional means puts strain on individuals

Question 27

Merton: empirical support for strain theory

Answer 27

major impacts on public policy, economic inequality is strong predictor of social difs. in crime rates

Question 28

legitimate means Merton?

Answer 28

legitimate means, like education and economic resources, to achieve valued goals is not accessible to all. strain is put on these individuals

Question 29

What ways does Merton say people can adapt in his strain theory?

Answer 29

in five ways: conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion

Question 30

Cohen's sub-cultural strain theory main idea?

Answer 30

Argued strained individuals unlikely to engage in crime unless they first form/join a delinquent subculture whose values are conducive to crime

Question 31

Cohen's SubCult. strain: culture of gang/delinquency

Answer 31

general explanation for origin of deviant subcultures. Delinquency is caused by goal blockage. money isn't only goal blockage. Middle-class stat. (respect from others/ financial success also blocked)

Question 32

Cloward and Ohlin’s Differential Opportunity Theory

Answer 32

Assumed all youth socialized to believe in American Dream, when individuals realize they're blocked from conventional opportunities they become frustrated and strained. focuses on gang formation

Question 33

Cloward and Ohlin’s Differential Opportunity Theory: Types of Gangs

Answer 33

criminal gangs- lower class area that have organized structure of adult criminal behavior. conflict gangs- develop in areas with weak stability and lil to no organization. Retreatist gangs- ppl who've failed to succeed in conventional world and could not achieve status in criminal groups in area.

Question 34

Cohen's theory of lower-class status frustration and gang formation

Answer 34

strain that youth feel in failure in school/performance/respect among their peers (status frustration) leads them to develop a system of values that is contrary to middle-class standards/values. These lower-class male youth adopt normative value system that defies the very values they are expected to live up to.

Question 35

Cohen: status frustration specifically?

Answer 35

Can achieve financial success through crime, cannot achieve other aspects of middle-class status (respect) thru crime. so adapt to their goal blockage by setting up alternative status system where they can achieve success.

Question 36

Cloward and Ohlin dif. opp. theory: Illegitimate opportunities

Answer 36

emphasized both legal and illegal opportunities. Forms of adaption depend on availability of illegitimate opportunities

Question 37

Agnew's general strain theory main idea?

Answer 37

argued there are multiple sources of strain. presented more strains, distinguished between objective and subjective strains experienced, vicarious, and anticipated strains.

Question 38

Agnew's general strain theory: why do people engage in crime?

Answer 38

experience strain/stressors. crime is corrective action ppl use to cope or reduce strains and the negative emotions associated with them.

Question 39

Agnew's general strain theory: when are strains most likely to lead to crime?

Answer 39

when they are seen as high in magnitude, unjust, associated with low social control, create some pressure or incentive for criminal coping. crime most likely when 2 or more strains experienced at same time/close together in time

Question 40

Agnew's general strain theory: Empirical support

Answer 40

some support. delinquency higher when people experience lots of neg. life events.

Question 41

Anomie theories: weaknesses?

Answer 41

anomie/strain theory emphasize monetary goals, fails to account for violent crime. Lower class reaction theory emphasizes low class crime, not stressors beyond social class. Differential opportunity emphasizes lower class crime, too simplistic

Question 42

social learning theory people and their theories

Answer 42

Sutherland and Cressy- differential association. Glaser's differential identification. Aker's social learning theory

Question 43

social learning theory main tennents

Answer 43

argues people learn to engage in criminal behavior. we enter world a blank slate and attitudes/behavioral decisions are gained thru social interaction

Question 44

what do social learning theories seek to explain?

Answer 44

how criminal and non criminal behavior is learned thru cultural values people internalize. key feature is influence of peers on individuals behavior

Question 45

Sutherland and cressy- diff. assoc.: 1st proposition

Answer 45

criminal behavior learned, not inherited

Question 46

Sutherland and cressy- diff. assoc.: 2nd proposition

Answer 46

criminal behavior learned thru interaction with others,

Question 47

Sutherland and cressy- diff. assoc.: 3rd proposition

Answer 47

learning criminal behavior occurs within personal groups

Question 48

Sutherland and cressy- diff. assoc.: 4th proposition

Answer 48

when criminal behavior is learned learning includes the techniques of committing crime and the specific direction of motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes

Question 49

Sutherland and cressy- diff. assoc.: 6th proposition

Answer 49

person becomes delinquent because excess of defs. favorable to violation of law over defs. unfavorable to violation of law

Question 50

Sutherland and cressy- diff. assoc.: 7th proposition

Answer 50

Differential association may vary in frequency, duration, priority, intensity

Question 51

Sutherland and cressy- diff. assoc.: 9th proposition

Answer 51

criminal behavior = expression of general needs and values, its not explained by those general needs and values

Question 52

Sutherland and cressy- diff. assoc.: weaknesses

Answer 52

no room for freedom of choice. not good description of definitions favorable/un to crime. people hold beliefs that approve/justify crime. ppl hold values that don't directly approve of crime but are conducive to crime.

Question 53

Sutherland and cressy- diff. assoc.: Strengths

Answer 53

explains both criminal/non criminal behavior, explains individual variation w/o blaming individuals.

Question 54

Glaser's Differential Identification: main idea?

Answer 54

allows for learning to take place not only thru people close to us, but also thru other reference groups, even distant ones (such as movie stars) whom individuals have never actually met

Question 55

Aker's social learning theory: main idea?

Answer 55

2 additions to Sutherland/ Cressy: argues definitions of favorable crimes are important and crime maybe learned thru imitation and differential reinforcement

Question 56

Aker's social learning theory: what is differential association?

Answer 56

Groups ppl assoc. with that exposes diff. reinforcements. primary groups: like family/friends. Secondary groups: like church, school, media

Question 57

Aker's social learning theory: definitions?

Answer 57

one's own attitudes or meanings attached to a behavior. orientations/rationalizations/other evaluative/moral attitudes that define acts as good or bad. can be general or specific.

Question 58

Aker's social learning theory: approving attitudes towards crime

Answer 58

can be positive - makes behavior permissible/desirable. or neutralizing - justifies/excuses behavior.

Question 59

Aker's social learning theory: differential reinforcement?

Answer 59

operant conditioning and modeling helped to more clearly understand decisions to commit criminal behavior

Question 60

Aker's social learning theory: empirical support

Answer 60

strong support for social learning variables. Patterson showed social learning mechanisms in parent child interactions are strong predictors of behavior

Question 61

Aker's social learning theory: weaknesses

Answer 61

strong relationship between self reported delinquency and peer associations is b/c delinquency is often measured by individuals report of delinquency of their peers.

Question 62

control theories main tennets?

Answer 62

human nature for people to naturally break the law. crime is easy means to get gratification. argues control society has over ppl is why they don't commit crime. individuals bond to society is weakened. Variation in control = why some ppl break law more than others.

Question 63

early control: Reiss

Answer 63

Delinquency is consequence of weak controls resulting in weak ego or superego controls. There is not explicit motivation for delinquent activity. family is primary source thru which deviance discouraged. ppl must be closely monitored for behavior and disciplined when they break the rules. The ability to restrain one’s impulses and delay gratification was important.

Question 64

early control: Nye

Answer 64

places a strong focus on the family-external control. no significant positive force causing delinquency, b/c such antisocial tendencies are universal. Added three components: Internal control, Direct control (jail or formal), Indirect control (relationships or informal)

Question 65

early control- Reckless containment: push and pull theories?

Answer 65

push theories: argued forces pushed people into criminal behavior. Pull theories: ppl can be lured into criminal behavior by antisocial models and companions

Question 66

early control- Reckless containment: outer containment?

Answer 66

Often weak and not strong enough to control the pushes and pulls of crime

Question 67

early control- Reckless containment: inner containment

Answer 67

good self control ego strength, well-developed superego (conscience), a good self- concept, high resistance to diversions, high frustration tolerance

Question 68

Control: Matza drift theory: main tennets

Answer 68

ppl offend at times in life when social controls are weakened. soft determinism. When supervision is absent/ties are minimal, ppl are the most “free” to do what they want so they drift into deviance.

Question 69

Sykes and Matza's : techniques of neutralization

Answer 69

a set of beliefs that justify criminal behavior in certain circumstances. Deviance seen as valid by delinquent but not by society at large. 5 of them.

Question 70

neutralization techniques: Denial of responsibility

Answer 70

deflects blame attached to violations of social norms and establish the violation as independent of a personality structure. Can be asserted that the delinquent act was outside the individual and beyond his control

Question 71

neutralization techniques: denial of injury

Answer 71

Centers on the harm involved in the delinquent act/whether anyone has clearly been hurt by their deviance. Delinquent feels that their behavior does not really cause any great harm despite the fact that it runs counter to law

Question 72

neutralization techniques: denial of victim

Answer 72

Argues injury is not wrong in light of the circumstances. Not really an injury, rather a rightful retaliation or punishment. Sees self as an avenger and the victim as a wrong-doer

Question 73

neutralization techniques: condemnation of the condemners

Answer 73

The deviant shifts the focus of attention from own deviant acts to the motives and behavior of those who disapprove of their violations. The deviant argues their condemners are hypocrites, deviants, etc

Question 74

neutralization techniques: appeal to higher loyalties

Answer 74

Sacrificing the demands of the larger society for the demands of the smaller social groups to which the delinquent belongs. Sees self caught up in dilemma that must be resolves at the cost of violating the law. (ex: stealing something to look cool for your peer group of friends)

Question 75

Hirschi social bond theory

Answer 75

Focused on how an individuals bond to society influences decisions to break the law. 4 elements of bond= attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. (more on doc)

Question 76

empirical support for Hirschi's

Answer 76

consistent support that weak social bonds increase criminal behavior

Question 77

Weaknesses of Hirschi's

Answer 77

Hirschi’s claim that other theories are not empirically viable is wrong. Hirschi does not examine how macro social changes ins society affect the strength of social bonds for people in different sectors.