exam 3 - criminology Flashcards
(28 cards)
labeling theory
-individuals who are labeled as criminals internalize these characterizations and tailor their future accordingly
-we take on titles, both positive and negative, that we are given
-if we are told repeatedly that we are worthless (etc) , we start to believe it
-all young people act out in some way, but its a matter of who gets caught
-labeling is a self fulfilling prophecy
-labeling results in racial profiling, importance of class and race in criminal justice system
stigma
-a generic negative depiction of a person based on certain aspects of their bx (for those who are caught)
deviant vs normal
-social groups decide who is in/out, who is deviant or normal
-deviance is a social construct
primary vs secondary deviance
primary = initial acts of deviance that perpetuate the notion that youth are delinquent
secondary = continued participation in crime
reintegrative shaming
-punishing offenders and bringing them back into society
-ex: incarceration, drug rehabilitation
disintegrative shaming
-when individuals are labeled as deviants and shamed or blocked from returning to society
-ex: sex offenders (registry lists)
constructive reintegrative shaming
communities that have constructive reintegrative shaming have lower recidivism rates
public shaming
can be a deterrent for crime
social ecology of crime
considers place, rather than people, as cause of crime
social disorganization theory
-attempts to understand why some communities have higher crime rates rather than why some individuals commit crimes
-assumes that social organizations within a community, when functioning normally, enables a community to deal with crime
-includes schools, churches, businesses, police, government, and neighbors
-accordingly, crime happens in certain areas because of institutional failures rather than failed people
-theory suggests that anyone could commit crimes if they were living in or grew up in certain environments
2 principles of social disorganization theory
- people compete for resources
- people exist in a world of mutual dependence
communities change over the years - social disorganization theory
-property values linked to location and proximity to public transportation, accessibility to highways and school systems
-property values decline when there are railroad tracks, factories and airports close by
-no one wants to live where there is a lot of disease, filth or stench
-some communities cannot prevent these things - simply desiring change does not cause it
-areas with worst crime tend to have no organization
natural conditions for social disorganization:
-residential instability
-racial/ethnic heterogeneity
-poverty
residential instability
-population turnover, lack of stable population, which doesn’t lend itself to individuals establishing relationships and bonds with one another
racial/ethnic heterogeneity
-different races and cultures isolate themselves and don’t speak with one another, and therefore there are higher crime rates
organized communities
-less crime because people know one another, look out for each other, supervise and have stake in their own neighborhoods
-in organized communities, people tend to have informal bonds with each other
-disorganized communities tend to lack these bonds affiliation
collective efficacy
-residents trust one another and act in concert to maintain order in public spaces, such as parks or sidewalks
-residents protect the interest of the community
to survive a disorganized community:
-one often has to take on a tough, violent persona and be ready to fight
-origin of street code culture
-lower social networks lead to lower social control and to increased street crime
strain theory
-proposes that frustration and stress cause people to commit crimes
-most common reaction to frustration is aggression
-asserts that people wouldn’t normally commit a crime, but the circumstances are so extreme that they feel they have no other choice
-not all obstacles are of the same importance - only a certain type of obstacle would push someone to commit a crime
Merton’s Strain Theory
-the American Dream is the cause of stress and frustration for people
The American Dream
-to achieve money and success
-idea is learned, not something we’re born with
-not born wanting money, power or success
-a label for our culture
-goals we are socialized to want
-the means are the rules we have to follow while striving to achieve these goals
-media is the messenger of this label
-often, we think material things will make us happy
-told to achieve it, must work hard and go to school, be competitive
-emphasis on competition, winning and self-serving bx’s
-assumes we all have same opportunities
responses to strain theory
-dismisses it because it saw poverty as the fault of the poor
5 ways of coping with the American Dream
- conformity: individual continues to strive for the American dream and obey the rules of society despite not achieving great wealth; most common
- innovation: continue to strive for success but don’t go about it in acceptable ways (crime, bribery, scams, etc)
- ritualism: do not commit crime, less ambition and hope to hold on to what little they have
- retreatism: escaping or dropping out of society (drugs, alcohol)
- rebellion: replace rules/goals and commit crimes to advance society towards the ends they see as legitimate
Agnew’s Strain Theory
over generalizing American dream
-defined strain as when something of value is removed from us such as a loss of privileges or loss of job
