paper 3 Flashcards
(54 cards)
what did althusser say about alienation and crime
- the repressive state apparatus (RSA): direct control through formal social control
- ideological state apparatus (ISA): subtle control by socialising us into accepting capitalist ideology
what did box say about crime stats
official crime statistics are socially
constructed, the idea that most criminals are working
class is part of the capitalist ideology this is then used to scare us and justify higher levels of control
The leads to a higher crime level and a culture of fear – typical criminals are presented as young, male, working class and black
This illusion diverts attention away from serious crimes – those that cause avoidable deaths, injuries and deprivation
what did bonger say about crime and economic conditions
There is a casual
link between crime and
economic conditions
• Those is poor conditions and
competition with one
another for scarce resources
will be driven to criminality
• Capitalism creates a climate
of competition
what did gordon say about where crime happen
The focus of public fear and government control is on urban or
violent crimes
• He points out the prevalence of crime in the USA – criminal
behaviour appears to be the norm rather than an irregularity
• 1961 survey found that 91% of Americans admitted they had
committed acts which the may receive a custodial sentence
• Crime is usually a rational response to the situations people find
themselves in – capitalism has a focus on competition for
resources and inequality
• Ghetto Crime: in poor neighbourhoods where jobs are low paid
and crime can be seen as a rational response
• Corporate Crime: in a competitive capitalist economy
corporate criminality is an attempt to maximise profits and beat
the competition – this is a rational response
what did chambliss say about capitalism and crime
The structure of capitalism
creates the desire to
consumer and the inability
to earn enough money to
meet these consumption
desires
• Crime is located throughout
the social class spectrum
but it is the enforcement of
the criminal law which leads
to the appearance that
criminality is concentrated
in the lower classes
what are radical-criminologists
Radical criminologists (a form of neo-
Marxism) tend to combine two approaches:
• Focus on the process by which an
individual comes to be labelled (similar
to interactionism)
• Look more at the reasons behind the
inequality (similar to Marxists)
what did chambliss say about the saints and the roughnecks
Studied 2 gangs at a school
The Saints
• 8 boys from white upper middle class families
• They were involved in deviant behaviour, including truancy,
drinking and vandalism
• No one was officially arrested – saints used their ‘good
reputation’ in the school to negotiate their way out of trouble
The Roughnecks
• 6 boys from lower-class backgrounds who were constantly in
trouble with police and community
• Their rate of delinquency was similar to the saints
• The roughnecks were perceived as typical gang members and
the police sought out opportunities to arrest them
what did hall and jefferson say about neo-marxist views on working class youth deviance
Produced accounts of ‘spectacular’ youth
subcultures (teddy boys, mods, skinheads and
punks)
• Focused on issues such as identity, style and
societal reactions, whilst recognising the
significance of the socio-economic conditions in
which the youths were growing up.
• The studies argued that the attitudes and styles
of each subculture could be seen as expressions
of resistance against capitalist society and the
class inequalities affecting their lives
what did taylor, walton and young says about the new criminology
Put forward a ‘radical theory of crime’.
• They argue that a ‘fully social theory of
deviance’ must consider :
- the structure of capitalist society — the way it
operates to the benefit of the ruling class
- the individuals involved in social deviance
(offenders, police, magistrates and judges) to
consider how they interpret behaviour and actions.
- societal reactions, including labelling and deviance
amplification
what did hall et al say about policing the crisis
1970s - Britain was experiencing an economic crisis, with high
unemployment, strikes and student protests
This affected the ability of the ruling class to govern by consent. They
had to use force to control the crisis. Crime became the focus, justifying
tougher policing.
• At the same time, racial tensions were stirred up in urban communities,
as competition for jobs and resources was linked to immigration
• Reactions of the police and the court cases of mugging, coupled with
sensationalist media reporting, created a moral panic and made a link
between race and crime
what is a positive of radical criminology
Radical criminology draws on
some older ideas but
updated and adapted them
to explain contemporary
criminality
what is a negative of radical criminology
Left realists call it a ‘Robin
Hood’ thesis. They point out
that most working class
criminals commit crimes
against other working class
people, not as an act of
rebellion against the
capitalist state
what does right wing mean
People will generally get what
they deserve in life if they work
hard.
The state should not support
those who are struggling because
everyone should take
responsibility.
When explaining crime, they
blame bad choices which
individuals make, and poor
socialisation leading to the wrong
norms and values being followed.
what does left wing mean
People at the bottom are victims
of their circumstances (labelling,
racism)
The state should intervene to
ensure everyone has equal
chances.
When explaining crime, they blame
unequal system which creates
situations which may lead
individuals into deviance and crime
what did hirschi say about social bonds
Individuals with strong family and friendship networks, have responsibilities, engaged in social
activities and have a strong sense of morality will be unlikely to commit crime
• Those without strong social bonds are more likely to commit crime
what did murray say about the underclass and criminality
Inadequate socialisation can
lead young people from the
‘underclass’ to develop a
culture characterised by
dependency, lack of
discipline and respect,
criminality and laziness.
• He blames over-generous
welfare payments
what did Murray and Herrnstein say about the impact of intelligence in behaviour
Attempted to demonstrate a correlation between
low IQ and criminality
• Linked IQ to race – did acknowledge that white
criminals with low IQ are also more likely to
commit crime
what did Gallie say about the unemployed
interviewed the long-term unemployed
about their attitudes towards work and
found most had a strong work ethic
what did Charlesworths study of deprivation in Rotherham suggest
despite the clear effects of
poverty on people’s physical and
mental health, most still had strong
moral values and did not commit
crime
what did young say about the new right
New Right are a
‘sociology of vindictiveness’ as they
pick on groups who are easy targets
e.g
what did wilson say about right realism
- Young males – tend to be aggressive and have
short-term horizons - Changes in the benefits and costs of crime at
different times - Broader social and cultural changes in society
which influence norms and values and affect the
extent to which individuals are tempted into
crime
These factors are uncontrollable and government
can’t prevent but can only address crime by
enforcing the law
• The environment creates a ‘culture of order and
acceptable behaviour’
• Social order must be maintained to reduce crime
what did wilson and kelling say about crime and deviance
Wilson and Kelling use the the phrase ‘broken windows’ to
stand for all the various signs of disorder and lack of concern
for others that are found in some neighbourhoods.
• This includes undue noise, graffiti, begging, dog
fouling ,littering, vandalism and so on. They argue that
leaving broken windows unrepaired, tolerating aggressive
behaviour etc. sends out a signal that no one cares
• In such neighbourhoods, there is an absence of both formal
social control and informal social control (the police and the
community respectively).
• The policy are only concerned with serious crime and turn a
blind eye to petty nuisance behaviour, while members of the
community feel intimidated and powerless.
• Without remedial action, the situation deteriorates, tipping
the neighbourhood into a spiral of decline. Respectable
people move out (if they can) and the area becomes a
magnet for deviants
what did wilson and herrnstein say about biological criminal tendencies and socialisation
Emphasize importance of individual characteristics,
such as impulsiveness or temper, arguing that some
people do have a predisposition for criminality.
• These ‘criminal’ traits in some individuals will be
heightened if they lack proper socialisation (like in
single-parent families)
how can we evaluate right realist thinkers
Murray is criticised by labelling theorists for scapegoating
or labelling the poor and long-term unemployed and
encouraging the State to engage in the negative
surveillance and treatment of this social group.
• Right realists are criticised by Marxists and Left Realists for
ignoring the wider structural causes of crime such as
poverty or the crimogenic nature of capitalism.
