Social Class and Crime

Question 1

What are the trends in social class crime?

Answer 1

The majority of those in prison come from semi-skilled or unskilled manual backgrounds, and most working class crime takes place in the form of abuse and theft.

Question 2

What are the explanations for trends in social class and crime?

Answer 2

1. Selective law enforcement.
2. Selective law creation.
3. Labelling and stereotypes.

Question 3

Why does selective law enforcement lead to a trend?

Answer 3

Those in the working class are more focused on by formal agents of social control compared to those in higher classes so are more likely to be prosecuted and overepresented in statistics.

Question 4

Why does selective law creation lead to a trend?

Answer 4

Most laws are designed for the needs of the middle class so they are less likely to be prosecuted.

Question 5

Why does labelling and stereotypes lead to a trend?

Answer 5

If a person is labelled deviant, it can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy and therefore may commit crime because of it.

Question 6

What are the explanations for white collar and corporate crime?

Answer 6

1. Strain Theory.
2. Control Theory.
3. Criminogenic capitalism.
4. Labelling theory.
5. Rational choice/opportunity.
6. Edgework/masculinity.

Question 7

How does strain theory explain crime?

Answer 7

Merton: many middle class people have a sense of relative deprivation so turn to crime to achieve what they don’t have.

Question 8

How does control theory explain crime?

Answer 8

Individuals who carry out corporate crime are driven by socialisation into self-seeking, aggressive cultures that encourage ruthless business practices.

Question 9

How does criminogenic capitalism explain crime?

Answer 9

The nature of capitalism forces people to turn to crime.

Question 10

How does labelling theory explain crime?

Answer 10

They escape the label ‘criminal’ as the behaviour is too similar to normal business practices.

Question 11

How does rational choice/opportunity explain crime?

Answer 11

Middle class usually have more opportunities to commit crime.

Question 12

How does masculinity/edgework explain crime?

Answer 12

Katz: crime can be seductive and the risk-taking can be a greater motivation than material gain.

Question 13

What is the positive evaluation of social class and crime?

Answer 13

1. • Helps to understand the social construction of crime.

Question 14

What is the negative evaluation of social class and crime?

Answer 14

1. • Not all corporations turn to crime.
2. • Not all working class turn to crime.