Sociological theory

Question 1

Describe one sociological theory of criminality.

Question 3

Marxism -Marxists believe that crimes happen because of inequality and poverty in society. This is because capitalism

Answer 3

as it focuses on making profit

Question 4

Crimes are also something the ruling class use as a form of control and a lack of conformity can lead to punishments

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institutions such as the police

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Left realism- The theory suggested by Leah & Young

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believes that crime is caused by problems is society including subcultures being pushed to the edge

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When people feel like they have no stake or role in society

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they are more likely to commit crimes

Question 9

Right realism- Right realism says that crime is caused by a breakdown in society’s morals and values. Charles Murray argues that a lack of strong family bonds

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especially in single-parent families where there is no father figure

Question 10

This theory also says that people choose to commit crimes on purpose

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after weighing the risks and rewards. It argues that the welfare system makes people dependent on government support and less willing to work.

Question 12

Stain theory -The work of Robert K Merton says that society pushes people to want success especially money but not everyone has the same chance to succeed in the right way many people can’t reach their goals through legal ways they feel pressured or stress.

Question 13

This can lead to them responding in different ways such as conforming or innovating some responses such as innovation may involve criminal behaviour to achieve societal goals.

Question 16

Durkheim -The functionalist perspective on crime

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as explained by Emile Durkheim

Question 18

Cohen Status of Frustration -Albert Cohen explains that deviance happens when working-class boys can’t succeed in school due to unequal opportunities. This failure makes them feel worthless

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which he calls “status frustration.” Instead of just giving up

Question 20

Labelling theory - Labelling theory suggests that no act is naturally criminal it’s only seen as criminal when society labels it that way. For example

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smoking cannabis is only considered a crime because the law defines it as such. Interactionists believe that people in power

Question 21

Edwin Lemert explains that labelling can lead to two types of deviance. Primary deviance refers to small acts that usually go unnoticed

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while secondary deviance happens when a person is labelled

Question 22

Deviance Amplification - Deviance amplification is the idea that the way society reacts to deviance can make the problem worse. It’s often linked to moral panics and how the media and authorities respond to certain groups or behaviours. When a person or group is labelled as deviant and treated harshly

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it can increase deviant behaviour instead of stopping it.

Question 23

Key idea: The reaction to deviance (from police

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media

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For example:

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→ The cycle continues = amplification.

Question 27

Surveillance

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Foucault panopticon – Foucault believes that modern society controls people more and more through self-surveillance. This means we watch and control our own behaviour because we feel we might be watched

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and is a way society tries to prevent crime

Question 30

Evaluate the effectiveness of one sociological theory in explaining the causes of criminality.

Question 31

Left Realism

Question 32

Strength- it looks at crimes that affect everyday people

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like theft or violence

Question 33

Strength- it says the crimes happen because of relative deprivation(poverty)

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marginalization (feeling left out)

Question 34

Strength: it suggests ways to fix problems like better policing and more help for the poor community.

Question 35

Weakness- ignores the rich people's crimes it doesn’t it doesn’t talk about crimes like fraud or tax cheating by businesses or rich people.

Question 36

Weakness- missed the personal reasons it does not explain why some people choose to do a crime even if they are not poor.

Question 37

Weakness- Relative deprivation cannot fully explain crime as not all those who experience it commit crime

Question 39

Right realism

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Strength- it focuses on personal choice it says that people choose to commit crimes

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which helps explain why not everyone in poverty turns to crime.

Question 41

Strength-it gives straightforward explanation crimes happen when punishment is weak or moral are low.

Question 42

Strength- it suggests that strong laws and order can help reduce crime quickly like more police and harsher punishment.

Question 43

Weakness – it doesn’t look at the problems such as poverty

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unemployment or bad housing as a reason for crime.

Question 44

Weakness – it focuses on punishment rather than helping people change

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which can make things worse in the long run.

Question 45

Weakness – it talks mostly about visible crimes like theft

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but not about crimes by rich people or big companies.

Question 47

Marxism

Question 48

Strength - Shows how the rich stay in power as it only protects the rich and how the poor are punished for a crime.

Question 49

Strength – Marxism looks at white collar crimes like tax and fraud that are done by businesses and rich people.

Question 50

Strength- Connects crime to inequality it shows that unfair system can push people into crimes.

Question 51

Weakness – Not all working class people commit crimes

Question 52

Weakness – it is too focused on the class it mostly talks about the rich and the poor but not about gender or culture.

Question 53

Weakness - Not all capitalist societies have high crime rates

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for example Japan and Switzerland.

Question 55

Strain theory –

Question 56

Strength – explain why working class crime rate may be higher than other class.

Question 57

Strength – tells us an explanation for how people in different positions in the social structure of society may resort different adaptation such as innovation

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ritualism

Question 58

Strength – the theory explains the reasons for crime and deviance as a result of social strain.

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Weakness- takes an individual approach and ignores group crime.

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Weakness – not all working class people resort to crimes.

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Weakness – it ignores the ruling class power to create and enforce laws to prevent the deviant adaptations.

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Durkheim –

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Strength- Recognizes crime as socially constructed. Durheim shows that what counts as a crime depends on the social norms which can vary across time and culture.

Question 65

Strength- Highly positive functions of crime rather than seeing crime only negatively

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he acknowledges its role in pushing society to change this includes ( civil right activist breaking unjust laws.)

Question 66

Strength- his work links to crime to the functioning and stability of society as a whole.

Question 68

Weakness- ignore the power dynamic it doesn’t fully explain that laws are created by a powerful group.

Question 69

Weakness- his theory does not explain why some people or groups are more likely to commit crimes than others.

Question 70

Weakness- focusing on the function of crime for society

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he overlooks the real suffering crime cause for the victim.

Question 71

Cohen status frustration –

Question 72

Strengths- Highlights the role of social reactions: Labelling theory shows how society’s reactions (e.g.

Answer 72

police

Question 73

Strength - It helps explain why some people commit more crime after being labelled as criminals (because the label can limit legitimate opportunities and reinforce a deviant identity).

Question 74

Strength - Suggests crime stats are socially constructed — not just reflecting crime

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but also who is more likely to be labelled (e.g.

Question 75

Weaknesses- Doesn’t explain the original deviance: Labelling theory focuses on reactions to crime rather than explaining why someone committed a crime in the first place (the “primary deviance”).

Question 76

Weakness - Assumes labels are always accepted: Not everyone internalizes or acts according to their label; some reject or resist it.

Question 77

Weakness- Ignores wider power structures: Critics (like Marxists) argue it overlooks how powerful groups create and enforce laws to serve their interests

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not just “label” people neutrally.

Question 79

Labelling & self-fulfilling prophecy -

Question 80

Strengths - Unlike Merton’s strain theory

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Cohen’s theory explains crimes that don’t have a clear material benefit

Question 81

Strength - Focuses on group deviance – It accounts for subcultural crime

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showing how delinquent groups form their own values in response to status frustration

Question 82

Strength - Links crime to education and inequality – It highlights how failure in the education system and class inequality contribute to crime

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showing structural causes.

Question 83

Weaknesses - Ignores female delinquency – It mainly focuses on male delinquency and doesn’t explain why fewer females join delinquent subcultures.

Question 84

Weaknesses- Cohen assumes all youths want middle-class success

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but some may not aspire to these values in the first place.

Question 85

Weakness –Not all deviance stems from educational failure; some deviance occurs outside school contexts.