sociologists

Question 1

Durkheim

Answer 1

Positive functions of crime – boundary maintenance, adaption and change. Crime is inevitable and universal.

Question 2

Merton

Answer 2

Strain theory – deviance from strain between the goals a culture encourages and allows them to achieve. E.g. American Dream. Deviant adaptions – conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion CIRRR

Question 3

Cloward and Ohlin

Answer 3

Different subcultures – neighbourhoods provide different opportunities for criminal skills. Criminal conflict and retreatist subculture.

Question 4

A.Cohen

Answer 4

Status frustration – can’t achieve middle class life style so commit crime out of their frustration.

Question 5

S.Cohen

Answer 5

Folk Devils and Moral Panics – reaction to the mods and rockers based on press reaction. Leads to deviancy amplification spiral based on media labelling

Question 6

Becker

Answer 6

Labelling Theory – powerful label the lower status individuals as a form of social control

Question 7

Lemert

Answer 7

Primary deviance – acts not publicly labelled. Secondary deviance – acts which are labelled. Leads to a master status and a deviant career.

Question 8

Chambliss

Answer 8

Laws protect private property – so support the bourgeoise

Question 9

Gordon

Answer 9

Crime is a rational response to capitalism – it exists in all classes

Question 10

Taylor et al

Answer 10

To fully understand crime, you need to look at – wider origins of deviant acts, immediate origins of the deviant act, act itself, social reaction.

Question 11

Young

Answer 11

There is an increase in crime from the 1950s – particularly working-class crime (aetiological crisis) Crime worsens in a media saturated society.

Question 12

Murray

Answer 12

Crime rate is increasing because of a growing underclass that is defined by deviant behaviour and failing socialise their children properly.

Question 13

Clarke

Answer 13

Argues that the decision to commit crime is a choice based on a rational calculation of the likely consequences.
Situational crime prevention is a pre-emptive approach that relies on not improving society but reducing opportunity from crime

Question 14

Lea and Young

Answer 14

Three causes of crime – relative deprivation, subcultures, marginalisation

Question 15

Wilson and Kelling

Answer 15

Broken Windows Theory – zero tolerance on all deviance. The ideas of ‘sweat the small stuff’ so serious crime doesn’t happen.

Question 16

Heidensohn

Answer 16

Gender differences are ‘most significant feature of crime’. Most crime committed by men. Patriarchal control of women, Less chance to commit crime.

Question 17

Pollak

Answer 17

Chivalry thesis- men are socialised to act in a chivalrous way towards women which leads to less women being accused of criminal acts.

Question 18

Carlen

Answer 18

Double standards exist in the CJS – women are judged against their female role as girls, daughters, wives.

Question 19

Parsons

Answer 19

Sex role theory – women perform traditional female role (less opportunity to commit crime

Question 20

Adler

Answer 20

Women are liberated from patriarchy – so crimes are becoming more similar to men.

Question 21

Messerschmidt

Answer 21

Social construct of masculinity leads to men committing crime. Crime asserts authority – more common in WMC, WWC and BWC youths.

Question 22

Hall et al

Answer 22

Moral panic over black muggers – example of how an ethnic group became a scape goat

Question 23

McPherson report

Answer 23

Report which looks into the Stephen Lawrence case – identified institutional racism in the CJS

Question 24

Phillips and Bowling

Answer 24

Police overpolice and underprotect ethnic minority groups

Question 25

Beck

Answer 25

We live in a risk society – increasing the types of crime

Question 26

McLaughlin

Answer 26

Four types of state crime – political crimes, security and police crime, economic crime, social and cultural crimes

Question 27

Michalowski and Kramer

Answer 27

Identify crimes from the Iraq war – Abu Ghraib Prison (abuse of prisoners) and discussion of terror bombing of civilians is normalised.

Question 28

Castells

Answer 28

There is a global criminal economy worth over £1 trillion

Question 29

Hamblin and Schewider

Answer 29

State crime should be defined as the violation of people’s basic human rights.

Question 30

Kelman and Hamilton

Answer 30

Three features that produce crime of obedience – authorisation, routinisation, dehumanisation

Question 31

Tombs and Whyte

Answer 31

Safety crimes explained as accident prone workers not business owners. Hierarchy of victimisation. Powerless are likely victims, ignored by the state.

Question 32

Foucault

Answer 32

Society is full of surveillance. People watch themselves as if in a panopticon prison. Prevention and punishment is based on surveillance.

Question 33

Wolfgang

Answer 33

In 26% of cases there was victim precipitation – the victim triggered the events. Not as straight forward as victims and criminals

Question 34

Christie

Answer 34

The idea of the victim is socially constructed. There is an ideal victim favoured by the media.