Sociologists Flashcards
Who talked about white collar crime?
Sutherland (1949)
What did Sutherland (1949) say?
White collar crime
Durkheim says what about crime
It’s normal & essential part of healthy society & has 4 functions
- reinforce whats right and wrong
- act as a safety valve, lets off steam
- warning for change e.g. riots
- creates jobs
However ignores reasons for crime
Merton says what about crime?
Strain theory - crime occurs when people can’t achieve goals normally - theres a strain to get the goals legit
5 people formed -
- confirmist
- innovation
- ritualism
- retreatism
- rebellion
Ignores fact not everyone wants the same goals and ignores non utilitarian crimes
Ignores class
Cohen says what about crime?
Subcultural theorist
Status frustration - crime such as vandalism is a reaction amongst w/c due to failing to meet norms of society
Non Utilitarian crimes occur to try to make their points of frustration
Cloward and Ohlin say what?
3 types of crime
- criminal subculture (money)
- conflict subculture (violence)
- retreatist subculture (drugs)
What does Snider say?
The state and law making
Argues capitalist society is reluctant to pass laws that regulate the activities of business or threaten profits
Gordon says what about capitalism
Crimes a rational response to capitalism and hence is found in all social classes - however it’s shown more as w/c
What does Pearce say about ideological functions of crime and law?
Laws often benefit the r/c by giving them a caring face like they care about the workers but really the law is to stop them being prosecuted
Stuart Hall
Policing the crisis -
Engineered a moral panic to distract the people from the economic issues by blaming the w/c
Criticism - hall is neo marxist which shows Marxism out dated as public weren’t passive
Taylor, walton and young talk about what?
New criminology - (neo-marxism)
Agree capitalist society is based on exploitation.
Laws are made in m/c interests
Capitalism should be replaced by a class less system
Taylor et al says what?
Critical criminology -
Criminals arent passive puppets who are shaped by capitalism, they deliberately striving for change
What does Webb say about white collar crime?
Media give limited coverage of corporate crime which makes it look worse on w/c
Lemert
Interactionist -
Primary deviance is acts that arent labelled as crimes e.g. dodging fares
Secondary deviance - gives a master status as crimes are labelled and are shamed e.g. nonce
Becker (interactionist)
Deviance is in the eye of the beholder.
Social groups create the rules of what makes deviant behaviour
Moral entrepreneurs lead the moral crusade to change a law
Jock Young (1971) (interactionist)
Deviance amplification spiral -
Drugs in nottinghil - police arrest a few for drugs, media make a big deal and causes a moral panic against the folk devil (the smokers), police crack down on drugs which makes drug takers go somewhere else to make it seem like it’s gone away - as they crack down makes it look worse than it is
James Q Wilson - right realist
Zero tolerance is way to go
Street crime destroys society
Wilson and Hernstein (1985)
Biosocial theory -
Biological differences - some are naturally more likely to commit crime e.g. extroverts = risk takers or if your less intelligent and more aggresive
Rational choice theory
Criminal is essentially rational, if the crime has high reward low risk you will do it, weigh up the pros and cons to make a rational choice before hand.
Counter for Wilson and Hernstein
Biosocial theory
Lily Et Al - IQ accounts for less than 3% of differences in offending
Counter for rational choice theory
Lily Et Al - If you have a low IQ how can you make a rational choice
Right realist way to improve crime?
- prevent
- punish
Prevent - Pro-active policing and broken window theory create a strong community that will name and shame.
Punish - Zero tolerance - strong presence and work with locals
Counter for right realist ways to improve
Broken window requires a constant effort, if it isn’t done well it can cause tipping
Tipping - if 2 bad v 1 good will cause crime but if it tips 2 good it will prevent
Who says broken window theory?
Wilson and Kelling (1982)
