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SOC100 > Test 2: Deviance + Crime > Flashcards

Test 2: Deviance + Crime Flashcards

1
Q

Studying Normalcy

A

•Studying crime + deviance is studying norms, studying society’s expectations
•studying normalcy
•Taking the boundaries of acceptability as an object of inquiry instead of taken-for-granted
-laws change in time+ diff. jurisdictions
-what is normal says alot about society

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2
Q

Crime: big questions organizing the study of crime

A

Two questions have dominated the field of criminology for a long time
•Why do people commit crimes?
•What to do about crime? Response? How do we police it?
recently,gaining in importance
• What is crime? Differentiate behaviour labelled as criminal

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3
Q

The social: Criminology combines elements from Psychology (sometimes biology), Law and Sociology to study its substantive topic: Crime

A

Sociology speaks to the role of the ‘Social’ in understanding crime and deviance:

  • Class + Stratification
  • Race and Ethnicity
  • Gender
  • Culture
  • Socialization
  • Social Interaction
  • Media, Families, Politics, Work, Religion, Education, Health, etc.
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4
Q

What is crime?

A

•Breaking social norms, Homicide, Assault/battery, Harassment, Victimless crimes (fraud), Breaking + entering, Drugs + trafficking, Arson, Terrorism, State crimes, Child pornography, Animal cruelty, Espionage, War crimes, Pedophilia

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5
Q

Crime and criminal code

A

•Criminal Code defines crime as: “The intentional violation of criminal law without defence and without excuse.
-categories of crime
4 components of the Criminal Code: Politicality, Specificity, Uniformity, Penal Sanctions

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6
Q

Politicality

A

Laws are enacted by the legislature, ppl elected. Looking at what is legal/illegal is part of the political process. (Social movements, lobbyists, + political groups will attempt to change laws, take them away, or come up with new ones.
-set by us

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7
Q

Specificity

A

Sets out what is a crime + what isn’t.
-‘due process’, to balance your rights, and to make sure that there are many procedures that the system needs to go through to prove guilt

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8
Q

Uniformity

A

Making sure that Criminal Code applies to everyone equally, regardless of gender, ethnic background, religion, class, etc. (does not always work this way)

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9
Q

Penal Sanctions

A

punishments set in advance
specific sanctions set guidelines for judges to decide on a sentence. (Links to uniformity)
-supposed to apply to everyone, treat everyone same

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10
Q

To be found guilty

A

•Actus reus + mens rea must always be together for something to be considered a crime.
-prosecutor: prove act+they knew what they were doing + defense (instil doubt)
Actus reus: An act that had been committed
Mens rea: The intent–knowing what you’re doing (though different from motive)

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11
Q

Two types of crime

A

•“Mala in se”: Crimes that are bad/evil in themselves. They’re always considered deviant, regardless of >me and place. (murder, child abuse) – high #, some degree of consensus
-highest level of punishment
•“Mala prohibita”: Illegal crimes because of the law, they’re considered bad because they are prohibited. (speeding, illegal downloading) – less consensus
-rules often change over time+space

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12
Q

Assumptions: human nature

A

•Human Nature: inherently evil/good
•Evil–commit crimes because they can, it’s easy, or they want too, need police to control
•Good–commit crimes out of necessity, conflict
–Asks: “without rules, how would people react?”
–Crime control depends on how people are viewed:
•Evil – deterrence, prison, isolation, Good - rehabilitation, ppl obey rule even without police
-role of state to deter

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13
Q

Assumptions: social order

A

• Social Order top-bottom
–crime needs to be regulated
–top–heavy centralized powerful state: strong police force
–bottom-minimal state: informal punishment enough
•no consensus because of different beliefs
•as long as the pop doesn’t do things that harm others, then it’s none of the state’s business
-some want lots of state, some want small state

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14
Q

Canadians Attitudes Towards Crime

A

•national surveys: crime among top 3 issues since 70s
•believe that crime + violent crime on the rise
•TV viewing habits for Canadians between ages of 18 and 49:
-more likely to choose crime/medical dramas than any other type of program
-public attitudes shaped by pop depiction
-shapes policies

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15
Q

Crime in the media

A

•represented by certain stereotypes (youths, minorities)
-mostly mala in se, in reality most crimes mala prohibitum
-meant to associate with law enforcement
•media hears more about crimes that entail a prison punishment
-not represent sample, specific crimes
•punished with probation, fines + tickets rare
• Violent crimes are over-represented
-shapes public perception-impact policies

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16
Q

Deviance

A
  • any behaviour, belief/condition that violates/counter cultural norms in which it occurs
  • relative–act becomes deviant when socially defined as such. Definitions vary widely from place to place, from time to time, + from group to group
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17
Q

Deviance

A

Sociologists study:

a) What type of behaviours are defined as deviant
b) Who does this defining
c) How and why people become deviants
d) How society deals with deviants
- norms context based
- sociologists interested invariation, not judging

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18
Q

Deviance and Crime

A
  • Ppl observed committing serious acts of deviance are typically punished, either informally or formally
  • Informal punishment/Formal punishment
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19
Q

Informal punishment

A

mild sanction imposed during face-to-face interaction, not by the judicial system (raised eyebrows, gossip, ostracism, shaming/ stigmatization)
doesn’t necessarily mean less

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20
Q

Formal punishment

A

what takes place when judicial system penalizes someone for breaking a law
law: quotified (written) norm not just disapproved

21
Q

Variability of Deviance and Crime

Types of deviance and crime vary in terms of:

A

Severity of the social response:
range from mild disapproval-capital punishment
Perceived harmfulness
Degree of public agreement about whether should
be considered deviant (mala in se vs mala prohibita)
social definition of murder varies over time and across cultures and societies

22
Q

Power and the Social Construction of Crime and Deviance

A

Social constructionism: natural/innate features of life often sustained by social processes that vary historically and culturally

23
Q

Social constructionism

A
  • Emphasizes how some ppl in position to create norms + pass laws that define others as deviant or criminal
  • Power crucial element in social construction of deviance + crime
  • power can mean social movement that can round up support
  • what is crime is a political matter
24
Q

Crimes Against Women

A

•Until recently, many types of crimes against women (marital/date rape) largely were ignored
•Prior to 1970s, gov didn’t collect data on sexual harassment/physical violence against women
-without data can’t see trend, can only go on with portrayal of media doesn’t align with real world

25
Q

Crimes Against Women

A

Was very little discussion about topic by judges, lawyers + social scientists
since been changes in legislation (criminalizing all non-consensual sexual acts) + prosecution of various forms of violence against women

26
Q

Classifying crime

A
  • Street crime: violent crimes, certain property crimes, + certain morals crimes
  • Occupational/white-collar crime: illegal activities in course of employment/in dealing with financial affairs, not just in office/white collar
  • Corporate crime: corporate employees on behalf of corporation + with its support (antitrust violations, false advertising, copyrights, price-fixing, financial fraud)
27
Q

Classifying crime

A
  • Organized crime: business operation that supplies illegal good + services for profit
  • Political crimes: illegal acts involving misuse of power by gov officials/illegal acts perpetrated against the gov by outsiders
28
Q

Crime Rates: Canadian Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)

A
  • Info on crime collected by police, but has shortcomings:
  • doesn’t account for high degree of unreported crime, especially (i) victimless crimes (violations of law in which no victim steps forward + is identified)
    (ii) “level one” assaults involving friend/relative of victim
    (iii) sexual assaults
  • Stats reflect decisions by authorities + wider public on which criminal acts to report and which to ignore
29
Q

Crime Rates: Self-report surveys (anonymous)

A
  • Respondents asked to report involvement in criminal activities, perpetrators/victims
  • indicate: i.Majority engaged in some type of “criminal activity” (most not officially identified as criminal, complex process involved in criminal labelling)
    ii. 1/4 of pop have been victim of crime
30
Q

Crime Rates: Victimization surveys

A

Ppl asked whether they have been victims of crime

  • Provide detailed info about crime victims, but less reliable data about offenders
  • Was no national victimization survey done in Canada until 1988
  • latest Canadian survey (2010) only 31% of victimization incidents reported to police
31
Q

Crime Rates

A
  • most crimes ppl don’t catch red handed
  • not everything is given attention
  • limited resources
  • street crimes more policed even if more occupational crimes
32
Q

What Official Crime Rates Show

A

•In 2010, 2.2 million offences reported to police
•Overall crime been steadily declining since early 1990s
-Homicide rate been falling since mid-1970s
•Rates of robbery, sexual assault, drug arrests + property crime are also falling

33
Q

Correlates of Crime

A
  • Age
  • Gender
  • Social Class
  • Race and Ethnicity
34
Q

Explaining Deviance and Crime

A
  1. Strain Theory
  2. Illegitimate Opportunities Structures
  3. Social Bond Theory
  4. Differential Association Theory
  5. Labelling Theory
  6. Conflict Approach
  7. Feminist Approach
  8. Knowledge as Power
35
Q

Strain Theory: Merton

A
  • ppl feel strain when exposed to cultural goals unable to obtain ‘cause they don’t have access to culturally approved means of achieving these goals
  • When denied legit access, ppl seek access through deviant means
36
Q

Illegitimate Opportunities Structures: Cloward +Ohlin

A

ppl have access to illegitimate opportunity structures
-Circumstances that provide opportunity for ppl to acquire through illegal activities what they can’t have through legit means
•Criminal: economic gain, theft, extortion, drug dealing
•Conflict: violence, courage, toughness
•Retreatist: drinking, drug use

37
Q

Social Bond Theory: Hirschi

A

-likelihood of deviant behaviour increases when ties to society weakened/broken
1) attachment to ppl, 2) commitment to conventional lines of behaviour (schooling/job success) 3) involvement in conventional activities, 4) belief in legitimacy of conventional values + norms
•probability of crime/delinquency increases when social bonds weak + peers promote antisocial behaviour

38
Q

Differential Association Theory: Edwin Sutherland

A

-greater tendency to deviate from norms when frequently associate with ppl who favour deviance over conformity
•learn necessary techniques, motives, drives, rationalizations + attitudes of deviant behaviour from ppl they associate
•more likely when has extensive interaction with rule breakers (organized crime)

39
Q

Labelling Theory: Lemert

A

•Deviants have been successfully labelled by others
•Labelling directly related to power + status of labellers + being labelled
oApplied easily to those who lack power
primary deviance: initial act of rule breaking
•Secondary deviance: person labelled deviant accepts new identity + continues deviant behaviour

40
Q

Conflict Approach

A
  • institutions make superstructure that legitimizes class structure + maintains capitalist’s dominant position.
  • Crime an expression of individual’s struggle against unjust social conditions + inequality
  • Quinney: ppl with power define criminal behaviour that threatens interests
  • Affluent are greedy + want more
  • Poor commit street crimes to survive
  • Poverty may lead to violent crime of the poor by the poor
  • Laws benefit capitalist class
41
Q

Feminist Approach

A
  • Roots lie in social structure characterized by inequalities of class, race + gender
  • Rational response to gender discrimination experienced in work, marriage + interpersonal relationships
  • Women’s offences - living in families where sexual abuse, incest + other violence left them few choices except deviance
  • Abuse strongly related to women’s law violations
  • Race + class factors
42
Q

Knowledge as Power

A
  • Panopticon: structure that gives prison officials possibility of complete observation of inmates at all times
  • Widespread surveillance + disciplinary power possible in many settings
  • Raise important issues of privacy + individual rights
43
Q

Why do people commit crime?

A

Necessity (financial reasons)
Image/presentation (they want to look “cool”)
-Thrill ride/to feel a rush (emotions)
-t’s in their nature (environmental/educational factors)
-create change for themselves or for others (political acts)
-Out of passion – (losing control/revenge)
-Self-defense
-Mental illness

44
Q

Why do people commit crime?

A
  • Ignorance (not knowing something’s illegal)
  • Rebellion/boredom
  • Addiction (drugs/alcohol)
  • Beliefs (religion may conflict with law)
  • Group membership (initiation/organized crime)
  • Hate crimes (discrimination/prejudice)
  • Vigilante crimes (taking the law in your own hands)
  • Coercion (power relations)
  • Because they can and they do it “well”
45
Q

Social Control And Punishment

A

•degree of social control + forms of punishment vary across cultures and across time
•Police
•Ability to exercise more effective social control is linked to electronic technology
-Claim for “surveillance society” because of proliferation of cameras in public settings + increasing use of social media

46
Q

Police

A

important role. have several functions 1) enforce the laws 2) maintain order + 3) provide various social service
-invest energy into social control so small # of ppl break rules

47
Q

What to do about crime?

A
  • Rehabilitation
  • Deterrence: make it costly, works if ppl weigh cost
  • Imprisonment
  • Restorative justice: role of victim-shouldn’t be about state, should make amends
  • Crime prevention: risk assessment, target at risk groups, develop programs, situational crime prevention, through social development
48
Q

The Prison

A
  • agents of socialization
  • New inmates become more serious offenders as they adapt to culture of most hardened, long-term prisoners
  • industrialized: became one of most important forms of punishment for crime
  • preindustrial: criminals publicly humiliated, tortured/put to death, depending on severity of their transgressions
  • :industrial:depriving criminals of their freedom by putting them in prison seemed less harsh, more “civilized”
49
Q

Rationales for Incarceration

A
  1. Opportunity for rehab (providing psychological counselling, drug therapy, skills training, education, etc.)
  2. Deterrence (by making people less inclined to commit crimes if they know consequence could be long and unpleasant prison term)
  3. Revenge for illegal acts
  4. Incapacitation (by keeping criminals out of society as long as possible to prevent further harm)

SOC100 (20 decks)

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