Unit 2 Crime

Question 1

What are crime and deviance?

Answer 1

Crime and deviance are two important terms that help to understand behaviour in
society. Some acts will be both criminal and deviant. Others might be criminal but
not deviant, or deviant but not criminal. It is important to understand the difference
between the two.

Question 2

How is crime and deviance socially constructed?

Answer 2

Crime and deviance are both
socially constructed. They
vary in different societies,
places, situations and times.
Deviance can bring about
social change.

Question 3

How is crime and deviance linked to social control?

Answer 3

Social order is an important
part of sociology.
Sociologists agree that
social control is kept
through informal and
formal methods. When
informal social control fails
in the family, schools and
the community, formal
social control is necessary,
resulting in tougher
sanctions.

Question 4

How do agencies of informal social control keep order in society?

Answer 4

Informal social control is
provided by a range of
agencies. These include
family, education, peers and
the media. In addition, local
community is part of this
and religion may provide a
strong binding force which
controls its members, giving
them a clear sense of right
and wrong.

Question 5

What is the role of the police?

Answer 5

The police play an important role in social control and do important and sometimes
unpleasant jobs. Functionalists see the police in a positive light, whilst Marxists raise
questions about who benefits from the way that policing in the UK is carried out.

Question 6

What is the role of the courts?

Answer 6

Courts play a vital role in maintaining social control. They socialise the public,
interpret laws and use sanctions to protect the public from dangerous individuals.
Functionalism sees the positive role courts play in social control. Marxists are critical
and say that the courts’ main role is to control the working classes. There is also a
concern that women and ethnic-minority groups are not represented by judges.

Question 7

What patterns of crime exist in the UK?

Answer 7

Figures for recorded crime have been coming down since the late 1990s, but there
are some exceptions to this. Conviction rates for men (young men in particular),
ethnic minorities and the working class are higher than for other groups. The New
Right would argue that crime is worse than in the past, but it is not clear, drawing on
official statistics, if this is actually the case.

Question 8

Who are the victims of crime in the UK?

Answer 8

Official statistics might show crime in general is on the decrease. However, there are
alarming rises in certain crimes, and some individuals are more likely to be victims
of crime than others. While official statistics are questioned by sociologists, there are
some worrying trends in the patterns shown by the data.

Question 9

How is age linked to crime?

Answer 9

Patterns of crime relating to age are that young people are more likely to commit
crime, but that children and young people are also more likely to be victims of
crime. This might partly be because young people’s crimes are more visible, but also
because young people have more opportunities for crime than older people. Elderly
people feel worried about crime and are more likely to be the targets of certain
types of crime.

Question 10

What is the functionalist view of crime?

Answer 10

Functionalist views are based on the views of Emile Durkheim. They say that some
crime and deviance will always happen and is needed for a healthy society. It
strengthens society’s values, reminds us of right and wrong and can help society to
change. Too much crime, however, will be unhealthy.

Question 11

How do structural theories explain crime?

Answer 11

Merton’s is a structural theory: it sees a person’s position in the structure of
society as the factor that makes them likely to become criminal. Merton
noticed that the emphasis on success in society puts pressure on individuals
which in turn creates anomie. He came up with a model of five possible ways that
individuals might respond.

Question 12

How do subcultural theories explain crime?

Answer 12

Delinquent and criminal subcultures can explain the actions of those who break
norms, rules and the law. Cohen and Miller both see crime and delinquency as a group
response. The New Right also sees crime as a problem caused by the culture of the
poor. Matza questions the theory that only members of subcultures will commit crime.

Question 13

How does Marxism explain crime?

Answer 13

Marxists make several claims about crime in capitalist society. They see the greed of
capitalism as the main cause of crime. They also claim that the system is unfair and
loaded in favour of the ruling class. To them, laws reflect ruling-class interests. Critics
say that Marxists are ignoring the harm that crime is doing, especially to the poor
working class. They also see the Marxist view as unrealistic and simplistic.

Question 14

What is white-collar crime?

Answer 14

White-collar crime is a
problem for society. Marxists
would say that this crime
is ignored because it is
committed by high-status
individuals. White-collar
crime can be complex and
difficult to understand, and
therefore less attractive to
news reporters. Even when
white-collar criminals are
caught, they tend to just lose
their jobs, rather than being
taken to court. This might be
because companies do not
like the bad publicity that
criminal convictions bring.

Question 15

What is corporate crime?

Answer 15

Corporate crimes are
those committed by large
companies. Marxists say
that these crimes tend to
be ignored by the media
and police and treated
less harshly by the courts.
They see this as part of the
way that the ruling class
dominate society.

Question 16

What do interactionists contribute to the study of crime?

Answer 16

There are many stereotypes about what a typical offender is like. Interactionists say
that there is no such thing as a typical offender. They provide an explanation for
crime based on the labels that are given by the rest of society. By labelling someone
as a criminal, we make them into one.

Question 17

How is the media linked to crime?

Answer 17

Functionalists see the link between media and crime as a positive one. They claim
that the media attention on crime helps to reinforce our values. Interactionists have
used the idea of labelling to develop the theory of moral panic, which is useful to
understand reactions in society. Marxists argue that labelling benefits the ruling class.

Question 18

How does social control affect the levels of female crime and deviance?

Answer 18

Feminists argue that there is much less female crime than male crime. The main
argument for this is that women are socially controlled much more closely and
so do not get the opportunities to commit crime. Females are also socialised
to have qualities, such as being gentle and kind, that do not fit in with criminal
behaviour. However, women are more likely to be victims of sexual assaults and
domestic abuse.

Question 19

How does poverty affect female crime and deviance?

Answer 19

Feminists show that women are less likely than men to commit crime. However,
female crime is increasing as social norms for women are changing. Pat Carlen and
other feminists have begun to listen to the voices of women involved in crime. Carlen
makes strong connections between crime and poverty, ethnicity and social class.

Question 20

Are feminists treated fairly by the forces of social control?

Answer 20

The sociology of female
crime continues to develop.
The chivalry theory offered
the start of explanations
for female crime, but
feminists have developed
these ideas and added to
our understanding. These
theories may also help us
understand why men are so
often convicted of crime.

Question 21

What is the situation for ethnic minorities and crime?

Answer 21

Sociologists have raised
concerns about inequalities
related to crime and
ethnicity. Some ethnic
groups are over-represented
in Britain’s prisons. Black
sociologists, such as Paul
Gilroy, have linked this to
racism in society, arguing
that crimes by black people
are exaggerated in official
statistics. Others have drawn
attention to the dangers
of labelling ethnic groups
as being more involved in
crime. In addition, people
from ethnic minorities are
more likely to be victims
of crime.

Question 22

What is institutional racism?

Answer 22

The Macpherson Report caused the police force to give itself a major shake up. The
government has strengthened laws against racism and other types of discrimination.
The police themselves have changed some aspects of their organisation and tried to
appoint more ethnic-minority officers. However, there are still criticisms of the police
and their attitudes and practices.

Question 23

What problems are there with police statistics on crime?

Answer 23

Official statistics on crime are important to politicians who hope to show that they
are being tough on crime. However, sociologists raise many concerns about whether
these figures can be trusted. There are many factors that influence whether crimes
are even reported. The police also make many changes to the way they record crime.
All these issues make it difficult to be confident of official statistics.

Question 24

How does the government collect official statistics on crime?

Answer 24

The use of victim studies adds to the accuracy of crime data collected by the
government. However, sociologists would still question how trustworthy these
sources are. The next topic will examine other sociological questions about how
trustworthy official statistics are.

Question 25

What do sociological theories tell us about official crime figures?

Answer 25

Sociological theories and ideas suggest that official crime statistics, while useful,
should be treated with caution. Sociologists argue that problems arise because
crime statistics are a social construction. It is the interaction of the public, police,
media, government, courts and other forces of social control that shape the official
statistics on crime.