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Describe sociological theories of criminality - Coggle Diagram
Describe sociological theories of criminality
Functionalist and subcultural theories
durkheim's functionalist theory
society based on a stable structure of norms, values and beliefs.
crime is inevitable
individuals inadequately socialised. likely to deviate.
'anomie' = where shared rules are weakened
functions of crime
boundary maintenance - societal members against wrongdoer
safety valve - release fustrations
social change - progress society, seen as deviance
warning light - deviance indicates institution isn't running properly
merton's strain theory
value money success and the ways to achieve the money success
blocked opportunities - not all equal chances to achieve i.e. poor, bad education.
strain - between the goal and the lack of legitimate means to achieve it.
groups
conformist - legitimate and successful
innovation - illegitimate and successful
ritualism - legitimate but not successful
retreatist - illegitimate and unsuccessful
rebellion - want to replace society's goals and means
subcultural theories of crime
subcultures/ groups that norms are deviant. apply merton's idea of strain between goals and means. subcultures enable members to gain status through illegitimate means.
albert cohen: status fustration
subcultural deviance is a group response to failure. focuses on non-utilitarian crime i.e. vandalism.
working class boys end up at the bottom of a school's hierarchy. teachers label them as 'thick'. result in status fustration = a feeling of worthlessness.
subcultures provide them with an alternative status hierarchy. win respect by delinquent actions.
cloward and ohlin: three subcultures
neighbourhoods give rise to different deviant subcultures
criminal subculture - professional criminal network. youths become 'apprentices'.
conflict subcultures - criminal opportunities in street gangs. violent
retreatist subcultures - unsuccessful and illegitimate. often based on drug use.
Interactionism
Labelling theory
people become criminal once they have been labelled by society as criminal
differential law enforcement
social control agencies label certain groups as criminal
resulting in that group more likely to be stopped and question or arrested more frequently than other groups.
Piliavin+Briar = make decisions based off of stereotypes of characteristics.
Cicourel - police officers have stereotypes of the 'typical delinquent'.
labelling theory and self-fulfilling prophecy
primary deviance - when a person commits a criminal act but isn't counted as criminal. Often goes uncaught.
Secondary deviance - society treats the offender solely in terms of its label. this becomes the offenders master status.
can be rejected from society and be forced to join other delinquents, in a deviant subculture. Continues committing crime resulting in a self-fulfilling prophecy.
the deviance amplification spiral
the attempt to control deviance by doing a 'crackdown' only results in there being more deviant acts.
Mods and rockers -
the media exaggerated events causing concern among the public.
moral entrepeneurs - called for 'crackdown'. more arrests by the police
negative labelling - 'folk devils' causing marginalisation.
the hippies - Jock Young, hippies using cannabis was also an amplification spiral.
interactionism and crime statistics
this causes more groups than other to have higher crime statistics due to more people being arrested or targeted by authorities due to if they fit a stereotype.
statistics measure what the police do rather than what criminals do. are a social construction and not a true meaning of crime.
The Marxist theory of crime and law
the unequal structure of a capitalist society shapes people's behaviour.
the ruling capitalist class, the bourgeoisies ... own the means of production.
the working class, the proletariats ... who are exploited for their labour.
law enforcement keeps the working class in their place
three main elements; capitalism causes crime, law making and enforcement are biased, crime and the law perform ideological functions.
capitalism causes crime
crime is inevitable in a capitalist society as it is criminogenic. it does;
exploit working class
pushes consumer goods through advertisement
causes alienation and fustration
causes crime amongst capitalist ... dog eat dog
making and enforcing the law
law making and enforcement in interests of the capital class
law making - William Chambliss, laws are to protect the private property of the rich. very few laws challenge the unequal distribution of wealth.
selective law enforcement - enforced selectively against the working class. WCC and corporate crimes of the rich are less likely to be prosecuted.
ideological functions of crime and the law
a set of ideas that conceal the inequality of the capitalist society.
selective law enforcement makes crime look like the fault of the working class. divides the working class. makes them blame each other.
shifts attention away from ruling class crimes
some laws benefit workers to a limited extent, gives capitalists a 'caring face'.
causes the working class to accept capitalism instead of challenging it for a more equal society
Right realism and crime
crime is a growing problem
practical solutions to reduce crime through control and punishment
the causes of crime
biological differences between individuals
inadequate socialisation
offending is a rational choice
biological differences between individuals
wilson + herrnstein, biological differences such as aggression, risk-taking, innate and low intelligence make a person more likely to be criminal
inadequate socialisation
lack of self-control and values
the nuclear family is the best agency for socialisation
Murray, nuclear family is undermined by the welfare benefits. people are more dependent on benefits than working. fathers no longer need to stay at home to look after their family, resulting in the boys growing up with a lack of role models to aspire to be.
the underclass - welfare dependency creates an 'underclass', who fail to socialise children properly. absent fathers = lack of discipline = turn to delinquent subcultures = criminal
offending is a rational choice
committing crime is a rational choice = weigh up risks and rewards
high amount of crime because the risks for committing crime are low.
felson's routine activity theory - for crime to occur there has to be three parts:
a motivated offender
a suitable target
absence of a capable guardian.
if true, then crime can be displaced to softer areas.
Left realism and crime
inequality in social class is the cause of crime.
victims are disadvantaged groups
crime rate is high in working-class areas
reduce crime by making a fairer society
the causes of crime
Lea + young state that the causes of crime are
relative deprivation
marginalisation
subculture
relative deprivation
how badly someone is deprived compared to others.
media advertises the latest materialistic goods, promoting deprived people to steal the items to gain them as they can't afford it.
society unequal due to cuts in benefits, unemployment, job security and low pay.
people who are better off feel resentment to those worst off = hate crimes
subculture
some subcultures turn to crime to solve the problem.
criminal subcultures share materialistic goals, achieved illegitemately.
discriminated against for jobs.
not all subcultures turn to crime, some may turn to religion, may encourage conformity then crime.
marginalisation
groups that lack organisations to give them a voice.
jobless youths have no clear goals or organisations to represent them. powerless, fustrated and resent justice, expressed through crime
Surveillance theories
monitoring people to control crime. methods used for surveillance
foucault: the panopticon
controlled through self-surveillance, called 'disciplinary power'.
prison design known as the panopticon, surveillance is in the middle of the prison seeing all cells and inmates have to always have good behaviour as they don't know if someone is watching them or not.
synoptical surveillance
Mathiesen - there is not only surveillance from above but also below. called synopticon = everybody watches everybody
actuarial justice profiling
calculates the risks of certain events happening
feeley + simon - a new form of surveillance, predct and prevent future offending.
uses statistical information to reduce crime by compiling files of likely offenders