Social Class + Crime

Criminalisation + class bias

Statistics

in Glasgow no fewer than 60% of prisoners came from the most deprived council estates

of 2,171 adult prisoners, 43% had no educational qualifications, 36% had been unemployed when sentenced

a strong relationship between living in the most deprived wards in Scotland and being in prison

Material explanations for w/c criminality (of inequality of income and wealth)

A02 Gordon = capitalism generates a 'dog-eat-dog' mentality which encourages selfishness and greed

A02 Merton = the w/c had restricted opportunities to succeed in society and were therefore likely to turn to illegitimate ways of achieving goals, that is, crime

A03 but there is no limit on achievement, people always want more, explaining why m/c may commit crime

Cultural explanations for w/c criminality (attitudes, values, etc)

A02 Miller = lower classes develop a distinctive culture which is passed down from generations

focal concerns, such as, toughness, smartness and excitement = can lead to trouble with the law e.g. through fights

A02 Murray = the underclass have developed a culture of dependancy on welfare in which single parents have little respect for the law

children lack role models and so young men break the law because they lack discipline

A03 high rates of criminality among children from single parents families can be explained by low income rather than loose morals

Criminalisation + class bias

it is not that the lower classes are more criminal, just that their behaviour is more likely to be defined as criminal

A02 Chambliss = studied two juvenile gangs, the saints (m/c) and the roughnecks (w/c)

the 'saints' got away with far more serious offences like drinking and driving than the 'roughnecks' who were more likely to be involved in minor offences

'roughnecks' were more likely to be labelled because of pre-existing stereotypes about different classes

w/c are more visible (on the streets more, rather than in private homes) and their lack of ability to negotiate their way out of trouble by being polite

if taken to court w/c are more likely to be seen as being more at risk of reoffending

in contrast m/c do not fit the stereotype of the typical criminal, their offences are more difficult to detect, etc