1 Crime and deviance

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Define crime
an act which involves breaking the law
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define deviance
a behaviour or act which goes against society's social norms, values and expectations
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What is the law?
a rule written by the government based on a norm which is so strong that it needs to be a legal rule
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What is social control?
the means by which society tries to ensure members behave the way others expect them to.
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What is formal social control?
control through an agency which was set up to specifically maintain social order e.g. police, criminal justice system
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What is informal social control?
control that isn't through an agency but through socialisation from institutions into the expectations of society e.g. family, education
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Examples of behaviour that can be considered deviant but not criminal?
swearing, tattoos, spitting in public, being drunk, smoking, trespassing
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Examples of behaviour that is criminal but not generally regarded as deviant?
speeding and streaming music/ films.
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Examples of behaviour that could be considered both deviant and criminal?
Murder, ****.
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Examples of behaviour that was seen as deviant in the past but not deviant now?
homosexuality and swearing
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Examples of behaviour that would be seen as deviant now but not deviant in the past?
smoking, hitting children, domestic abuse, child labour
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Behaviour that would be considered deviant in UK society but not in other parts of the world?
******* sunbathing, smoking cannabis, child labour
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Behaviour considered acceptable in the UK but would be regarded as deviant in other areas of the world?
women driving and showing skin, drinking alcohol, jaywalking, homosexuality
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How are crime and deviance socially constructed?
It is socially defined meaning that it is constructed by what members of the particular society see to be against their expectations.
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What are official crime statistics?
These are collect by the home office and include all crime that is reported to the police.
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What are the problems with official crime statistics?
Police do not record all crime, victimless crime, crime not reported because of fear/stigma, too trivial, unknown there was a crime, crime not witnesses
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What are victim surveys?
surveys asking people whether they have been victims of crime and if so did they report it to the police?
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How big is the sample for crime survey for England and Wales?
50,000 people.
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What are the problems with victim surveys?
doesn't include serious crimes, might not remember or know they were a victim, unlikely they will confess, cannot ask children
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What are self- report studies?
surveys asking people what crimes they have committed
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Problems with victim surveys?
May lie to appear socially acceptable, doesn't ask about serious crimes, respondent might not know they have committed a crime
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What are the trends in crime?
1930s- 50s- there was a gradual rise.
1950s- 80s- steeper rise.
1980s- 90s- there was a rapid increase.
1990s- 2015- gradual annual decline.
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What crimes have increased?
violence with injury, sexual offences, fraud and cyber crime.
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why has there been a decrease in crime?
loss of faith in the police, advancement in security, better rehabilitation, better socialisation, affluent society
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What are the patterns of offending?
working class males, in urban areas, by young people (age 10-21), against property.
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what is the process of a crime being recorded by the police?
1. a law is made
2. law is broken
3. crime is reported
4. police record crime
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why might the police decide not to record a crime?
they are under pressure to reduce crime, the crime is insignificant
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what are the non sociological explanations for crime?
Biological and psychological
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What did Lombroso find?
found clear physical features in criminals such as large skulls, crooked noses, low eyebrows and extra toes and fingers. he argued you could tell if someone was a criminal by how they looked
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what is a criticism of Lombroso?
The features described match those with special needs and Down syndrome suggesting they were misunderstood and alienated during this time.
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What did Eysenck find?
Identified two main types of personality; introvert and extrovert and found that extroverts are more likely to commit crime as they find it harder to learn and follow rules
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What are the sociological explanations of crime?
norms and values, socialisation, subcultures, labelling, capitalism, the police, deprivation and neglect
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

define deviance

Back

a behaviour or act which goes against society's social norms, values and expectations

Card 3

Front

What is the law?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What is social control?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What is formal social control?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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