AC2.3 sociological theories of criminality

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  • Created by: Meilovy
  • Created on: 08-04-24 23:41
Which three sociological theories fall under social structure?
functionalism (Durkheim), strain theory (Merton) and Marxism (Karl marx)
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Which sociological theory falls under interactionalism?
Labelling theory (Howard becker).
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What are the two theories falling under realism?
Right (Wilson + Herrington & Murray & clarke )and left realism (Lea and Young).
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Briefly summarise functionalism.
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Society based on mutual values. socialisation. Transmission of norms + enforcement of law = needed for safe society. Institutions like police enforce the norms to maintain social control
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Briefly summarise functionalism.
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Some crime was inevitable + needed. Too much crime (anomie). No crime = stagnant society <no development>. Crime needed for :
Adaption + change ; Boundary maintenance; 'safety valve'
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What is meant by needing crime for adaption & change?
Durkheim argued that crime and deviance is needed to help society to evolve when real necessary change is required.
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What is meant by crime creating boundary maintenance?
Crimes can create public outrage which then reinforces our collective conscience + our shared values/ norms (e.g. racially motivated crimes)
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How does crime create a 'safety valve'?
Some functionalists would believe that committing certain types of crime can be used as a form of 'release' from the stresses of life. Thus helping to benefit social order + family structure.
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What can the functionalism theory be compared to?
Organic analogy: Society is like a human body. All parts of society + institutions must work together to function. if one part of the body , like society, fails = the whole system collapses.
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How does this theory explain criminal behaviour?
Crime + deviance exists as they are functional + beneficial for society. Small amounts of crime = help us evolve; reinforces social norms/values; help release. No crime = no change in society. Too much crime = anomie (chaos).
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What are the two positives for this theory?
* Support - criminal beh. found in all societies (universal). credibility - crime will exist as its beneficial for society.
* Supported by examples - change = suffragettes + civil rights movement. Boundary (terror attacks). Partly valid.
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What two limitations are there to this theory?
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* Over - emphasises the beneficial nature. Claims of serious crimes being good. Disregards significant emotional + physical trauma (unethical)
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What two limitations are there to this theory?
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* Fails to establish the root cause of criminal beh. Durkheim has not tried to explain why some ppl commit crime and some do not. No explanation of diff crimes committed. limited practical expl. + usefulness
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Briefly summarise strain theory (Merton)
American dream. Everyone has the same values. Earned by legitimate means. But. ppl are placed at a disadvantage (e.g. poor). Ppl still want end goal so the means become illegitimate. Rules no longer matter. Strain = 5 strategies.
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What are the 5 types of strain caused by the strain?
1. Conformists (non crim)
2. Innovators (crim)
3. Ritualism (non crim)
4. Retreatism (crim)
5. Rebels (crim)
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How does this theory explain criminal behaviour
Innovators - Develops illegitimate means to reach goals. (tends to be financial crimes)
Rebels - Develop their own rules. Unlikely to follow the law.
Retreatists - No social goals. (Vagrancy, ASB)
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What are two strengths for this theory?
* Supported by stats - income deprived areas = 52% more crimes recorded. Credible. poverty + inequality = crime.
* Explains a wide range of crimes- London riots (innovation/ financial). Rebels = gangs + radical groups (just stop oil).
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What are the two limitations for this theory?
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* Can't explain all cases of crime - focuses on lower classes. Cant' explain fraud + tax evasion (upper classes). Not deprived. not generalisable to more privileged groups. less useful.
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What are the two limitations for this theory?
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* Lacks empirical evidence to support claims, similar to Durkheim. Innovation has face validity (London riots). Theory still lacks scientific research. Unlike other theories (e.g. individual). undermines the effectiveness.
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What is right realism?
Rejects the Marxist view + supports capitalism; believing that crime is destroying communities; Believe in harsh punishments for crime + more social control; less focus on why crime is committed + focus on preventing it.
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How does the factor of biology fall into the right realism theory?
Wilson & Herrnstein - crime = combo of bio + sociological factors. Bio = some ppl more predisposed to commit crime e.g. hormones + personality traits = aggression + risk taking.
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How does the factor of socialisation form a part of right realism?
Murray - effective socialisation = helps reduce the risk of criminality; underclasses fail to properly socialise their children, thus children have less self control. Absent fathers = boys will look for male role models + join gangs.
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How does rational choice form the right realism theory?
Clarke - individuals rationally choose to commit crime as costs are outweighed by the benefits; at the moment in society the perceived costs of crime are low = crime increase.
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So how does this theory explain crime?
Right realists question the view that economic factors cause criminality; instead believing people commit crime when the social constraints of their behaviour weaken. crime = inadequate social control.
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What can be used as an example for right realism?
Margaret thatcher : 'crime is crime' - doesn't care about why but instead how to fix it.
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What are two strengths for this theory?
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* Offers many practical approaches to tackling crime = other socio. theories (e.g. Marxism) offer theoretical solutions, meanwhile right realism offer practical solutions = target hardening + greater use of prisons.
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What are two strengths for this theory?
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* Suggested solutions have been tried and successful - e.g. zero tolerance policy. in Liverpool 2005 - violent crime fell by 38% + robbing by 23%.
Further success via response to London riots. Credibility to right realist concept of rational crime
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What are the two limitations of the right realism theory?
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* Cannot be used to explain all crimes - focuses on poorer class crimes. No focus on upper-class <who have proper socialisation>. e.g. white collar crime + tax evasion. Lacks generalisability.
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What are the two limitations of the right realism theory?
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* Rational choice can't be applied to all crimes - Weighing up costs + rewards of crime = premeditated. cannot explain impulsive actions/ crimes of passion. losing credibility. ineffective explanation.
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What 3 factors form left realism?
1. Relative deprivation <lea and young>
2. Marginalisation
3. Subculture
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What is relative deprivation?
Crime is not caused by poverty itself - instead ppl know how deprived they are compared to others. Can lead to crime due to feelings of resentment - belief that others have unfairly more than them.
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What is marginalisation?
Certain groups find themselves politically + financially on edge in society. May feel powerless. May turn to crime such as vandalism/violence out of resentment/ or frustration.
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How is subculture a part of left realism?
Some working class + minority groups may form deviant sub - culture groups; groups can conflict with one another - leading to crimes such as street crime, burglary.
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How does this theory explain criminality?
Left realists see society as divided by inequality <capitalism>. look at crime at an individual level. State crime not excusable = problem affecting disadvantaged groups. Other theories are too theoretical - don't take crime seriously.
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What are the two advantages of this theory?
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* Support for the 3 core explanations - 2011 London riots - illustrate danger of relative deprivation <stealing luxury goods>. Suffragettes + civil rights movement = marginalisation. 'postcode' gangs - subculture. social inequality
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What are the two advantages of this theory?
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* Practical application + realistic solutions - focus attention on (-) social inequality - removing feelings of relative deprivation. Realistically achievable. Gradual change. e.g. (-) unemployment. More useful than theoretical solu.
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What are the two limitations to left realism?
* Cannot be used to explain all crime - (Similar to right realism). loses credibility - ineffective.
* Deterministic - Assume those who feel deprivation WILL resort to crime. Ignores free will. Not all poor ppl turn to crime. reduces usefulness.
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Briefly describe the theory of Marxism (Karl Marx).
looks at society as a whole. Class division. Bourgeoisie dominate + proletariat's = exploited. Capitalism = cause of crime. Big businesses keep all the wealth + power. Abolish capitalism + install communism (revolution - get rid of money.)
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Briefly outline what a capitalist society is like.
Property privately owned + Wealth distributed unevenly + focuses on the individual and their own progress and successes.
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What are the capitalist values?
People need freedom + when people compete against one another they achieve greater things
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Briefly outline what a communist society is like.
Property owned by the state + No social class + focuses on the progress of the community as a whole
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What are the communist values?
People need one another + When people work together that is when they achieve greater things + no one should have more than anyone else (everyone is equal)
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How does this theory explain criminality?
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Capitalism is criminogenic, thus its structure causes crime. Encourages ppl to pursue self interest over anything else. creates inequality + poverty. Makes us want things we don't need/ can afford.
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How does this theory explain criminality?
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Selective law making + enforcement - Law is selective with one for the rich and one for the poor. Proletariat crime heavily policed + regularly featured in the news. Creates a public perception of 'false consciousness'.
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What are the two strengths for this theory?
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* Supported by theories + IRL cases - Both strain theory + left realism agree that capitalism causes inequality, thus crime. The idea that capitalism = criminogenic = used to explain crimes by the lower class (London riots 2011 <consumerism>)
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What are the two strengths for this theory?
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* Evidence to support selective law enforcement. Gordon found that police = more likely to focus on proletariat areas + their crime. Would explain why crime stats are higher in low income areas - selectively targeted by law enforcement.
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What are the two limitations to this theory?
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* Deterministic - Assumes all members of the proletariat will commit crime. Fails to consider free will. Plenty ppl in both social classes choose not to commit crime. Claims ignore this, thus reducing the usefulness of theory overall.
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What are the two limitations to this theory?
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* Reductionist - only focuses on social class inequality. ignores factors such as age + gender. Doesn't consider bio/ individualistic factors (e.g. SLT). Thus provides an over simplified + ineffective explanation.
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What is labelling theory? <Howard Becker>
Ppl identify + behave to their label. No actions are criminal/ deviant, they are a result of labels in society. Labelling ppl as criminals = self fulfilling prophecy by taking on the label + being criminal becomes their master status.
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What is a master status?
When a person fully becomes their label, accepting their deviant career + ignores all rs outside their deviant group.
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How does this theory explain criminality?
Labelling ppl as criminal/ deviant means society encourages them to become more so.
Deviancy amplification - Deviant acts = exaggerated due to label. Deviant careers = Life of crime = way of life. Self fulfilling prophecy
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What is an example used for labelling theory?
London riots 2011 - During the riots, ppl were labelled as poor, rioting + deserving punishment.
Bullingdon club: Future PMs so labelled as making a wrong judgment rather than criminal.
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What are the two strengths for this theory?
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* IRL examples of self fulfilling prophecy + deviancy amplification. Mods + rockers 1964 + 2011 LR - social reaction + media encourage crime + deviance. Credibility - negative effects of labelling observed in the real world
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What are the two strengths for this theory?
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* Can help understand + explain skewed trends in crime statistics. E.g. Stats indicate that proletariats = more likely to commit crime. However theory would suggest there's more (-) labels on them, thus more arrests. Help target + prevent crime.
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What are the two limitation for this theory?
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* Deterministic - assumes ppl will accept a label + make it their master status. Ignores how people reject labels, working to avoid any beh. associated with the label. Reducing credibility as can't be generalised to everyone - reactions differ
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What are the two limitation for this theory?
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* Doesn't explain the root cause of the criminality/ deviance. Says that labels = deviancy amplification - fails to say why the initial act was committed <e.g. Mods v rockers>. provides no solution for preventing initial rule - breaking beh.
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