Definition and Measurement of Crime & Deviance

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What sociologist proposed definitions of deviance and crime?
Clinard - Deviance is behaviour the community strongly dissaproves of and crime is activities that break the law and receive official punishment
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What is delinquency?
Acts that are criminal or considered antisocial commited by young people
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What does relative deviance mean?
Deviance is socially constructed and has no absolute definition - varies by place, time, society/culture
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What does society do about deviance?
Agents of social control are used to control, supress or punish deviancy
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What functionalist defines crime and deviance?
Durkheim - Society has set of core values (Value Consensus/collective conscious) and the more behaviour differs from them, the more it is seen as deviant
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What two types of controls do functionalists relate to crime and deviance?
Formal (Laws) and informal (Norms) social controls - Clearly define what deviant behaviour is in most social situations
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Why does Durkheim think modern societies have more crime and deviance?
Their more complex so socialisation agencies are less effective in ensuring value consensus
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What do interactionalists think of the functionalist definition of deviance?
They disagree with it as defintions of normal/deviant behaviour are relative social constructs which are interpreted differently due to factors like individual viewpoint, social context, time/place and culture
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How do interactionalists explain deviance in modern society?
Modern society is too complex for a value/norm consensus and there are competing sets of values and a diversity of beliefs
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How do interactioanlists explain changes in what is seen as deviant?
Social attitudes evolve over time, changing values and thus changing definitions of normality/deviancy
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How do interactionalists see the effect of influential social groups on definitions of deviance/crime in society?
They acknowledge that some social groups have the power to impose their definitions on others and label them as deviant and criminal
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How do Marxists explain definitions of deviancy in society?
No true consensus and extreme inequality means the bourgeoisie impose their defintions of crime and deviance on lower groups who may threaten their power
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What do Marxists argue the law functions to do?
Protect ruling class interests and to criminalise the working class so their control through policing can be justified
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What does Weber say about definitions of crime/deviance in society?
Argued that the wealthy dominate definitions but also that its more complex than just class as factors like gender, race, age, religion, ethnicity, authority and coercion also influence it
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What postmodernist comments on objectivity in sociology?
Lyotard - Knowledge simply reflects the viewpoint and values of different social groups and none are superior to any other
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What is meant by the term objectivity in sociology?
Research conclusions are independant of a sociologists personal values e.g morals or political preferences, this is ideal but in reality it is difficult to be truly value free
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What is delinquency?

Back

Acts that are criminal or considered antisocial commited by young people

Card 3

Front

What does relative deviance mean?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What does society do about deviance?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What functionalist defines crime and deviance?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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