Sociology - Crime and Deviance - Key definitions

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  • Created by: Charlotte
  • Created on: 17-05-13 18:03
Agencies of social control
The groups and organizations in society that control or constrain people's behaviour and actions.
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Antisocial behaviour
Behaviour that causes harassment, distress or alarm to other people.
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Corporate crime
Crimes committed by employees on behalf of the company or organization they work for. Examples include the manufacture and sale of unsafe products.
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Crime
An illegal act, such as shoplifting, which is punishable by law.
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Deviance
Behaviour which does not conform to society's norms and values and, if detected, is likely to lead to negative sanctions. Some acts which are deviant can also be illegal.
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Folk devil
A group that is defined as a threat to society's values.
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Formal and informal rules
Formal rules are written in the form of, for example, laws and codes of conduct. They have some sort of punishment for breaking them. Informal rules are not written down, but provide guidelines on how we are expected to behave in social settings.
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Formal social control
Control of people's behaviour based on written laws and rules. Agencies of formal social control include the police and prisons.
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Informal social control
Control of people's behaviour based on social processes such as the approval and disapproval of others. This is enforced via social pressure. Agencies of informal social control include peer groups and the family.
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Negative sanctions
Punishments for those who do not conform to the group's expectations, for example, by ignoring them.
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Moral panic
When the media exaggerates a story by presenting it in a particular way, making the general public concerned and go into a 'moral panic'.
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Positive sanctions
Sanctions that reward those who behave according to the group's expectations, for example, through praise.
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Racist victimisation
Individuals are targeted and victimized because of their race, ethnicity or religion.
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Relative deprivation
When individuals or groups feel that they are unfairly disadvantaged compared to other people in their community or society.
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Repeat victimisation
Being a victim of the same type of crime regularly over time.
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Scapegoating
The process of blaming an individual/group for something that is not their fault.
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Self-report studies
Household surveys which ask the respondent whether they have committed any offences during a specified time period, such as the last year.
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Social control methods
The processes by which people are encouraged to conform to the rules, and the ways in which social groups deal with behaviour that breaks these rules.
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Social order
This occurs when society is stable, ordered and runs without continual disruption.
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Stereotypes
Fixed, standardized and distorted views of the characteristics of a particular group, such as women. Stereotypes are often based on prejudice.
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Victim surveys
Household studies which ask respondents about their experiences of crime and whether they have been victims of particular offences during a specified period of time.
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White-collar crime
Crimes committed by people in relatively high-status professions, such as doctors or solicitors, during their work. Examples include tax evasion.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Behaviour that causes harassment, distress or alarm to other people.

Back

Antisocial behaviour

Card 3

Front

Crimes committed by employees on behalf of the company or organization they work for. Examples include the manufacture and sale of unsafe products.

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

An illegal act, such as shoplifting, which is punishable by law.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

Behaviour which does not conform to society's norms and values and, if detected, is likely to lead to negative sanctions. Some acts which are deviant can also be illegal.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

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