10 Marker Definitions (crime and deviance)

Outline and explain the concept of 'Moral Panics' in relation to the media.

A moral panic is an exaggerated social reaction to a group or behavior perceived as a threat to societal values.

• The Media's Role: Acts as a 'moral entrepreneur' by sensationalizing crime (e.g., 1960s Mods and Rockers).
• Folk Devils: The media identifies a group as a threat, leading to public anxiety.
• Consequence: This often results in a 'deviancy amplification spiral' where increased policing leads to more arrests and more media coverage.

Outline and explain the concept of 'Agenda Setting' by the media regarding crime.

The media filters and selects which crimes are 'newsworthy,' focusing public attention on specific issues.

• News Values: Journalists use criteria like 'dramatization,' 'personalization,' and 'violence' to select stories.
• Impact: By focusing on violent or sexual crimes, the media constructs a distorted image of crime that doesn't match official statistics (O.C.S).

Outline and explain the concept of 'Hyper-reality' in the context of crime.

A Postmodernist concept (Baudrillard) where the media's representation of crime becomes more 'real' to the audience than reality itself.

• Fear of Crime: Constant media cycles of violent crime create a 'mean world syndrome.'
• Blurring Lines: Reality TV and 'infotainment' make it difficult for the public to distinguish between entertainment and actual criminal trends.

Outline and explain the concept of 'Criminogenic Capitalism'.

A Marxist term suggesting that crime is an inherent part of the capitalist system.

• Greed and Competition: Capitalism encourages 'success at any cost,' leading the ruling class to commit corporate crime.
• Poverty: For the working class, crime may be the only way to survive or obtain the consumer goods advertised by the media.

Outline and explain the concept of 'Relative Deprivation' as used by Left Realists.

The feeling of being deprived in comparison to others or one's own expectations (Lea and Young).

• Media Influence: The media projects images of wealthy lifestyles and 'must-have' products.
• Criminal Response: Those who cannot afford these goods via legitimate means may turn to crime to bridge the gap between their reality and the media-driven 'ideal.'

Outline and explain the concept of 'Deviancy Amplification'.

A process where the attempt to control deviance actually leads to an increase in deviance.

• Media Cycle: Reporting leads to moral panics, which leads to increased policing.
• Labeling: The group is marginalized, leading them to feel more alienated and adopt a 'criminal' master status, resulting in further offending.

Outline and explain the 'Chivalry Thesis' in the context of gender and crime.

The idea that the criminal justice system is more lenient toward women because police and judges (predominantly male) are socialized to be protective of them.

• Statistical Impact: This suggests that women commit more crime than official statistics (O.C.S) show, but are less likely to be arrested or charged.

Outline and explain the concept of 'Corporate Crime'.

Crimes committed by employees for their corporation in pursuit of its goals (e.g., environmental damage or financial fraud).

• Visibility: These crimes are often 'invisible' compared to street crime because the media focuses on 'blue-collar' crime.
• Power: Marxists argue the ruling class has the power to define 'crime' to exclude their own harmful activities.

Outline and explain 'Master Status' in labeling theory.

A status that overrides all other identities (e.g., father, worker) once a person is labeled a criminal (Becker).

• The Labeling Process: Once the 'criminal' label is applied, it becomes the lens through which others view the individual.
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: The individual may internalize the label, leading to a career in deviance.

Outline and explain the concept of 'Social Construction' of crime.

The idea that crime is not a fixed, universal reality, but is defined by social and cultural contexts.

• Relativity: Acts that are criminal in one culture (e.g., alcohol consumption in some nations) are legal in others.
• Power Dynamics: Interactionists argue that 'crime' is simply the labeling of certain behaviors by those with the power to make rules (Moral Entrepreneurs).

Outline and explain the concept of 'News Values' in relation to crime.

The criteria used by journalists and editors to determine whether a story is 'newsworthy' (Greer and Reiner).

• Criteria: Includes 'immediacy,' 'dramatisation,' and 'higher-status individuals.'
• Impact: This leads to an over-representation of violent and sexual crimes in the media, creating a distorted view of the actual levels of crime.

Outline and explain 'Primary and Secondary Deviance'.

A distinction made by Edwin Lemert mengenai how individuals internalize labels.

• Primary Deviance: Minor acts that don't affect an individual's status or identity.
• Secondary Deviance: Occurs when the individual is publicly labeled, leading to further deviant behavior as the label becomes their 'master status' (Self-Fulfilling Prophecy).

Outline and explain Merton’s 'Strain Theory'.

A Functionalist theory suggesting that crime is a result of a mismatch between goals and means (Merton).

• The Gap: In a meritocratic society like the U.S.A, everyone is encouraged to achieve the 'American Dream' (1940s).
• Innovation: Those denied legitimate means (due to class or education) may turn to illegitimate methods (crime) to reach financial success.

Outline and explain the concept of 'Hegemonic Masculinity' and crime.

A dominant form of masculinity that values power, dominance, and the subordination of women (Messerschmidt).

• Construction of Identity: Men view crime as a way to prove their 'manliness' when other avenues (like career success) are blocked.
• Examples: Domestic violence or street robbery can be seen as 'doing masculinity' when traditional status is lacking.

Outline and explain the 'Globalisation of Crime'.

How crime has crossed national borders due to technological and economic changes (Castells).

• Global Criminal Network: The rise of 'transnational organized crime' worth trillions of dollars.
• Deregulation: The easing of financial controls and borders allows for easier money laundering and trafficking of goods and humans.

Outline and explain Foucault’s concept of 'Surveillance' and the Panopticon.

A Postmodern perspective on how social control is exercised through observation (Foucault).

• The Panopticon: A design where people behave because they believe they might be watched at any time.
• Liquid Surveillance: Modern technology (CCTV, browsing history) means surveillance is no longer contained in buildings but follows people everywhere.

Outline and explain the concept of 'Institutional Racism' within the Criminal Justice System (C.J.S).

Discrimination that is built into the everyday practices of organizations (Macpherson Report).

• Police Bias: Research suggests that ethnic minorities are over-policed and under-protected.
• Consequence: This leads to distrust in the police and higher rates of incarceration for certain ethnic groups, reinforcing stereotypes.

Outline and explain 'Situational Crime Prevention' (S.C.P).

A Right Realist approach to reducing crime by focusing on the environment rather than the individual (Clarke).

• Target Hardening: Increasing the effort required to commit a crime (e.g., better locks, car alarms, or security shutters).
• Rational Choice: Assumes that if the risk of being caught is higher than the reward, the criminal will be deterred.

Outline and explain the concept of 'Green Crime'.

Crimes committed against the environment, often analyzed through a 'Global Risk' lens (South).

• Primary Crime: Actions that directly harm the environment, such as CO2 emissions or deforestation.
• Secondary Crime: Actions that result from breaking environmental laws, such as state-sponsored violence against activists.

Outline and explain the concept of 'Social Exclusion' as used by Left Realists.

The feeling and reality of being left out of the economic and social mainstream (Young).

• Marginalisation: Groups like unemployed youth lack clear goals or organizations to represent them, leading to frustration.
• Crime Cycle: Exclusion from the job market can lead to subcultural groups forming as a way to gain status through alternative means.