Crime and deviance

What does Merton's Strain Theory suggest about crime in society?

Crime occurs when people cannot legally achieve their goals of society.

What are the five reactions to strain according to Merton?

Conformity, Innovation, Ritualism, Retreatism, and Rebellion.

What is the cause of status frustration among working-class boys, according to Cohen?

Educational failure and poor employment opportunities.

What do working-class boys do in response to status frustration, according to Cohen?

They join delinquent subcultures to express their frustration and gain status within their group.

According to Becker, when is an act considered criminal or deviant?

An act is only seen as criminal or deviant when it is labeled as such.

What is the concept of self-fulfilling prophecy in relation to labels, as described by Becker?

An individual may accept a criminal label and it becomes their master status, leading to a deviant career.

What research method did Carlen use to understand women's reasons for crime?

Unstructured interviews with 39 women.

What do women turn to crime according to Carlen, and what is the reason for this?

They turn to crime because they cannot conform to the gender deal and class deal.

How does Heidensohn describe the control theory in relation to women's crime?

Patriarchy leads to less women committing crime due to being controlled at home, at work, and in public.

What is 'bedroom culture' as mentioned by Heidensohn?

A culture where girls have less opportunity for crime due to more control over their behavior.

Merton - Strain Theory

Crime occurs when individuals cannot legally achieve their societal goals. Five reactions to strain include Conformity, Innovation, Ritualism, Retreatism, and Rebellion.

Cohen - Status Frustration

Working-class boys share the same societal goals but struggle to achieve them due to educational failure, leading to delinquent subcultures.

Becker - Labelling Theory

An act is deemed criminal or deviant only when it is labeled as such. This can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy where individuals adopt this label as their master status.

Carlen - Gender Deal

Women may turn to crime when unable to conform to societal expectations regarding gender and class.

Heidensohn - Control Theory

Patriarchy controls women in society and reduces opportunities for crime through factors such as domestic control and fears of male violence.

Social Class and Crime

Working-class individuals are more likely to be convicted offenders. Factors include material deprivation, education disparities, and bias in the criminal justice system.

Gender and Crime - Chivalry Thesis

Women may be treated more leniently by the criminal justice system due to societal perceptions, affecting crime statistics.

Ethnicity and Crime - Institutional Racism

BAME individuals face systemic bias in policing and are disproportionately represented in crime statistics.

Age and Crime Trends

Young people aged 15-24 are more likely to be involved in crime; however, police focus on this demographic may skew perceptions.

Prison for Young Offenders

Young offenders face various sanctions, including fines and custody. Debates exist over whether imprisonment is an effective solution.

Violent Crime - Statistics

Statistics may not accurately reflect the extent of violent crime today, with media portraying an increasing trend despite some evidence suggesting otherwise.

The Media and Crime - Pluralism vs Conflict View

Functionalist perspectives argue the media provides diverse views, while Marxists argue it reinforces ruling class agendas and exaggerates crime.

Copycat Crimes

Crimes inspired by media portrayals, potentially leading to an increase in similar offenses

Agencies of social control

Groups in society who control and regulate our behaviour.

Anomie

Sense of normlessness where people feel like there are no strict rules.

Chivalry thesis

CJS less harsh to women as less likely to be seen as ‘bad’.

Corporate crime

Crime committed by businesses with the aim of making profit.

Crime

Illegal act punished by the law.

CJS

System of police/courts/prisons to manage offenders and reduce re-offending.

dark figure of crime

Crime not reported.

Deviance

Legal act against society norms.

deviancy amplification

process whereby mass media exaggerate significance of crime/ deviance in society.

Formal social control

Behaviour controlled by official agencies accosiated with government.

Informal social control

behaviour controlled by social pressure not linked to government. e.g family

Institiutional racism

Organisation shows racism

Relative deprivation

Individual feel they lacking things that people similar to them have.

sanctions

Consequences of behaviour given by society.

self-report studies

Individuals report crimes because they have committed themselves in a survey.

Status frustration

w.c. males disappointed with their place in society and can’t achieve due to education

Strain theory

Dont have legitimate means to achieve the goals of society

Subculture

Group who’s norms and values differ from mainstream society

victim survey

Survey you can take if been involved in a crime.

white collar crime

Crime committed by m.c.