Crime and Deviance

What is a Crime?

An act which breaks the criminal laws of society and is punishable by law.

What is Deviance?

Behaviour which is disproved off by most people in society. As it breaks norms, morals and values.

What is white collar crime.

Commited in the courcse of legitmate employment, its a financial abuse of occupational role. eg. Fraud, insider dealing, tax evasion.

What is corporate crime?

Is when a company commits a crime.

According to Durkheim why is Crime functional?

'Crime is an intergral part of all healthy societys'. It is inevitable, because not every one is going to equally commited to the collective sentiments. However too much crime = dysfunctional society as it suggests that somthing is wrong in society and needs resolving.

What is Mertons value consensus?

The expected norms, morals and values in society.

According to merton what are the five ways in which memebers in society could respond to their goals.

Conformity- accepting society and institutionalised means of acheiving them. Innovation- Accepting the goals ( eg- wealth) but rejecting institutionalised means, and deviating from them. Ritualism - rejecting the gaols but going along with the institution. Its deviant because it results from strong socialised to conform to expected behaviours. Retreatism - rejecting goals and rejecting the institution. Decent into alcholism. Rebellion - Creating a new society against the mainstream.

According to Croall why is White Collar crime difficult to convict.

White collar crime is morally ambiguous as it's victimless as its crime aginst business. It's an indirect offence. Offenders are invisble, Diffiult to blame it on. Complex, as no one really understands it fully. The public deosn't fear it

What is the new Criminology according to neo Marxists Taylor, Walton, Young?

Crime takes place when a capitalist system where some people have a lot of wealth and power, wheras the fustrated majority don't. These inequalitys are the root of crime.

Define right realism?

The right wing political perspective, emphases James Q Wilson and emphasing 'zero tolerance'. Follows Wilsons broken window theory, which argues minor occurances of crime/deviance escalate within a neighbourhood.

What do right realists argue about crime?

A lack of disicipline in education and familys lead to increased crime. Permissive attitudes of self - indulgents and anti - social behaviour. When the costs of crime out weigh the benfits. To solves these we must incease the costs of crime, reduce oppurtunitys for crime, more police prevalent witin communitys. A face to face relationship between authoritys and communitys, a stress on preventing crime.

What is Right Reaslism Zero tolerance?

Involves the police strictly clamping down on minor criminal activities such as littering, begging, graffiti and other forms of antisocial behaviour. To create an example to the rest of society.

According to Right realist Clark and Coleman 1980 why do people commit crime?

Argues criminals will engage in crime if the benefit out weigh the costs. (rational choice theory). Its a part of human nature.

What does Charles Murray and the new right argue?

Argues that the underclass are particularly insuffieciently intergrated into societys norms and values. The undercalss are prone to crimes, especially violent, because they failed in education.

According to right realist Ernest van den Haag (1975) why should society be highly socialy controlled?

Adopts a very poor veiw of humanity as willling to cheat to 'get on' and therefore some groups need to be controlled for their own good. Like durkheim, crime is functional, however we must advocate tough punishments to prevent uncontrolable levels of crime.

Cristisms of Right realism?

According to Platt and Tackie, they critises this approach for concentrating and exclusively on working class crime and ignoring the crime of the powerful.

Define Left realism?

The left wing political perspective, empahsis the importance of tackling deprivation and to respond to the needs of the communtiy.

What do left realists argue about crime?

Lea and Young developed left realism, which expliains crime through the deprived and minority ethnic groups. Crime is a real problem for orginary people and explain it through a socal and economic relationship. Explains crime in terms of subculture, relative depivation and marginalisation.

What do left realists Lea and Young argue about rising crime rates

Statistics cannot soley explain crime. Tackling black minority crime head-on through policing has only lead to more crime. Because police taget and discriminate them, the deprived community leads to the black youth having low aspertions and are more likely to turn to crime.

According to Lea and Young what are the 3 key factors that lead to crime?

Subculture- accepting deprivation but wanting material wealth to gain status. A consumption culture, leading to crime becomig more attractive. Marginalisation-they are down in society. lack of reprsentation of groups in the media, goverment, educational institutions. leading to prejudice and harrasment. Relative Deprivation- fustration on underpiaid jobs and uneployment. Denied through deprivation the right of success.

According to left realist Jock Young, why is there a growth in crime?

Modernity is making crime worse. Society is unstable, there is job uncertanty, less value consensus about morals, people desire immedaite pleasure. A break down of social control.

Give some criticisms of the Left Realist aproach

Relative deprivation and marginalisation cannot explain the motive behind offenders actions. Not all poor people are criminals.

What is the overall Postmodern assumption?

Postmodernism rejects grand narratives particularly those which concentrate on external factors. They argue its our emotions which lead to criminal and devaint behaviour.

What are the three Postmodern assumptions?

1. Difference - society is a 'global village' coonected by mass media, this highlights how different we all are. 2. Fragmentation- the death of old grand narratives such as traditionl nborms and Value (religion) now society is more fragmented. 3. Incoherance - This involves resurrecting the importance of the irrational.

What did Post modernists Levin and McDevitt argue as to why people commit crimes?

Most crime and deviancey is the result of 'thrill seeking'. If trhe reward for cime is as psychological as it is social. The thrill which people recieve from engaging in criminal activity can highten there exhilaration, and they may find joy in inflicting suffering onto offers. Fenwick and Hayward - Thrill seeking activivty provides and escape from the dullness of reality.

How is society controled and regualted in a Postmordern Society?

New technologys has made surveillance and control of the population easier, as individuauls practise a form of self- surveilance. Id cards which have now been planned, are an example of surveilance this would include biometric info. New prisons are being built and new wyas are being developed to tacile crime.

Give three biological explainations to Criminal behaviour?

1. Lombroso- People are born criminal and physical deformitys (hairyness, slopped forehead) are innate traits of a criminal.

2. Supermale - the XXY chromosone which is genetic deformity in males, leads to men being taller then average however with less than average intelegance and are more likely to engage in criminal activity.

3. Raine - Some insane Murders had less activity in the prefrontal cortex, which regulates behaviour.

Describe Eyesnicks pathological theory as to why soem people are more likely to commit crimes than offers?

Personality traits such as extrovertion, Neuroticness and psychopathy may make inviduals moe inclined to commit deviant acts. These heritory traits in character may lead to people with are high level of those traits are more likely to commit crime.

Describe Beckers labeling theory to crime?

It's a social action theory, If we label people as deviant they are more likely to create a criminal master status and adopt societys veiws of them. This master status may cause a person to persue a deviant career and commit more crimes.

Describe Lemert's theory of Primary and secondary devation?

He empahased the imporatnce of a societal reaction i.e. reactions of others to the deviants. Primary deviation - This consists of deviant acts before they wehere pubically labeled but has little effect on indivivduals self concept and status Secoandary devaition - It is the societal reaction which causes the devaince as peoples self concept are influenced by society. Lemert blames the agents of social control for deviance rather than the deviants themseleves.

Describe subcultural theory?

It is centred around the ideology of crime and deviance is a reaction by a group who rject the majority veiw and feel excluded. Merton's old theory was accused of not being able to expalin non - material crime.

What did subcultural theorists Cloward and Ohlin argue about crime?

See working class deliquency due to status fustartion. The 'blocked oppurtunitys' which the WC has faced leads to them being unable to attain a legitmate career.

Describe Containment theory?

Outer containment - How guidlines within societ influence a persons activity, such as responsiblitys and respectable limits. Inner containment - A good self concept. A strong ego and well developed conscience.

What did subcultural theorist Albert J. Reiss argue about crime?

Deliquency is the result off.

1. A failure to internalize socially accepted and prescribed norms of behaviour.

2. A breakdown of internal controls

3. A lack of social rules that prescribe behaviour in the family, the school, and other imporatnt socail groups.

What did subcultural theorist Mc Collisson argue about masculinity and crime?

Men are 95% of the prison population. He argues its the subculture which underpins deviant behaviour. Hegemonic masculinity

According to David Downs what subcultural values do the working class have?

He found little evidence for subcultural values. found out that wc youth in East London dissociated from mainstream values of longterm employment, instead focused on lesure.

Describe Edward Suntherland theory of Differntial Association?

In lower class areas crime is taught through interacting and communicating with deliquent individuals. Those individuals become admired. Normative conflict leads to dissfunctions, which leads to morals favourable to law violation. Differntial association may vary in frequency, intensity and duration. The criminal behaviour requires the same mechanisms as any other learning.

Describe Archer's Social learning theory as to how behaviour can be positively or negatively reinforced?

Behaviour is either reinfroced through reward, or punished. Rewards can be status, arousal, excitement, money or possessions acceptance. These reinforcements teach a person how to adquately behave.

According to Hirshi, what does the typical deliquent lack?

Attachment - Lacks emotional componant of conformity. Commitment - Rational component of conformity and refers to a lifestyle in which one has invested considerable time and energy in the persuit of a lawful career. Involvement - A direct consquences of commitment, it is part of an overall conventional pattern of existance. Belief - The acceptance of social norms regulating conduct. Most crimes are sponatneous acts which require little skill for minimal short term satisfication.

Describe Matza's theory of 'delinquency drift' and subterranean values.

Argued young people escpecially boys are leass skilled in there SV when these values drive deviant behaviour they use techniques of neutralisation to justify them out of deviance as a part of growing up. SV- What we want to do. Criminals drift in and out of conventional criminal behaviour. Even the most involved criminals take breaks from crime. As they want to feel less guilt and shame. To neutralise the feeling they use five techniques. Denial of responsibility, injury, victim. Condemning the condemners and appeal to higher loyalty's (I had to do it). The discomfort is called Cognitive dissonance. neutralisation is used to loosen moral constraints.

Describe Walter Reckless interpretation of Containment theory?

Assumes that for every individual there is a constancy external structure or/and protective internal structure. Both of which provide response protection or insulation against delinquency. Delinquency takes place if the internal structures are not there, such as self respect. Delinquency is a push and pull process between ones internal and outer containment.

Outline Campbell's theory on Aggressive masculinity?

Men are expected to behave aggressively. Links with Mc Collinson's theory.

Give a Postmodern criticism of subcultural theory?

The theory try's to rationally explain crime and deviance, much like offer theory's. J Katz (1988)- Argues that crime is seductive and people engage with it because it is exciting. We flirt with crime, as Danger is attractive.

According to Jock Young why do police obsess over moral panics?

Police get a level of arousal when they are running after moral panics! As police view weed smokers as hippie's with long hair. Hippies become united in there difference, retreated and become deviant.

What are Jock Youngs five stages of moral panics?

1. Something someone is defined as a threat to values of interest. 2. This threat is depicted in an easy recognisable form of media. 3. There is a rapid build up of public concern. 4. There is a response from authorities or opinion makers. 5. The panic results in social changes. Laws have been created quickly after moral panics.

What is the connection between mental illness and delinquency?

It's not criminal to be mentally ill, but it is often regarded as deviant. The stigma with an illness such as depression, according to labelling theorists lead to more harm. These labels don't exist and is just a convenient label to explain away strange and 'bizarre' behaviour.

What does Szasz alternatively argue about mental illness?

There is no such thing. People rely on labels to cure the 'odd' behaviour to ensure everyone within society conforms. Its a type of social control, and the medical model is overly politized. The effect of labelling leads to a person becoming passive in treating there problems.

According to Goffman how do medical institutions fail to deal with mental illness?

Mortification - patients are pressured to accept the institutions definitions of themselves. On entry point they are humiliated. The timetable of the institutions routine leads to individuals never being able to make a decisions about their lives. Scrutinised by staff watching their behaviour. leading to paranoia, anxiety and apathy may lead to offer labels because of these developed symptoms which reinforce deviance.

Describe Heinsohn police 'Canteen Culture' theory?

Elements of masculinism, authoritarianism, intolerance of ethnic minority's, a desire for excitement and strong notion of law enforcement lead to a toxic behaviour within the police. Perceptions of crime become categorised by (race, age, class) and these perceptions are reinforced between police offers.

What did Becker point out about behaviour and severity of police charge.

Delinquent boys where less likely to be charged if they behave in a cooperative and manurable way Infront of the police as they where seen as good. Rather than those who retaliated, who where harshly convicted.

Give reasons to why there is a rise in crime rates?

More state action: as policing gets better more crimes are detected. More Laws: Because of more legislation therefore means more crimes. More sensitivity: people are more sensitive to reporting crimes such a sexual and physical violence. Merton and strain - Because of increased affluence there are more things to steal. As opportunity's have risen, so have crimes.

What is the Dark figure of crime statistics?

The unreported crimes. The Official stats only report crimes of which the police are aware of. The British Crime Survey is sent to show the unreported crimes and to find the true stats, apparently there is 44% more crime.

According to Moore, Aiken and Chapman why do crimes go unreported?

They see the police as filters, only reporting some crimes. The seriousness of the offence may be regarded as trivial. Social Status of the Victim may influence the action taken. Also finding out how to classify the crime (minor GBH, server GBH or assault?)

What is the 'Cuffing' of Crime?

The dishonest practice of not recording crimes is known inside the police as 'cuffing' or 'Spanish practices'. Only crimes that can successfully solve are reported.

How are Crime statistics a social construction?

Because they are the product of social processes. Involves not only offenders but reporting, the crime and the behaviour of the police. The process is influenced by gatekeepers and government agendas.

Describe the Marxist perecpetive of crime stats

Recognises the systematic bias in favour of the power of the application of law. Higher people are in the system, they are less likely to be arrested, prosecuted and forund guilty. The Darkside of white collar crime is that largey invisible and absent from crime stats.

Define Globalisation and how it relates to crime and Deviance?

Refers to the way in which the world has become more interconected, the cultural, political and socil boundaries which once seperated countries are dissolving. The UN, has created laws which protect humans acros the globe and violations of thsese laws is a crime recognised by all goverments.

According to Castells (1998) what are the typical crimes seen globally?

Arms trafficking, nuclear materials traffiking, 21st century Slavoury, cyber crimes, sex tourism, terrosism, Money Laundering, illegal Drug selling. Most global crime is supply side economies provided by developing countries, feeding and demand being led by devloped countires.

According to Taylor how deos global crime creates crime at both ends of the social spectrum?

Lack of legitimate employment opputunities caused by outstanding to cheaper labeor means illegal options of employment become more rational. Higher social groups use this for there own interests, leading to increase insider traiding, tax evasion and wide social fraud.

How deos Globalisation benefit gangs, as according to Hobbs and Dunnigham?

Use the term 'Global organisation' to explain how new type of gang structures have emerged to facilitate new global markets, espcially international drug deals. Such structures communicate through the internte and these gangs are dispereced across nations. Unlike the Italain American Mafia, which was focuse on a specific neighbourhood and family. Crime has become fluid, flexible and fatser to respond to emerging oppurtunitys.

Who are the New Mafia according to Glenny 2008?

The increase im eastern Europe gangs are on ilustrative example of the social, cultural and ploitical changes since the fall of communism in 1998. Many corrupt KGB (Russian Spys) officaila bought up coal, steal and mineral industries at low prices.

What is Green Crime?

Commited against the enviroment, it's a highly subjective and contested concept. Globalisation ensure that nations can no longer act as seperate countries,and that coutries are responsible for pollution and damage to eco systems. Large corperations have to follow enviromental protection laws.

Define Anthropocentrism?

Veiw states that humans have the right to dominate nature for their own ends, (Big business interests).

Define Ecocentrism?

Sees humans and the enviroment as interdependant, harming the enviroment ultimately harms humans.

According to Cohen how do countries legitimise their human right crimes

Dictatorships often deny acts of torture, while Democracys often use complex laws to legitmise acts of torture. Cohen borrows Matza's idea to show how goverments use the same technique of neutralisation to excuse their actions.

According to Kelman and Hamelton, how can social conditions in society lead to horrific crimes being commited?

The horrific acts of the past such as the US massacering 400 civiliants during the Veitnam war can be argeud as crimes of obedience.

What are the three excuse's of crime as according to Kelman and Hamelton?

Authoriastion- A destructive authority ordered them to commit the act and they had to obey. Routinisation - This is where pressure from the heirarchy/ goverment turns the act into a routine manner. Dehumanisation - The nemy is made to look as non - human as possible, which makes the crime easier.

What are the gender differnces in Crime?

Men are more likely to be convicted. Female conviction rates tend to fall from the age of about 15, whereas male conviction rates tend to fall from about 17 -18 yrs. Women are arrested 16% of the time.

What are thefour explainations as to why Women commit less crime?

Biological theory- according to lombroso womens hormones make them caring and less violent. Sex role - women are socialesd to be domestic and caring. Control theory- Heidensohn believes girls from birth have been taught an ideology, they are placed in the home and have less oppurtunitys to commit crime. Transgression-Carol Smart argues that women are viwed as victimes. A postmodern idea. Chivalry factor - Hilary (1987) argues that mental health can be used to epxlain a womens abnormal criminal behaviour, such as PMS.

What are the two main stands on as to why ethnic miorites are more likely to be seen as criminasl?

Structuralist veiws - they are more criminal because of society. Social Constructionist vews - the justice system is unfair.

Descibe Left realists Lea nad Youngs perecpetive on ethinicty crime and deviance?

Black people were not simply victims of a racist system, they are also more likely to be involved with street crime than whites. Because of factors such as Marginalisation, Relative deprivation and subcultural responses. The media reinforces the deviancy of black youths, as well as the educational failure, single parent dysfunctional family's and rap music.

How does media representation influence the ethnic minority's criminality?

Muslims are presented as terrorists. The over representation of Afro -Caribbean crime stats is a social construct, created as a result of discrimination towards black and by the police and other criminals justice agencies. This can be considered evidence of why racist views are in the police.