Cultural Theories of Crime and Delinquency

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture on cultural theories of crime and delinquency, emphasizing different theoretical frameworks and their implications.

Cultural Attenuation Theory

Conventional values are not rejected but fall into 'disuse,' making it difficult to have common ground or shared understandings.

Legal Cynicism

cultural orientation in which the law and its agents are viewed as illegitimate, unresponsive, and ill-equipped to ensure public safety.

According to the Legal Cynicism Theory, what is the relationship between legal cynicism and crime?

Evidence shows that neighborhoods high in legal cynicism have high rates of crime, as legal cynicism creates conditions conducive to crime.

Cultural Deviance Theory

lower-class culture as a whole generates much criminality in urban areas, leading to delinquent subcultures.

Elijah Anderson; 1999

Who wrote 'Code of the Street'?

What are the effects of concentrated disadvantage on community values?

Concentrated disadvantage and residential mobility decrease allegiance to conventional values and hinder community organization against delinquency.

How does the presence or absence of police influence perceptions in high-crime neighborhoods?

In high-crime neighborhoods, police are often seen as either absent or too present, contributing to beliefs in legal cynicism.

code switching

adjusting behavior based on social context and can reflect the cultural isolation and economic barriers faced by minority youth.

What function does Ann Swidler attribute to culture?

Ann Swidler describes culture as a 'tool kit' of resources that individuals use to develop strategies of action.

Aker's Social Learning Theory

crime is a learned behavior through social interaction, integrating concepts like Differential Association and Imitation.

What is the strongest predictor of criminal involvement according to the empirical status of Social Learning Theory?

The strongest predictor is differential association, particularly measured by the number of delinquent friends.

What does Shaw and McKay advocate for in changing the individual through community organization?

Shaw and McKay suggest reorganizing communities to reverse criminal learning and combat delinquency.

Chicago Area Project (CAP)

created to serve as a catalyst for the formation of neighborhood communities in disorganized areas.