Exam 3 for Criminology

Conflict Theory

the view that society is divided into two or more groups with competing ideas & values, with the most powerful group making the laws and controlling society

Consensus Theory

states that laws are a result of, and a reflection of, general agreement in society

Extralegal Variables

variables such as race, class, age, & gender

Folkways & Mores

unorganized, intuitive principles of right & wrong that have gradually evolved over a long period of time & to which all segments of society suscribe

Formal Social Control

includes law & the criminal justice system in which the rules are officially promulgated & enforced by legally authorized agents

Functionalist Theory

similar to consensus theory, but this theory looks at how the law acts to resolve everyday disputes in society—law serves as a symbolic function & discourages deviant behavior

Informal Society Control

exists in the family, friendship groups, churches, neighborhoods, & other groups in the community

Interest Groups

these groups form & act in such a manner so as to influence the political system in ways that will provide the greatest benefits to members of the group

Law

rules & regulations backed w/ the coercive power of the state

Legal Variables

variables such as the defendant’s charged offenses, prior criminal record, & guilt or innocence

Mechanical Solidarity

a type of less complex society where members share common beliefs & values—in these societies, law is repressive & punitive

Organic Solidarity

a complex type of society marked by functional interdependence—main type of punishment is depravation of liberty & incarceration

Pluralistic Conflict

a type of conflict perspective which emphasizes that instead of one centralized, all-powerful group making the rules, there are several power groups, both formal & informal & often w/ overlapping interests, that wrestle for control & power

Political Crimes

crimes committed by radical groups to overthrow gov or overturn a gov action, or crimes committed by gov officials to control groups seen as threats—which groups is considered radical depends upon which side one supports, & which one wins

Racial Profiling

actions taken by the police based solely of the race of an individual

Social Control

a normative system w/ rules concerning the way people should & shouldn’t behave

Social Threat Hypothesis

states that criminal & deviant acts will increase as the # of people opposed to the interests of the powerful increase

Socialization

process of learning & teaching expected norms & vlaues of a socety

Substantive Rationality

fairness of the actual legal outcome of the process judged according to the interests or ideology of particular individuals or groups

Conflict theory proposes that…

the law and the criminal justice system primarily embody the interests and norms of the most powerful groups in society, rather than those of society as a whole

Consensus theory explains the content and operation of the law by referring to a…

broad-based agreement in society on social and moral norms within the society, and the common interests of all elements of society

Bourgeoisie

the ruling-class elite in a capitalist system; those w/ the power

Capitalism

system of economic organization in which the means of production are held privately in the hands of a few

Crimes of Accommodation & Resistance

crimes committed by the lower class against the upper class, or the capitalist system

Crimes of Control

crimes committed by criminal justice personnel

Crimes of Gov

crimes committed by both appointed & elected officials

Economic Domination

corporate crimes (e.g. price fixing, bid rigging)

Crimes of Domination & Repression

Crimes committed by the ruling class against the lower class

Hegemony

leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over others

Instrumental Marxism

the political state (including law & CJ system) is always & only a tool of the capitalist class to oppress the working class

Late-Stage Capitalism

late-stage or advanced capitalism is the label that Marxists have given to highly industrially

Marxist Theory

The ruling class (bourgeoisie) control the means of production, which allows them to control the political state as well. They use this control to manipulate the laborers (proletariat) & keep them in a position of powerlessness.

Proletariat

working class or laborers in a capitalist society; those with no power

Socialism

system of economic organization in which the means of production are held by the state for the benefit of all

Structuralist Marxism

while close to the view of Instrumental Marxism, this perspective states that the political state is not under the total control of the ruling elite; that from time to time, laws may be passed that harm the ruling elite; & that their members, on occasion, may be subject to state control

Marxist theorists believe that capitalism is….

the cause of crime & delinquency

The Marxist view states that crime is either committed…

by the ruling class to keep the working class in place, or by the working class to strike out against the ruling class

Constitutive Criminology

recommends that we search for the cause of criminal activity—examines how relationships between criminals, victims, & agents of control act & react to form our understanding of crime

Critical Criminology

An extension of Marxist theory that goes beyond the examination of the effects of capitalism on crime—takes a critical stance against mainstream criminology

Cultural Criminology

looks at all of the cultural forces in & around the crime, the offender, & CJ system

Left Idealism

overlooking the pain caused to victims as the result of criminal activites

Left Realism

recognizes the impact, damage, and fear caused by traditional street crime—proposes reforms to the system that would deal with these crimes, assist the victims, reduce the use of prisons, and reduce crime as a whole

Peacemaking Criminology

an attempt to get all players in society (victims, offenders, & CJ agents) to recognize & reduce the violence that is at the heart of the society & the system, & replace them with non-violent solutions

Postmodernism

perspective seeks to discover & eliminate the power of language & text that is used to give power & privilege to specific groups, while denying it to others

Bootstrapping

refers to the practice of charging girls w/ criminal offenses once status offenses have been eliminated — allows the system to maintain control over young girls

Chivalry Hypothesis

the view that male police officers, prosecutors, & judges tend to have traditional views of women & girls—as a result, the officials are more lenient on the females for committing criminal acts than on their counterparts

Economic Marginalization Hypothesis

the belief that economic pressures put on women to support themselves & their dependent children, along w/ the stepping back of men from their roles of financial support of women & children → has pushed women into criminal activity for economic gain

Egalitarian Family

a family in which the mother & father occupy similar roles in the workplace & share power & control in the family

Feminist Theory

attempts to define criminology & CJ based upon the experiences, understanding, & view of the world as perceived by women—tried to counter most theories of criminology that have been developed, tested, & applied by men to men, which have incorporated women only as an afterthought

Gendered Context Approach

examines the different opportunities males & females have to commit criminal acts, & how males & females respond differently to similar situations & events

Gendered Pathways Approach

a descriptive approach that gives voice to & acknowledges the physical & sexual abuse common to many female offenders

Liberation Hypothesis

states that as men & women become more equal in society in terms of family, politics, & education, their crime rates will begin to equalize as well

Masculinities

a trait shared by all men, but one that changes & evolves depending upon the race, economic status, & sexual orientation of any particular man—crime may be viewed as an attempt to claim, reclaim, or prove the very qualities that make one a man

Masculinity Thesis

the view that as women become more equal in society with men, their crime rates will increase

Opportunity Hypothesis

the view that as women increase their numbers in corporate America, their rates of white-collar & corporate crime will increase along with this increased opportunity

Paternalism

The view claims that men act in a manner designed to keep women & girls in a subservient position in society.

While women & girls may be treated less severely as indicated under the chivalry hypothesis, they may also be treated more harshly in an attempt to keep them from achieving equality w/ men

Patriarchal Family

in a patriarchal family, the father is typically in a command position in the workplace & runs the family—mothers are more likely to supervise daughters more closely than sons & encourage risk-taking in sons, more than in daughters

Patriarchy

a manner of societal organization where the rights & privileges of men are more important & trump the rights & privileges of women

Power-Control Theory

In patriarchal families, sons are more likely than daughters to be delinquent bc sons receive less supervision than daughters—in egalitarian families, the delinquent behavior of sons & daughters becomes more similar

Selectivity Hypothesis

the belief that chivalry in the CJ system, or lenient sentencing, is extended primarily to white, middle-class, privileged women

Transinstitutionalization

in this process, status offenders are being place into private residential psychiatric facilities by their own family as opposed to the criminal justice system

Typicality Hypothesis

the belief that chivalry in the criminal justice, in other words, lenient sentencing, is extended primarily to women who commit crimes consistent with the stereotypical view of women, and to women who can still be viewed as “feminine”

According to feminist theory, women can be treated…

less severely than men for committing a crime, or more severely than men in an attempt to keep them subservient to men