What is Crime and Deviance?

What is crime?

Deviant behaviour that violates prevailing norms or cultural standards prescribing how humans ought to behave normally.

What is deviance?

Actions or behaviours that violate social norms across formally enacted rules, as well as informal violations of social norms.

What is social construction?

A social phenomenon which is not naturally occurring but created by the society in which it is found.

Historically how has crime and deviance been constructed?

Criminal action and deviant behaviour change over time. What was once acceptable may become illegal/deviant, and vice versa.

• Example: Homosexuality (deviant and illegal- acceptable).

• Example: Taking cocaine (legal medicine - illegal narcotic).

Contextually how has crime and deviance been constructed?

Behaviours that are acceptable in certain situations would not be in others.

• Example: Wearing a bikini on the beach vs. in a town centre.

• Example: Drinking alcohol at 8 am.

Culturally how has crime and deviance been constructed?

What is considered acceptable or rude varies depending on the culture.

• Example: Eating with your left hand in Arab nations is considered rude.

How has age socially constructed crime and deviance?

Some behaviours are acceptable from certain age groups, and some activities are illegal for certain age groups.

• Example: Age restrictions on certain products.

• Example: An 8-year-old clubbing on a Friday night.

What are reasons why people commit crime?

• Maternal deprivation

• Personality traits

• Mental abnormality

What is maternal deprivation?

Bowlby suggested that individuals deprived of a mother's love as young infants are more likely to become juvenile delinquents, leading to a criminal career.

What are criticism of maternal deprivation being a cause of someone committing crime?

• Outdated: Mothers are not the only primary caregivers.

• Not all delinquents come from broken homes.

What are personality traits?

Freud's theory: Personality is a balance between the Id, Ego, and Super Ego. An imbalance favouring the Id can lead to criminal behaviour as the individual is controlled by basic desires.

What are criticism of personality traits being a cause of someone committing crime?

• Lack of empirical evidence.

• Suggests criminals lack control, which doesn't explain white-collar crime.

What are mental abnormality?

The idea that brain damage or mental illness can cause criminal behaviour.

What are the considerations of mental abnormality being a cause of someone committing a crime?

• Criminals become the victims.

• Hard to prove in some cases.

What are biological explanations of crime and deviance?

• Lombroso

• Genetics

What did Lombroso say about biological explanations of crime and deviance?

• Measured facial features of criminals in Italian prisons.

• Suggested that criminals were less evolved humans, evident in features like large foreheads, big ears, or small eyes.

What are the criticisms of Lombroso as an explanation for crime and deviance?

• Only looked at criminals who had been caught.

• These features could be apparent in non-criminals as well.

Why is Genetics a cause of crime and deviance?

The Warrior Gene (MAOA) is present in all humans, but mutations have been linked to more aggressive behaviour, risk-taking, and impulsiveness, potentially leading to criminal behaviour.

What are considerations of genetics as a cause of crime and deviance?

• We don't know enough about how this gene works to conclusively link it to criminal behaviour.

• It could be used as an excuse for criminal behaviour.