sociological explanations

• Socialisation

  • Society has accepted norms and values, which most people recognize and follow.
  • People learn these norms and values through primary (family) and secondary (education, media) socialisation.
  • Some young people may experience inadequate socialisation within their families or be influenced by subcultures with criminal norms and values.
  • Exposure to criminal role models within these subcultures can shape their behaviors.
  • This perspective is commonly supported by functionalists, especially the New Right.
• Peer groups and subcultures

  • Functionalist sociologists, like Albert Cohen, attribute deviance and criminal behavior to peer group influence and subculture formation.
  • Being part of a group provides individuals with a sense of belonging.
  • Group members tend to adopt the norms and values of the majority, especially to gain acceptance.
  • Many groups create their own distinct norms and values, often differing from mainstream society.
  • These groups are referred to as subcultures.
  • Adhering to subculture norms and values can sometimes lead individuals toward criminal behavior.
• Structural

  • Social structures influence individuals externally and can impact criminal activity
  • structures associated with crime:
  • Poverty and relative deprivation
  • Unemployment
  • Limited legitimate opportunities, described by Merton as “blocked opportunities.”
  • Merton's strain theory says crime results from strain between society goals and the lack of legitimate means to achieve them.
  • When society goals cant be achieved through accepted methods alternative, sometimes criminal, paths are pursued
  • If poverty blocks the path to financial success, some may turn to crime to fulfill the goal.
• Status Frustration

  • Cohen’s subcultural alternative to Merton’s theory, explaining non-material crimes linked with juvenile delinquency e.g vandalism
  • Working-class youths share society’s success goals but struggle due to educational underachievement and limited job opportunities.
  • struggle leads to “status frustration,” where unmet goals prompt alternative ways of gaining status.
  • Youths form delinquent subcultures with values that differ from society’s.
  • Risky behaviors like car theft and vandalism help youths gain status within their peer groups, though they don’t fulfill material goals.
• Labelling

  Howard Becker’s labelling theory explores the impact of labeling individuals as "criminal."

  • Labeling shapes identity and can lead to abuse of power, as it often lacks the individual’s consent.
  • Once labeled, this "criminal" identity becomes a master status, overshadowing other aspects of the person.
  • Repeated reinforcement of the label may lead the individual to internalize it, adopting the criminal role.
• Relative deprivation

  • 1980s crime theories built on Marxist ideas, linking crime to relative deprivation, subculture, and marginalisation.
  • Growing up without resources, like trendy phones or clothes, may push some toward crime.
  • This aligns with strain theory, as materialism increases pressure to own expensive items.
  • When legitimate means fall short, crime may become an alternative to obtain these goods.