Sociology AQA

• What did Chambliss find about crime across different social strata?

  Crime exists in every stratum of society
• How did industrialization affect laws according to Chambliss?

  It required laws to protect private property
• What does Chambliss' study of vagrancy illustrate?

  Laws relate to the interests of the Ruling Class
• What did British authorities make illegal in the 18th Century regarding slavery?

  Helping a slave escape
• What was the purpose of the Poll Tax in East African Colonies?

  To force migrant workers into low-wage jobs
• What does Laureen Snider argue about the capitalist state?

  It is reluctant to regulate businesses
• What is the effect of selective law enforcement according to Snider?

  Powerless groups are criminalized
• What ideological function do laws serve according to Pearce?

  They create false class consciousness
• What is an example of a law that appears to benefit the working class?

  Workplace health and safety laws
• How does the selective enforcement of laws affect perceptions of crime?

  It makes crime seem a working-class issue
• What do Reiman and Leighton argue about the criminal justice system in the USA?

  It is biased against the poor
• How does the criminal justice system treat white-collar crime offenders compared to property offenders?

  More lenient towards white-collar offenders
• What are the strengths of Marxist views on crime?

  • Recognizes the state's role in law enforcement
  • Explains the link between crime and capitalism
  • Shifts blame from individuals to the economic system
• What are the weaknesses of Marxist views on crime?

  • Ignores non-class inequalities like ethnicity
  • Over-predicts crime in the working class
  • Not all capitalist societies have high crime rates
  • Sometimes the CJS acts against Ruling Class interests
• What is an example of a corporate crime that can occur?

  Tax evasion
• What is the significance of the Post Office scandal?

  It highlights issues of corporate crime
• How do Functionalist and Marxist views of crime differ?

  • Functionalists see crime as a social necessity
  • Marxists view crime as a product of capitalism
  • Functionalists focus on social order
  • Marxists focus on class struggle
• What factors contributed to the London Riots?

  Inequality and strain in society
• What is a key question regarding the London Riots?

  Who were the rioters?
• What role did police response play in the London Riots?

  It influenced the escalation of events
• How did gangs respond to the London Riots?

  They took advantage of the chaos
• How did inequality contribute to the London Riots?

  It created frustration and anger among youth