2.3 - Sociological Theories

• Who is associated with Marxism in social structure theories?

  Karl Marx
• Capitalist society is based on money and private ownership of property
• Capitalist society is set up in the interests of the Bourgeoisie according to Marx.
• Which social structures in capitalism serve the Bourgeoisie's interests according to Marx?

  Police, education, media
• Capitalism pushes consumerism, which can lead to crimes like burglary
• The process by which the working class is treated differently by law enforcement according to Marxism

  1️⃣ Suspected more frequently

  2️⃣ Investigated more often

  3️⃣ Crimes more likely detected

  4️⃣ Treated more forcefully
• What social structure did Marx propose as a solution to crime under capitalism?

  Communism
• In communism, there is no private ownership of property or land
• Marx believed a more equal society would eliminate crime.
• Who developed the strain theory in sociology?

  Robert Merton
• The strain between societal goals and blocked opportunities leads to anomie
• Match Merton's responses to strain with their descriptions:

  Conformity ↔️ Accepts goals and strives for them

  Ritualism ↔️ Accepts failure but continues routine

  Innovation ↔️ Uses illegal means for goals

  Retreatism ↔️ Rejects goals and society

  Rebellion ↔️ Replaces goals and may change society
• Working class children may be subtly given the message by teachers that they are less worthy.
• What does Cohen call the alternative status hierarchy formed by subcultures?

  Status hierarchy
• Who developed the functionalist perspective in sociology?

  Emile Durkheim
• Durkheim believed society exists because it benefits individuals to live collectively.
• Durkheim called the process of strengthening communal ties through resistance to crime boundary maintenance
• Which sociologists developed the labelling theory in interactionism?

  Howard Becker and Edwin Lemert
• Acts are criminal only when a society defines them as such according to labelling theory.
• What is secondary deviance according to Lemert?

  Master status
• Right realism suggests criminals make a choice
• Which right realist argued that crime happens because of poor social bonds?

  Charles Murray
• Left realism argues that capitalism creates inequality, leading to crime.
• Lea and Young point to relative deprivation as a key cause of crime, where media portrays what others in society have