2.3 - Sociological Theories of Criminality

• Functionalist Theory - Durkheim's Functionalist Theory


  Early sociologist to look at crime and deviance, society is a stable structure based on shared norms, morals, and values, it influences a sense of solidarity so people conform
• Functionalist Theory - Durkheim's Functionalist Theory, Characteristics of Crime

  Inevitable - happens in every society because of inadequate socialisation, sub-cultures with different values

  Universal - no society with no crime, abnormal levels occur during social upheaval, people look after their own interests and not societies

  Relative - deviant behaviour in one context may not be in another (soldier killing vs murder)

  Functional - acceptable behaviour is reinforced by arresting rule breakers, strengthens social bonds when horrific crime occurs, public opinion can change law (Sarah's Law)
• Functionalist Theory - Durkheim's Functionalist Theory, Positive Functions of Crime

  Boundary maintenance - unites societies members against wrongdoer

  Social change - for society to change, individuals with new ideas must challenge existing values (Nelson Mandela)

  Safety value - to protect other institutions in society (prostitution enables men to release sexual frustration)

  Warning light - deviance indicates an institution isn't working properly (truancy = problem with education system)
• Functionalist Theory - Merton's Strain Theory


  Founding father of modern sociology

  Block opportunity :

  Cause of crime is unequal society

  Society values wealth and success, people aim for this as a goal and achieve through legitimate means (working hard)

  Inequality means people don't have the chance to succeed (poverty), creates a 'strain' between goal and means to achieve it and causes deviance.
• Functionalist Theory - Merton's Strain Theory, Adapting to Deviance


  Innovation - accept goals, but achieve it illegally, lower class

  Ritualism - give up on success, plod along in dead end job, but obey laws

  Retreatism - drop outs, reject goals and means of achieving it, vagrants

  Rebellion - reject existing goals and means, have new goals with the aim of changing society, terrorists
• Interactionalist Theory - Becker's Labelling Theory, Labelling Theory

  Our interactions are based on labels, people become criminal due to labels from authority

  Crime is socially constructed by agents of social control labelling the powerless as criminal based on stereotypes that perpetuates self-fulfilling prophecy and deviance amplification

  Example - in a low-income neighbourhood a fight between young people is seen as delinquency by the police, in a wealthy area it would be in high spirits, same act but different outcome, agencies have the power to label and create criminals
• Interactionalist Theory - Becker's Labelling Theory, Differential Enforcement of Law


  Pillavin and Briar - the police base decisions to arrest on stereotypes linked to manner, dress, gender, class, ethnicity, and time. Young males stopped at night in high-crime areas are the most likely to be arrested

  Cicourel - the police act on typification's of the typical delinquent, the working class and those in ethnic minorities are more likely to fit into those groups
• Interactionalist Theory - Becker's Labelling Theory, The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy


  Edwin Lemert, 1972, labelling people makes them act like it

  Primary deviance - acts that aren't publicly labelled, often uncaught, those who commit don't see themselves as criminals

  Secondary deviance - people treat the offender like the label, it's their master status that overrides all other labels

  Labelled individuals are rejected by society and so find company in criminals (prisons isolates deviants from normal society)

  Deviance amplification spiral - crackdowns to control behaviour increase deviance
• Marxist Theory - Marxism


  Karl Marx, German philosopher and sociologist, argued society is an unequal conflict between classes

  Capital class - bourgeoisie own means of production

  Working class - proletariat are labour exploited for profit

  Institutions maintain inequality and capitalism

  Ruling class - keep money / power, design society to oppress the working class

  Subject class - too busy fighting each other to see the oppression so live looking for a higher wage
• Marxist Theory - Marxism


  Exploitation causes poverty, committing crime to survive

  Capitalism pushes consumerism, utilitarian crimes (theft)

  Inequality causes alienation and frustration, violent crimes

  Profit motive promotes greed

  Capitalists protected by social agents (homeless can't squat, rich can own many houses)

  Selective law enforcement - corporate crimes less likely to be prosecuted and punished less severely then white collar street crime. Carson found 3/200 companies are prosecuted for breaking health and safety
• Realist Theory - Right Realism (3 causes of crime)

  Political alliance of a conservative right-wing approach, crime should be controlled through punishment

  Ration choice theory - we have free will and weigh up consequence, reward > risk = crime, displacement of crime when offenders aim for soft targets

  Inadequate socialisation - Murray, 1990, underclass fail to socialise their children / teaching values. Welfare dependent.

  Biological differences - Wilson and Herrnstein, 1985, criminality is biosocial, hormones and personality lead to aggression, impulsiveness, and risk taking.
• Realist Theory - Left Realism, Overview and Marginalisation

  Inequality in a capitalist society causes crime

  Victims of inequality are from disadvantaged groups

  High crime rates in working class areas with unemployment

  Police take these crimes less serious

  Crime is reduced when society is made equal

  Marginalisation - Lea and Young, marginalised groups lack organisations to voice their interests and lack defined goals. Workers have clear goals, youth don't. They feel powerless, frustrated, and resentment that is expressed through crime.
• Realist Theory - Left Realism, Relative deprivation and Sub cultures


  Relative deprivation - how badly off someone feels compared to others. Lea and Young, media encourages consumerism, society is unequal due to cuts in benefits, unemployment, and low pay. People can't afford the lifestyle and resort to crime to get what they think is theirs.

  Sub cultures - a groups way of solving problem of relative deprivation. Criminal subcultures share societies materialistic goals, legitimate means to achieve is blocked. Some turn to religion to find comfort and an explanation, this encourages conformity