sociological theories of criminality

• Sociological theories of criminality


  Sociologists argue that crime is due to NURTURE rather than NATURE, however different types of sociologists argue over who is to blame
• Sociological theories of criminality


  • Social structure
  • Interactionism
  • Realism
• Sociological theories of criminality


  Sociologists blame either the individual or society
• Sociological theories of criminality


  • Marxism
  • Functionalism
  • Labelling
  • Left and right realism
• Anyone in society can be successful. It's up to them.
• Men get the best deal in this world.
• People can choose their own identity and lifestyle.
• Workers are exploited at work and don't get paid a fair wage.
• There are lots of differences between members of social groups i.e. social class, ethnic or gender groups (employment, culture, wealth….)
• Powerful groups in society justify their position by spreading their ideas.
• Opportunities are affected by social class.
• Benefit fraud is worse than tax evasion.
• Functionalist approach: Émile Durkheim


  • Every society has deviants within it
  • Crime is inevitable as not every member of society can be equally committed to the collective sentiments or values & beliefs
  • Some people may rebel against this consensus; therefore, they are in anomie. They are rejecting the common values of the society
• Functionalist/Emile Durkheim's approach to crime


  • Everything in society has a function / purpose. Crime itself serves a function!
  • It is functional and only becomes dysfunctional when its rate is usually high or low or too severe
  • Crime also strengthens social cohesion
• Crime serves a function and can be positive by encouraging change
• Boundary Maintenance


  Refers to when crime produces a reaction from society, uniting its members in condemnation of the wrongdoer and reinforcing their commitment to the shared norms and values
• Crime serves a function and can be positive by encouraging change, such as the abduction of Shannon Matthews
• Albert Cohen- (1966) Crime is necessary


  • Low level deviancy is beneficial for as helps people cope with the stresses and strains of society e.g., work, family, debt
  • Low level deviancy acts as a 'safety valve' to release tensions that could otherwise build up and have a detrimental effect on both the individual and others within society
• Albert Cohen (1961) Prostitution


  • Deviance (prostitution) can also be a 'safety valve'
  • Provides sexual satisfaction for men's instinctual needs
  • Without threatening the family as an institution
  • Idea that if it is done out-of-sight out-of-mind
• Positive Functions of crime


  • Boundary maintenance: society unites against the wrongdoer/criminal act
  • Social Change: for society to progress, individuals with new ideas must challenge existing norms and values
  • Safety Valve: Cohen argues that Prostitution acts to release men's needs
  • Social cohesion: Crime brings people together – creates a sense of community
• Merton's Strain Theory


  • Argues we are all socialised into having the AMERICAN DREAM – e.g to be rich and successful
  • As society is meritocratic, the American Dream is achieved through hard work and effort
  • Merton, however argued that access to the American Dream was not equal and some individuals did not have legitimate means of achieving it
• Merton (1949) Strain Theory


  • This places a STRAIN between society's push to achieve the American dream AND having opportunities to achieve it
  • Merton argues this strain results in some people being deviant e.g. they choose to steal money to fund home ownership rather than earn it through legitimate means
• Strain theory


  • Conformity - most working-class people cope with disappointment by accepting what they have, continue to try their best, and make the most of what they have
  • Innovation - some continue to conform to cultural goals, and wish for material success, but adopt non-conventional and illegal ways to achieve success
  • Ritualism - losing sight of our goals, and plod on in meaningless jobs, working hard but never thinking about the end goal
  • Retreatism - simply drop out of conventional society and reject goals and the means to reach them. They may become drug addicts, homeless or commit suicide
  • Rebellion - seek to replace the shared goals with alternative, opposing goals and values, and set about achieving them by radical, revolutionary means, such as terrorism
• Anomie


  Loss of shared principles and a strain to achieve
• Responses to anomie


  • Conform (accept the situation)
  • Innovate (adopt non conventional/illegal ways to gain)
  • Ritualistic (losing sight of our goals and plod on)
  • Retreat (drop out of conventional society)
  • Rebel (set alternative, opposing goals and values)
• Functional


  Crime is inevitable and can even be a positive thing by encouraging change
• Crime can strengthen social cohesion by bringing a community together
• Crime isn't all bad. It is inevitable and can even be a positive thing by encouraging change, for example the changes in the law of homosexuality
• Society tends to seek stability and avoid conflict. Conflict is seen as dysfunctional.
• There is evidence that crime leads to social cohesion (e.g. Shannon Matthews abduction in 2008)
• Functionalism is a macro (large scale) level analysis; it looks at society as a whole and allows for a more holistic explanation for why crime happens and why it is inevitable in all societies
• Functionalism fails to give reasons why crime happens in the first place and only gives functions. It is descriptive rather than explains the source of criminality
• Functionalism ignores individuals in society, how is crime functional or even beneficial for victims
• Many argue that the functionalist theory of crime is out of date
• Capitalism


  The social system in which the means for producing and distributing goods (the country's trade and industry) are controlled by a small minority of people for profit (the ruling class/bourgeoisie). The majority of people must sell their ability to work in return for a wage or salary (the working class/proletariat)
• Marxist


  Someone who supports the political and economic theories of Karl Marx. They believe that capitalism is unequal and undemocratic being based on exploitation of the working class by the capitalist class/bourgeoisie
• Marxists see crime as something used by the ruling class as a means of social control - if you don't conform then you will be punished
• Institutions such as the police, the justice system, prisons and schools, the family and religion are there to encourage you to conform
• Marxists believe that the law targets certain groups and ignores others (selective enforcement)
• Marxists believe that on average 42% of the statistics presented by the government are false and misleading