AC 2.3 Sociological Theories

• Social Structure


  Sociological theories of criminology believe that society influences a person to become a criminal
• Fascists of society that can be used to explain criminality

  • Disadvantaged social class
  • Unemployment
  • Single parent families
• Marxist view on crime

  Crime is inevitable in a capitalist society and is used by the ruling class (bourgeoisie) as a means of social control
• Institutions such as the police, the justice system, prisons, schools, the family and religion are there to encourage you to conform to the rules and laws of society
• White collar crimes committed by the more powerful in society are ignored while crimes committed by the less powerful such as street crime are focused on and seen as more serious
• Those who commit white collar crimes are more likely to have strong connections with the Judiciary and the police
• Marxists believe that different social classes are policed differently, with the working class (proletariat) heavily policed in the expectation that they will be more criminal
• Marxists believe that governments fabricate statistics to suit their purposes and get public support for any action taken that might be construed as trespassing on freedoms
• Marxists believe that on average 42% of the statistics presented by the government are false and misleading
• Marxists believe that all of the agencies of social control such as the police, courts, crime prosecution service, and government all work together to ensure that the focus remains on criminalising the working classes whilst ensuring the ruling classes are allowed to get away with much more serious forms of criminality, usually for financial gain
• Functionalist perspective on crime


  Crime performs an essential function within society and needs to exist for society to function properly
• Durkheim's view on crime

  Crime is inevitable as not every member of society can be equally committed to the collective sentiments or values and beliefs of society
• Functions of crime according to Durkheim

  • Boundary maintenance - Crime produces a reaction that unites society's members against wrongdoers, reminding them of the boundary between right and wrong
  • Social Change - For society to progress individuals with new ideas must challenge existing norms and values and at first this will be seen as deviance
  • Safety valve - Prostitution acts to release mens sexually frustrations without threatening the nuclear family
  • Warning light - Deviance indicates that an institution isn't functioning properly
• Interactionism (Labelling Theory)


  Interactionists argue that the official statistics on crime are socially constructed and they believe that crime is also a social construction
• Labelling theory


  Agents of social control such as the police and judges, label certain acts and behaviour as deviant or criminal. Behaviour will then be judged accordingly.
• Pilivain and Briar found police decisions to arrest were based on stereotypical ideas about a person's manner, class, dress, gender, ethnicity, time and place
• Primary deviance


  An act of deviance that has not been socially labelled as deviant
• Secondary deviance


  An act that has been labelled deviant
• Once a particular act/behaviour has been labelled as deviant, the deviant person starts to view themselves as a deviant. This becomes their 'master status' and can lead to a self fulfilling prophecy
• The media can contribute towards labelling by 'demonising' people who have been socially labelled as deviant, creating a moral panic within society and in turn making those labelled as deviant appear as folk devils, marginalising and alienating them further
• Deviancy amplification


  The process where labelling amplifies the situation, making it more difficult for the deviant person to change public opinion towards them
• Examples of groups labelled as deviant


  • Mods and rockers
  • Hippies
• Interactionists reject the use of crime statistics compiled by the police as they argue the statistics measure what the police do rather than what criminals do
• Interactionists argue the police statistics are a social construction, not a true measure of the amount of crime
• Right Realism


  Right realism considers crime from the perspective of political conservatism with the standpoint of getting tough on crime
• Right realist view on causes of crime

  Crime is the product of three main factors: weakened social bonds, lack of self-control, and lack of effective punishment
• Right realists reject the view that economic factors such as poverty or unemployment are the reason behind rising crime rates
• Right realists believe that individuals are more likely to commit crime when the social constraints on their behaviour are weakened
• Right realists place a lot of emphasis on the individual's ability to make rational choices
• Right realism


  Considers crime from the perspective of political conservatism with the standpoint of getting tough on crime
• Conservative Party in the UK

  The party that is tough on crime and would therefore favour harsh sentences
• Right realists


  See crime, especially street crime as a growing problem and are mainly concerned with practical solutions to reduce crime through control and punishment rather than rehabilitating offenders or tackling the causes of crime such as poverty
• Charles Murray


  • A leading right realist who states that everyone is tempted to commit crime but it is the amount of social bonds that often prevent us from doing so
  • Talks about the development of the underclass such as single parents, where the young boys grow up without appropriate role models and crime is a way of proving they are men
• Right realists question the view that economic factors such as poverty or unemployment are the reason behind rising crime rates
• Right realists argue that crime is the product of three factors: biological differences between individuals, inadequate socialisation, and offending as rational choice
• Biological differences between individuals

  According to Wilson and Herrnstein, biological differences make some individuals more likely to commit crime. Personality traits associated with criminality such as aggressiveness, risk taking or low intelligence are innate.
• Inadequate socialisation


  Effective socialisation can reduce the chances of someone offending by teaching them self control and correct values. The nuclear family is seen as the best agency of socialisation.
• Underclass


  Murray argues that welfare dependency is creating an underclass who fail to socialise their children properly. Absent fathers mean that boys lack discipline and an appropriate male role model.
• Offending as a rational choice


  Deciding to commit a crime is a choice based on rational calculation of the consequences: weighing the risks/costs against the rewards/benefits.
• Routine activity theory


  For a crime to occur, three factors are necessary: 1) Motivated offender, 2) Suitable targets, 3) Absence of a capable guardian.