Crime and Social class - Hypothesis - 'There is a relationship between social class and crime and there are reasons for this based on wealth and power'
Crime and Social class My Study is based around the hypothesis 'There is a relationship between social class and crime and there are reasons for this based on wealth and power' I chose this because crime interests me greatly. My interest was sparked in class when we studied crime. I was particularly interested in class and crime and why prisons seem to be full of working class people. I live in a working class area, which most people seem to think is a 'rough' area. When anything happens around the area the police are always patrolling round the area in which I live. I intend to find out why. This topic gives me a chance to look at the facts for myself. I intend to carry out this investigation to the best of my ability, incorporating things I have learnt during Social Science and secondary sources along with my own knowledge. I will carry out in depth research and use a variety of methods to find the reasoning for my hypothesis. I will be through in my investigation and organized in my presentation of the facts. Methods of Investigation I intend to use a number of different sources in order to prove or disprove my hypothesis. I will gather a wide range of information from a variety of sources. I will collect primary and secondary data to obtain a fair range of information. Primary Methods The first method that I have chosen to use is a questionnaire. This is a good
Crime and Social Class - Hypothesis - Working class people commit more crimes than Upper class people.
Crime and Social Class Hypothesis- Working class people commit more crimes than Upper class people. Secondary Sources Western societies place a high value on personal achievement. The successful person reaches he top of their career, lives in a large detached house etc, etc. Not many working class people are able to reach this level of achievement. They are stuck in dead end jobs with no chance of promotion. Consequently, there is a greater pressure on them to become successful. Crime offers one way. A bank robbery can give them the life they have been hoping for. This explains crimes that involve material goods, but what about crimes like vandalism. Many crimes appear to be pointless. Some thefts also seem to be pointless, e.g. stealing light bulbs. They appear to be the subjects of status frustration. These people look towards crime as a ways of gaining status and prestige. The successful thief gains respect from his friends, as does the joy rider. The best fighter is also admired and respected by his peers. Working class people are more likely to be arrested for crime. There are a number of explanations for this. Poverty and unemployment. An official report showed a link between crime and the state of their economy. Working class people fit more into the image of the typical criminal. Therefore, there is a greater police presence around working class areas. There
Assess sociological explanations of social class differences in crime rates
Assess sociological explanations of social class differences in crime rates (21 marks) According to the crime rate in England and Wales, the most committed crime amongst male and females was; theft and handling of stolen goods. These crimes, according to official statistics are mostly committed by the working-class; nevertheless this is not to say that other social class do not commit crimes. Explanation for crime and deviance in society has been attempted to be explained by many sociologists, for example labelling theory, subculture theory and also left/right realist. However they focus on working-class crimes, and fail to provide an explanation for middle-class. High crime rates amongst working class people may be down to the targeting of working class people, police officers may have an idea of what a ' typical criminal ' may be, and a young working class male often fits this stereotype. This could result in over policing and unfair treatment of this targeted group, this class bias results in a distortion of criminal statistics, with the victimized group showing up more often, even if their actual offending isn't that much higher than perhaps the middle class. One of the main problems when discussing official statistics on crime is the fact that traditionally middle class crime is often unreported, unpunished (or treated leniently) or ignored. These kinds of 'white
Social class and homelessness.
"Can you spare some change?" Every American has heard this question at least once as they walk down the bustling streets of any city. Those individuals are panhandlers, asking for money. They make up a part of the nine to ten percent of the population that is unemployed and on public aid who are currently living on the streets. Social class is a large category of people who are similar in income level, educational attainment, and occupational prestige. There are six different social classes, the first class, capitalist class includes the wealthiest one percent of Americans second class, and the upper middle class is composed of managers or professionals and is about fifteen percent of the United States population. Third class, the lower middle class is made up of lower level managers and semi professionals, fourth class the working class is composed of clerical and sales workers and make up thirty-two percent of the population. The fifth class, the working poor includes laborers and service workers which make up ten percent and the sixth class the underclass is composed of the unemployed and underemployed which is nine to ten percent of the population. Your position in society tends to be determined by that of your ancestors. What class you're born into usually means what you will achieve. You learn your values, ambitions, drive, and determination to succeed, and set your
How Can Crime Be Related To Social Inequality? Discuss In Relation To Inequalities of Either Race, Gender or Social Class.
HOW CAN CRIME BE RELATED TO SOCIAL INEQUALITY? DISCUSS IN RELATION TO INEQUALITIES OF EITHER RACE, GENDER OR SOCIAL CLASS. Crime can be defined as a violation of the criminal law. Social inequality plays a big part in who commits crime, who is victimised by crime, and how it is dealt with. This inequality can be in terms of race, social class, and, as this essay will examine, gender. It is worth noting that sex and gender are not the same thing. The statistics mentioned in this essay are based on sex, that is, biological difference between males and females. Gender, however has a social basis and is an expression of psychological or cultural identity. Crime is a largely male thing. Richard Collier said "Most crimes would be unimaginable without the presence of men." Men are more likely to appear before courts, more likely to end up in prison, and the majority of prisons are male. Statistics from the Home Office (1999) show that in 1997 only 17% of known offenders were women. 34 % of men born in 1953 had been convicted of an offence before the age of 40 compared with 8% of women. Furthermore, men tend to have longer criminal careers, with only 3% of female criminals having a criminal career of more than 10 years compared with 25 % of male criminals. However, this is not to say that these statistics reflect crime, there is a possibility that women may not be convicted as
Inequality in health and social class.
SOCIOLOGY Contents 1 Action Plan 2 Inequalities in Health and Social Class 3 - 8 References 9 - 10 Appendices 11 - 17 Evaluation 18 ACTION PLAN What the report will cover Type of evidence needed The target has been achieved when An introduction to the concept of inequality. General information on the NHS. A paragraph to introduce the availability of health care. Illustrate that health inequalities are due to social class. Explanations of how social class is determined. A paragraph including how social class is measured including examples of classifications included in appendix. Information on differences in health across the different social classes. Include three pieces of evidence to prove that inequalities exist in different areas. A paragraph on poverty including data to provide evidence. A paragraph on unemployment and suicide rates, includes data in appendix. A paragraph explaining drug use is a response to social breakdown, including tables in appendix. The government's actions to tackle inequalities. Government initiatives to address inequalities. A paragraph including information on health action zones and sure start. A conclusion. Tackling inequalities are a problem in Britain and attitudes to health need to change. A paragraph explaining that the differences between social classes are wrong and
Crime: Social construction or reality?
Crime: social construction or reality? Murder, rape, assault, wounding, arson, vandalism, robbery, burglary and theft are all deemed criminal offences. Criminal behaviour's like these contribute to the nation's crime problem and fear within the public. The definition of crime is as follows: Criminal behaviour is behaviour in violation of the criminal law, it is not a crime unless it is prohibited by the criminal law. The criminal law, in turn, is defined conventionally as a body of specific rules regarding human conduct which have been promulgated by political authority, which apply uniformly to all members of the classes to which the rules refer and which are enforced by punishment administered by the state, (Sutherland and Cressey, 1970:10). Without laws the country would be in chaos and there would be no social order, laws are invoked for the purpose of social control. However, there is still a serious crime problem therefore there is a demand for more laws. Solving the crime problem the meaning of crime needs to be assessed, certain critical criminologists argue crime is socially constructed where as others believe crime is real, and needs to be taken seriously. Both points of view shall now be explored. The social construction of crime involves crime being caused by social factors and situations. Crime has nothing to do with biological and psychological
Evaluate Which of the Three Social Factors (Class, Gender, Ethnicity) has the Greatest Impact on Participation in Recorded Street Crime.
Evaluate Which of the Three Social Factors (Class, Gender, Ethnicity) has the Greatest Impact on Participation in Recorded Street Crime. Street crime is the term used to describe certain acts that break the criminal law. These acts include violent assault, robbery, vehicle theft or damage, shop theft, and criminal damage. Often, the fear of crime is more common than the actual crime itself, and poses a larger problem in society than what you may first think. This essay sets out to determine which of the three social factors is held most responsible for the great participation in the recorded rates of street crime. The media has the ability to influence and manipulate people's opinions, and most often portrays the following image as Britain's typical criminal. This is inevitably important to discuss when trying to tackle an essay such as this, because it helps to identify any social stigmas that may be involved with certain groups, or types, of people. * White/West Indian (Dependent on location) * Male * Working class * Late teens - Mid Twenties It is important to recognize that this essay is based on recorded crime, which means that a crime has to be noticed, reported and then recorded by the police. There are two sets of statistics which record crimes, the OCS (Official Crime Statistics) and the BCS (British Crime Survey). Although the OCS relies on information from
Social Class.
Social Class Social class is grouping of people together and according them status in the society based on their social and economic standing. This form of social stratification as old as the society itself, is indebted to Marx (1883) and Weber (1864) theories. To Marx, social class is determined by two separate groups. The owners of factories, farms and raw materials; and the labourers working for their production. But Weber argued that social class is determined by individuals' skills and qualifications obtained when competing for work in the job market, which determines their social prestige, life-style and life-chances of enjoying good standard of living Gormley (1999).For example, people of same social hierarchy tend to earn similar pay, have comparable education, live in same environment and live to the same age. These two theorist's view of occupational differences and the impact on mortality and morbidity rate as since be the basis of sociologists measure of weakness in the society, particularly the gap in inequalities in health and illness among the classes in Britain. This has helped in adjustment to government's policies aiming to narrow the gap as much as possible. Socio economic class has been linked with health and life expectancy from birth through to old age since 18th century. For example, sociologists' research in UK consistently shows that the
Social Class
Social Class Social classes and class structure are the most decisive forces that affect us in most everything we do in our lives. Human behavior varies in accordance with which class one belongs to and how one's class position and class consciousness translates into political action. The analysis of class structure and social transformation is the foundation of the macro sociological study of society in comparative historical perspective. An examination of the origins, development, and contradictions of social classes and class struggles over historical time and across national boundaries has been a preoccupation of social scientists concerned with social inequality and the impact of class on the structure and dynamics of societies around the world. Social class influences many aspects of our lives. Social class determines to some extent, the types, quality, and quantity of products that a person buys or uses. Lower class people tend to stay close to home when shopping; do not engage in much repurchase information gathering. Family, reference groups and social classes are all social influences on consumer behavior. All operate within a larger culture. In earlier times, marketers could understand consumers well through the daily experience of selling to them. Consumer purchases are strongly influenced by cultural, social, personal and etc. Culture is the most basic cause of
