Crime and Deviance - Theoretical Perspectives - Subcultural Theories
Stephen Rooney Sociology: Crime and Deviance Theoretical Perspectives: Subcultural Theories * Highlight marginal groups in society, such as young working class males living in urban areas. * They explain deviance and criminality in terms of gangs and peer group influences, masculinity and a sense of rejection by the wider society, one outcome being educational failure. * Subcultures are usually defined as those groups which are in some way antagonistic to mainstream values but which do not prove head-on opposition e.g. Mods and Rockers, punks, skinheads etc. Eventually they 'grow up' and become adults. * Some groups are antagonistic to the wider society and want to overthrow it or change it by revolutionary and/or violent means. Such groups are referred to as countercultures. * Groups, which reject mainstream society but create their own separate alternative, are called countercultures. For example the hippie movement. Albert Cohen on subcultures * American sociologist who was one of the first to address the issue of subcultures and gangs. * Deviance within young working class males in gang subcultures was not necessarily related to economic of financial ends. * He explained deviant acts such as vandalism and robbery in terms of status deprivation and frustration experienced by young working class males. * Educational experiences invariably result in them being
Assess the usefulness of functionalist approaches to our sociological understanding of crime and deviance
Assess the usefulness of functionalist approaches to our sociological understanding of crime and deviance This essay will be looking at the usefulness of different functionalist approaches to crime and deviance. To do this it will be looking at the psychological causes of crime by Lombroso, the role of crime and deviance in society by Durkheim, the strain to anomie, 5 adaptations study by Merton, the status theory by Cohen the Opportunity structures study by Cloward an Ohlin and the focal concerns study by Miller. When looking at these studies it will also be looking at the advantages and disadvantages of each study. This will then be followed by a conclusion. The psychological causes of crime study by Lombroso looks at why people commit crime from a biological point of view. His research claimed that there were genetically-determined characteristics found in the "criminal classes" such as, large jaws, high cheekbones and large ears. To find this out, he carried out his study on inmates in Italian prisons. One of the main disadvantages of this study was that it was carried out on people from poor backgrounds; whose physical appearance may have been affected by poverty and poor nutrition meaning that he was basing his study on people who had been socially deprived. Another disadvantage of his study was that not all people who commit crimes go to jail, such as those who
Outline and Assess Sociological Approaches to Social Control Within Crime and Deviance
Outline and Assess Sociological Approaches to Social Control within Crime and Deviance. Society has many rules, which although they are not rigidly enforced, we conform to. But what is it which makes us conform? This is what sociologists call social control and how this relates to criminal and deviant behaviour has been discussed and disputed for many years. Social control refers to social mechanisms that regulate individual and group behavior, leading to conformity and compliances to the rules of a given society or social group. Many mechanisms of social control are cross-cultural, if only in the control mechanisms used to prevent the establishment of chaos or, as Durkheim referred to it, the state of anomie. Social control can only exist if there is a degree of order and predictability prevalent in a society. This prevalent set of norms and values does not arise spontaneously however, societies, or the more powerful members of a particular society, develop methods of controlling those less powerful to conform to the ways of the more powerful, and of punishing those who do not stick to the rules. They do this through a mix of informal social control and formal social control. Informal Social Control can be defined as the social values that are present in individuals. It is exercised by a society without explicitly stating these rules and is expressed through customs,
Evaluate the argument that alienation is inevitable in the modern work environment, just as anomie is the product of modern society.
3. Evaluate the argument that alienation is inevitable in the modern work environment, just as anomie is the product of modern society. When looking at what alienation and anomie are, we can see that they are comparable psychological states. The theory of alienation was one used regularly by Karl Marx and Robert Blauner. Anomie is a concept that was used in both the studies of Emile Durkheim and Robert K. Merton. Whilst both concepts are moderately unique, they are also very similar and interrelated to one another as sociological and psychological states of mind. Alienation (a term used by Karl Marx to signify a lack of creative and affirming relationships) is the consequence of people who are trained to work like robots, without thought or feeling, whether a factory worker whose task is to push buttons on a conveyor line or a skilled person who carries out repetitive high-tech jobs. Alienation is defined as "a process, in which people become separated from their fellows, the products of their work and their own life processes" (Calhoun, C. et al 2002). Modern jobs which do not help people to develop good power relationships are seen as alienating and destructive of human health. In an anonymous world there is a tendency for us to disregard others, unless immediately useful to us, and this is reflected in huge workforces in industrial cultures. It is further increased by
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
Evaluate subcultural explanations for crime and deviance
'Evaluate subcultural explanations for crime and deviance' Durkheim and Merton are generally regarded as the starting point for subcultural theories, more specifically with the concept of Anomie. It begins with the idea that deviance results from the culture and structure of society itself, with particular attention drawn to the class system. All members of society share the same values, but since they are placed in different positions, they do not have the same opportunity of realising the values. In illustration we can look towards the USA. The major value in this society was one of success, measured in terms of wealth and material possessions. However, those in a lower social position often resulted to deviant from the normative ways of achieving the goal, namely institutionalised means such as educational qualifications, due to having less opportunity in these areas. It was argued that this could result in a full rebellion whereby both the goal and norms to achieve it would be rejected, creating their own goals and means of achievement. However, some sociologists would criticise this analysis for assuming that there is a value consensus and that there is only one reason individuals may become deviant. Others criticise it for being too deterministic. Albert Cohen focused more attention on culture. He placed more emphasis on the initial internalisation of mainstream norms
Is crime normal or pathological or both?
Q.1 Is crime normal or pathological or both? Many early social theorists view crime as being pathological, a disease within society, but more recently, theorists have started to believe that crime is a normal, functioning part of society today. I will try and explain some theories regarding both views then conclude by answering the above question - is crime normal or pathological? Pathological The view that crime is pathological mainly stems from functionalist approaches which believe that conformity and harmony is the norm for a healthy society. Within this society, crime was viewed as dysfunctional and a social problem that was not normal within our culture. Cesare Lombroso conducted a lot of research regarding pathological crime and mainly studied the biological features of criminals. He believed that there were certain physical characteristics that all criminals possessed such as: large hands and feet, unusual torsos and tattoos. These were mainly due to "biological throwbacks to an earlier stage of evolution" (Croall 1998:41) and were believed to explain why people committed crime. Other pathological thinkers believed that criminal traits could be inherited. It was seen to be a major scientific breakthrough when the discovery of the "criminal gene" came about. Studies showed that many criminals possessed a different pattern of chromosomes than normal,
Assess the view that crime is functional, inevitable and normal
Assess the view that crime is functional, inevitable and normal Durkeim (1982) argued that society was based on a set of shared values that guide our actions and this was called the collective conscience. Society has many norms, values and regulation which are there in order to maintain a stable society. Nevertheless these norms and regulations are broken through criminal and deviant acts. Although society perceives such actions as law breaking and immoral, Durkeim argues that there is a positive side to crime. 'Imagine a society of saints, a perfect cloister of exemplary individuals. Crimes properly so called, will there be unknown; but faults which appear venial to the layman will create there the same scandal that the ordinary offence does in ordinary consciousness. If, then, this society has the power to judge and punish, it will define these acts as criminal and will treat them as such.' His idea of crime being a positive aspect to society is based around the idea that people are unclear of the boundaries as they change over time. Durkeim discussed three elements of this positivist aspect. He believed that crime is a universal feature of all societies as it serves a vital social function. Through the punishment of offenders the moral boundaries of a community are clearly marked out, and attachment to them is reinforced. The purpose of punishment is not deterrence,
Assess the view that crime is functional, inevitable, and normal
Asses the view that crime is functional inevitable and normal Crime can be functional in bringing about social change - when social norms are unsuited with the conditions of life. A high crime rate is an indication of a social system that has failed to adapt to change. Deviance, acts as a warning device, indicating that an aspect of society is malfunctioning. Deviance may also act as a safety valve - a relatively harmless expression of discontent. For example the invasion of the House of Commons, would be a warning device to society relating to security issues. Durkheim argues that some crime is inevitable, but only in some societies, the crime rate may become too much and, this indicates a society that is intolerable, which means that it is suffering from social disorganisation. However, Durkheim does not provide any indication of what a 'normal' crime rate might be. While regarding a certain rate of crime as a normal unavoidable feature of society, also Durkheim was aware that particular societies might be in a suffering condition, which generates excessive deviance. This leads into the area of anomie and the work of Robert Merton. Durkheim argues that crime can have a positively beneficial role in social evolution. Individuals, who anticipate necessary adjustments of social morality to changing conditions, may be stigmatised as criminals at first. Despite Durkheim's
Examine the role of access to opportunity structures in causing crime and deviance (12 marks)
Syeda Begum Examine the role of access to opportunity structures in causing crime and deviance (12 marks) Opportunity structures can be described as pathway which can lead towards or away from deviant or criminal behavior. for example if someone does not have access to the legitimate opportunity structure of education to achieve goals they may look to other, illegitimate opportunities and which can lead to them committing crime or engaging in deviant behaviour. One theory that supports the role of access to opportunity structures in causing crime and deviance is unequal opportunities which lead the cause of crime. Merton used the strain theory to explain deviance found in society. He belives there the persons position on the social structure effects the way they resond or adapt to the stain to anomie. Most people have the same goals such as –finatuall success, own house a nice car. People who are unable to achieve what is the said to be the goals for the universal goals of society, may not feel socially accepted therefore turn to crime and deviance as a solution. Merton argues that there is different 'modes of adaptation' .Some people conform which means that they accept the rules and the system of mertoracy and strive to achieve legitimately. However the people who are likely to conform are middle class and already have a good opportunity to thieve and succeed, this is
