...A cultural deviance theory is a theory in which points to crime as a set of values that exist in neighborhoods that lack advantages. It is said to believe that social disorganization and delinquency are linked, which determines bad behavior in slum areas. This bad behavior can cause conflicts with society’s laws. There are three major cultural deviance theories, which are social disorganization, differential association, and culture conflict. Social Disorganization theory focuses more on the development of high-crime areas where there is a loss of conservative values, which is caused by increased immigration, urbanization, and industrialization. This theory is more based on family and neighborhood associations, social controls in neighborhoods and communities, and breakdown of effective social bonds. It all...
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...FUNCTIONALIST THEORIES OF C+D Emile Durkheim: 1. C+D is functional Durkheim believed that a certain amount of c+d could be positive for society. -Necessary to generate social change – innovation only arises when old ideas are challenged. -Helps to clarify the boundaries of acceptable behaviour following social reactions to deviance eg drugs. -Creates social integration as it bonds society together against criminals eg 9/11 and 7/7. 2. C+D is dysfunctional Durkheim believed that crime and deviance also acts as a threat to society. This is because the norms and values that ‘unite’ society are being challenged, thus threatening consensus, social order and stability. 3. Cause of C+D Durkheim believed that C+D occurred as a result of anomie (normlessness). He believed that this could occur during periods of rapid social change eg revolutions when people become unsure of what society’s norms and values are. 4. Social order and social control Durkheim believed that there’s an agreement/consensus over norms and values, resulting in social order and stable societies. He believed that this was due to social control, a positive thing, creating social cohesion. He believed social control was achieved by agencies who socialise individuals into norms and values by integrating them into school, instilling core norms and values. Religion binds people together during times of happiness and sadness, and regulates behaviour. Parsons argued that sickness may be deviant...
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...Examine Strain theories as an explanation of crime and deviance. Criminal and deviant behaviour is one of societies biggest, long-standing problems. Many sociological theories attempt to unearth the reasons behind this behaviour, and therefore how to ensure that even if it still exists, it is significantly reduced. Strain theory, originally developed by Merton, is one of many sociological theories offering an explanation for deviant behaviour. All strain theories believe that individual strain, the frictions experienced by an individual to meet their needs, is the motivational mechanism that causes criminal activity. Mertons strain theory initially states that deviant behaviour is the result of strain between the goals that are encouraged in society and what societies structures will allow an individual to achieve. This ‘strain’ is most likely to affect those who make up the working class, as due to their cultural deprivation it is harder for them to succeed in our middle class centred society. As a result of this strain Merton recognises five responses to which he believes all members of a society fit into, these are conformity, where people adhere to both goals and means, innovation, where people reject the means but still pursue the goal, ritualism, where the means are used but the goal is lost, retreatism, where goals and means are rejected, and rebellion, where different goals and means substitute societies unattainable one. Despite creating a starting point for various...
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...hPresent an outline of subcultural theories of crime and deviance and asses the values of these theories. Functionalism is a consensus structuralist theory which sees the source of crime and deviance looted in the structure of the society. Social order is bases on value consensus and social control aims to protect this by controlling the threat posed by crime and deviance. A former functionalist Merton, attempted to explain why deviance arises in the first place. He believes that the society survives because al the members of society have shared norms and values which he calls the collective conscience. Parson calls this the central value system (CVS). merton's theory of crime attempts to explain why some groups in society are forced to abandon their shared norms and values and replace them with deviant ones. He says in order to achieve the American dream (CVS) they must accept the cultural goals which is the accepted success goals of society. E.g. jobs, house, car. Merton believes that you have to accept the institutionalised means which is of legal ways of achieving that accepted success. Merton's theory is the strain theory. He believes that while some people are able to follow this patch to success, others are blocked because of their position in the social structure. Some groups have lower educational achievement so there is a tension between an individual's needs and the needs of the society. Some people are socialised into goals but enable to achieve them. Merton...
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...Marxist explanations of crime and deviance, like their work on other areas like the family and education, rest on an economic and structural analysis of society that sees a class struggle between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. This struggle comprises the attempts by the proletariat to free themselves from the domination of the bourgeoisie as they seek to take over the means of production. David Gordon argues that crime is an inevitable product of capitalism and the inequality that it generates. He argues that inequalities in wealth and income create poverty and homelessness for the working class and crime is a rational response to these problems. This idea is supported by research which shows property crime rising during recession. Gordon suggests capitalism encourages values such as greed and materialism which are conducive to all classes committing crime. Such values promote non-economic crimes such as violence, rape, child abuse, vandalism and hooliganism because inequalities in wealth and power lead to frustration, hostility, envy and alienation for some members of the working class who may commit crime in an attempt to retrieve power and status. This theory argues that it is surprising that there is not more working class crime. The idea explained is one of continual conflict and of crime being a continuation or extension of the class battle. However, critics point out that such a view is a bit sweeping, and that the whole of the working class isn’t in revolt...
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...How does labelling theory affect crime and deviance in society? (21) In sociology's study of crime and deviance, basically all of the theorists, excluding notably the Marxist theory, suggest that there is a difference between those who offend and those who do not, and search for key factors that lead people to offend. However, there are a group of theorists who reject this idea and instead suggest that most people commit deviant and criminal acts, but only some people are caught and stigmatised for it and that stress should be placed upon understanding the reaction to and definition of deviance rather than on the causes of the initial act. Although the labelling theory is quite prominent in the study of crime and deviance, there are still criticisers who both give valid accounts to why this theory should or shouldn't be taken as a valid theory. Firstly, Becker, one of the exponents of the labelling theory, who states that "Deviancy is not a quality of the act a person commits but rather a consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an offender. Deviant behaviour is behaviour that people so label." The study was of a traditional culture on a Pacific Island conducted by Malinowski which describes how a youth killed himself because he had been publically accused of incest. When first asked about incest, the islanders had retorted in disgust, but when pressed on the matter, it was revealed that many had committed acts of incest and that it was not...
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...Evaluate the usefulness of labelling theory to our understanding of crime and deviance (40 marks) Synopticity – Crime & Deviance and Theory Labelling theorists such as Becker and Lemert argue that because of the diversity of different values in society, there can never be a universally agreed definition of what constitutes ‘normal’ or ‘deviant behaviour’. What is deviant for one person may not be deviant for another. Labelling theorists argue that social reactions means labels are attached to certain people. For example, studies of the media by Cohen, Young etc. indicate that media social reaction may result in groups such as gays being labelled folk devils (such as aids carriers etc.). Fundamental to labelling’s traditional belief is that negative social reaction, in the form of labelling, causes an actor to become one with the deviant activity placed upon him, and, in many cases, leads to development of further deviance. Theorists believe that the stigma people feel from this labelling propels them toward, instead of away from, future deviance. Lemert made a distinction between Primary deviance and Secondary Deviance that labelling truly acquire prominence. Primary Deviance refers to an individual committing any norm-violating behaviour, usually without personal or social consequences. Secondary Deviation is deviant behaviour generated when one is placed in a deviant social role as a result of negative social reactions – having been processed and labelled as deviant...
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...Assess strain theories as an explanation of crime and deviance in contemporary society The relationship between offending and subculture explains how a situation for example society preventing certain groups particularly working class males from succeeding in terms of material achievement and this creates group response whereby the group rejects the values and of that society and develops alternative values ‘subculture’ and this leads to values generated by the subculture being justified and leading to antisocial behaviour and crime. Strain is a term used to refer to explanations of criminal behaviour that argue that crime is a result of certain groups of people being places in a position where they are unable for whatever reason to conform to the values and beliefs of society. Strain theory was introduced by Merton who tried to locate deviance within a functionalist framework. Merton argued that capitalist societies suffer from anomie a strain/conflict between the goals set by society and the legitimate means of achieving of them. Merton argued that all societies set their members certain goals and at the same time set socially approved ways of achieving them. The system worked well as long as there was a reasonable chance that a majority of people were able to achieve their goals. However, if the majority of the population were unable to achieve the socially set goals, then they became disenchanted with society and found an alternative usually deviant way of behaving. Merton...
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...from Item A and elsewhere, assess the usefulness of labelling theory in explaining crime and deviance’ (21 marks) Labelling theory is a micro approach that looks at how individuals construct society based on their interactions with each other (item). In terms of crime and deviance, labelling theory argues that most people commit deviant and criminal acts but only some are caught and stigmatised for it. So therefore, it is not useful to search for differences between ‘deviants’ and ‘non-deviants’ in society. Labelling theorists believe focus on crime should be understanding the reaction to and definition of deviance rather than the causes of the initial act. One labelling theorist, Becker, suggests the idea of crime as a social construct. He argues that an act only becomes deviant when it is defined as such by others, and that a criminal will only be labelled depending on society’s reaction to the crime. Becker argues that those people that have the power to create and impose their definitions on the rest of society such as the police are called moral entrepreneurs, reinforcing that crime and deviance is a construction of society. In addition to this, Becker argues that there is selective decisions as to whether to or how to deal with illegal or deviant behaviour. He calls this ‘selective law enforcement’ and suggests that police act on their own stereotypes and pre-conceptions on how to respond to the deviance and crime they come across. Labelling theorists are interested...
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...Using material from Item A and elsewhere assess the usefulness of labelling theory in explaining crime and deviance. (21 marks) Labelling theory is a micro theory that explains how self-identity and behaviour of individuals may be determined or influenced by the terms used to describe them. As Item A states, it is a micro approach that examines how individuals construct society. Labelling theory is useful in explaining crime and deviance through the way in which Lemert distinguishes between primary and secondary deviance. However, the usefulness of labelling theory can be criticised as they fail to explain why individuals commit primary deviance. The usefulness of labelling theory in explaining crime and deviance will be explored. Labelling theory is useful in explaining crime and deviance as it distinguishes between primary and secondary deviance. Lemert (1972) makes this distinction, he argues primary deviance is a deviant act that has not been publicly labelled and has little or no significance, whereas secondary deviance is an act that gets a negative social reaction and consequently incurs a label. This implies that, as Item A states, that an action is criminal only when society views it as criminal. This is useful in explaining crime and deviance as it indicates how deviant acts can escalate from primary to secondary deviance and when this occurs how an individual is labelled and excluded from society. This progression is illustrated in Jock Young’s study of hippies who...
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...Assess the usefulness of functionalist and subcultural theories of crime and deviance for an understanding of why working class people commit crime (21 marks) Functionalists see society as based on shared norms and values which societies members are socialised into, known as a value consensus. This produces social solidarity, binding individuals together into a unit that works with other units to keep society running; it has been compared to the parts of the human body in the organic analogy. Durkheim was one of the first functionalists to investigate crime, he sees crime as part of a healthy and forward moving society; and that crime is inevitable in a modern society. This is because there is a not only a gender divide in labour, but a specialised divide in labour which causes diversity within subcultures. Because of this, the members of these subcultures become increasingly different from one another the shared norms and values become less clear. Durkheim describes this as Anomie, a state in which society becomes normless. Durkheim also believes all crime starts a deviance; this is because for changes to occur, individuals must challenge the current and accepted values of society. This will appear deviant at first, but as time passes could become the norm, or if it is supressed the individuals who challenged society will become outcasts. In the eyes of Durkheim, working class people commit crime because they want to see a change within society, this means that...
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...Using material from item A and elsewhere, assess the view that crime and deviance are the product of labelling theory (21 marks) The labelling theory is a micro interactionist approach, this is because it focuses on how individuals construct the social world through face-face interactions. It recognises the concept of the `procedural self' where ones identity is continuously constructed and recognised in interaction with significant others, this results in the individual's behaviour, including that related to crime and deviance. If a certain group of people have committed crime in the past they are more likely to be thought as to reoffend. Sociologists such as Cicourel investigated ‘typifications’ which are stereotypes of young offenders meaning the police focus their attentions on these ‘types’ of people. Through typifications the police concentrate on working class areas closely attaching a negative label to them. Once a label has been attached through self-fulfilling prophecy the offenders are more likely to feel victimised so may be obliged to offend again or on the other hand they may try to break the stereotype. Similarly people tend to victimised in society due to their race. Piliavin and Briar argue that police arrest youth based on physical characteristics alone. Evidence of this happening could be reflected by the trend in the 70% rise in the number of blacks and Asians being stopped and searched. Stopping and searching people can be used as a precaution and...
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...‘Assess the contribution of subcultural theories in explaining ‘subcultural crime and deviance’ in society today’ (21 marks – January 2011 examination) The theories of subcultural sociologists are based on the idea of subcultures, which are made up of a group of people who share the same norms and values as one another. These norms and values are of contrast to those of mainstream society. The individuals within these groups have rejected these mainstream views due to a variety of problems such as material deprivation, which many blame on the main society for not fulfilling their needs. Cohen believed that crime was a result of status frustration; this was the result of an extensive study on lower working class boys, who he noted blamed wider society for their lack of success in attaining the same successes as those in mainstream society. This meant that they deviated into collective crime as a means of attaining higher status within a subculture. Cohen’s ideas are very similar to that of Merton’s however he suggested that rather than taking part in individual crime they rather turn to the values of a delinquent subculture. By joining these subcultures he also noted that they tend to turn to crime, this is due to the high subcultural value placed upon acts such as vandalism and stealing. Cohen’s theory is positive due to the explanation of non-utilitarian crimes, which other theories have failed to explain; Cohen views crime as an attempt to gain respect or status. There...
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...Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the usefulness of subcultural theories in explaining ‘subcultural crime and deviance’ in society today (21 marks) Subcultural theories believe that people who commit a crime share different values to the rest of society. Subculture theories come from two different schools of sociology which are appreciative sociology and strain theory. Appreciative sociology came from the University of Chicago in the early 20th Century; Chicago sociologists were determined to appreciate other lifestyles and cultures in Chicago using a participant observation which existed after a huge number of migrants from Europe and Southern USA. Whyte’s Street Corner Society (1943) suggests that deviant groups in society have clear norms and values which justify their behaviour. The Chicago study would say that it is useful in explaining subcultural crime and deviance because they used participant observations to get more accurate results within different subcultures and Whyte would also agree that it is useful because they could justify their behaviour by the norms and values in which they share. In item A “some sociologists link subcultural crime and deviance to the nature of capitalism” this shows that some sociologists believe that it doesn’t matter about what your norms and values are but depending on the amount of money that you have will determine you to turn to crime. In a stratified society they have goals which are linked with their position...
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...subcultural theory is a deterministic theory that sees individuals as entirely shaped by the way society is structured or organised, this means that the subcultures share norms and values that are different to those that are shared by mainstream society as those within the subculture have rejected mainstream norms and have become inverted because the mainstream values have failed them as is illustrated by item A. These subcultural theories are used and developed by different sociologists in order to explain why crime and deviance happens, functionalists see society as socialising individuals into shared norms and values that dictate how they will behave showing why those who are part of a subculture reject society and participate in crime and deviance because they enable a person to have a sense of identification. However theses subcultural theories cannot always explain the trend in crime and deviance as there are many contributing factors as to why crime and deviance happens. Merton is a functionalist who has developed a theory in order to explain why crime and deviance happens which has then been developed further by other sociologists in to the form of subcultural theories. Merton’s strain theory is the basis of subcultural theories and he explains that the reason for deviance is the result of strain between the goals that society encourages individuals to achieve and what society actually allows them to achieve through legitimate means which leads them to commit deviance acts...
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