Deviance and Crime Lecture Notes PDF

Chapter 06: Deviance and Crime Session 16 Instructor What is today’s session about? Theories of Domestic Criminal Crime in Discussion...

Chapter 06: Deviance and Crime Session 16 Instructor What is today’s session about? Theories of Domestic Criminal Crime in Discussion Criminal Violence in Deviance Canada and Quiz #6 Deviance US Subcultural Labelling Social control Strain theory theory theory theory Criminal Deviance Theories of Criminal Deviance Strain theory Subcultural theory Labelling theory Social control theory Strain Theory American dream  Conformity 1.They conform, striving against the odds to attain idealized goals through socially acceptable practices, such as upgrading their education and working hard for small promotions. Lowering sights They lower their sights, showing the hard work that society expects but secretly setting less ambitious goals that are more within their means. Give up! They give up on society’s goals, and may wind up dropping out of school, engaging in very low-paid work, or living on the streets. Reject and Rebel Strain Theory They reject and rebel against the established system of social goals, advancing new goals while attempting to subvert the prevailing social order. Innovative They innovate, pursuing material success using improvised techniques that deviate from socially accepted, legitimate means. Subcultural Theory Labelling Theory Social Control Theory Travis Hirschi  Crime in Canada: Going Up or Down? A 2017 report by the Canadian polling firm EKOS (completed in 2015) reveals that many Canadians believe the crime rate is rising, and that the increase is being driven by more violent crime. While many Canadians believe the crime rate is rising, the crime rate actually decreased between 1997 and 2017. Why do Canadians tend to overestimate the rate of crime generally and of violent crime in particular?  Rate of Police-Reported Crime in Canada, per 100,000 Population, 1998– Sense of knowing numbers (e.g. COVID 2017 debates) Portion of violence instead of number Effect of #MeToo campaign and awareness Media and click-seekers => Breaking News! Critical Lens: Entertainment industries and shaping the imagination of society => True-crime podcasts and series Criminals are in jail! Crack years are done Changes in law and definition of crime At the intersection of crime Moral Panic and Conservatism Othering and Crime Remembering the Ecole Polytechnique massacre MMIW Summary Deviance can be examined from one of two positions: essentialism and social constructionism Deviance is not natural but is socially constructed, artificial, and varies from culture to culture and changes over time The social construction of what is considered deviant is often contested or challenged within a culture There is a power element found in deviance, with those who hold power in society getting to define what is deviant and what is “normal.” Looking at criminal deviance in Canada presents us with a contradiction: the crime rate is dropping, and yet people fear crime more than ever. Discussion and Quiz: Each two of you should answer this quiz as a group. Discuss these questions in your group and share your views with the class. 1. What (or who) do you envision when you hear the word “terrorist”? What about “drug dealer”? If you don’t have first-hand experience with any of these “criminals,” from where did you get the ideas and images that popped into your head? (50%) 2. Choose one of the theories of criminal deviance and explain it by one example. (50%) ***Please do not forget to write both names on your paper.*** ***You can use slides or books to answer these questions. However, using AI and searching Google (and similar search engines) is not allowed.*** See you on Monday! Check the Discussion on Brightspace