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What is Crime and Deviance Ways Crime and Deviance is socially constructed: Why do people commit crime? (non sociological) Crime means… Historically Ps...

What is Crime and Deviance Ways Crime and Deviance is socially constructed: Why do people commit crime? (non sociological) Crime means… Historically Psychological Explanations A action or behaviour Definition: BOWLBY - People who are Out of date – that goes against the Criminal action and deviant behaviour changes over time. What deprived of a mothers love as a mothers are not the Deprivation legislation of a was once acceptable may become illegal/deviant and what young infant are more likely to only primary Maternal become juvenile delinquents caregivers. particular country or was once deviant/illegal may become acceptable. which leads to a criminal career. Not all delinquents state. Examples: come from a broken Homosexuality – Deviant and illegal  Acceptable home. Taking Cocaine – Legal medicine  illegal narcotic Deviance means… FREUD – Id, Ego and Super-Ego. Lack of empirical Personality Traits Personality is a balance for three evidence of these Actions which go Contextually unconscious areas and when processes. these are out of balance in Suggests that against the norms and Definition: favour of the Id, criminal Criminals lack values of a society. Behaviours that are acceptable in certain situations would not behaviour occurs as the control so doesn’t These may not be be in others. individual is controlled by basic explain white collar desires. crime. against the law but Examples: are frowned upon by Bikini on the beach V bikini in centre of town This idea suggests that there is Criminals become most in society. Abnormality Drinking alcohol at 8am some sort of brain damage or the victims. Mental mental illness suffered by Hard to prove in criminals, which makes them some cases. Culturally commit crimes. Social Construction means… Definition: What is considered acceptable or rude varies depending on the culture you are in. Biological Explanations A social phenomena which is not naturally Examples: Went into Italian prisons and Only looked at criminals occurring but created Eating with your left hand in Arab nations is measured the facial features of who had been caught. Lombroso criminals. He suggested that These features could be by the society in considered rude. criminals were a less evolved apparent in non- which it is found. human and this was shown in criminals as well. certain features such as large Age foreheads, big ears, small eyes. Definition: Some behaviours are acceptable from certain age groups and The Warrior Gene (MAOA) is We don’t know enough present in all humans but in about how this gene some activities are illegal for some age groups. Genetics some the gene gets mutated works yet to which has been linked to more conclusively link to Examples: aggressive behaviour, risk taking criminal behaviour. Age restrictions on certain products and impulsiveness which can all 8- year old clubbing on a Friday night. be linked to criminal behaviour. Excuse for criminal behaviour.  Functionalist Theories of Crime and Deviance Positive functions of Crime Strain Theory Thinker: Robert K. Merton Types of Strain Boundary Maintenance & Social Adaption and Change Cohesion Thinker: Durkheim Overview: Type 1: Conformity Based around the idea of the Accepting the goals set out and agreed by Thinker: Durkheim American Dream in the society as well the means to achieve them Explanation: Some social deviance is necessary to allow 1950’s, Merton believed that Explanation: crime is a response to the Crime always society to reinforce what is society to move forward and progress. Type 2: Innovation strain placed on people to Accepting the goals set out and agreed by acceptable behaviour in society as the public Without some deviant and criminal achieve the goals and values society but choosing alternative means to nature of the punishments shows people what behaviour society will become stagnant of society. will happen for breaking the rules. Very serious achieve them. and die. crimes can also led to society coming together Evaluation: Type 3: Ritualism to condemn the perpetrators. Safety Valve Following the means to achieve the goals of Over exaggerates the society but believing that you will never Warning Sign Thinker: Davis / Polsky importance of monetary actually achieve them. success. Thinker: Clinard / Cohen Explanation: Underestimates the amount of Type 4: Rebellion crime committed by those Some minor crimes and acts of deviancy can Rejecting the goals of society and creating Explanation: who have achieved societal actually prevent larger more serious crimes. For goals. your own as well as the means of achieving An increase in a certain type of crime or deviant example Polsky suggests that accessing them. Doesn’t explain why groups behaviour can be an indication that something pornography can prevent more serious sexual choose the response they do. in society is not functioning as it should be and a crimes. Fails to explain non-utilitarian Type 5: Retreatism change needs to occur. crime Reject the goals of society and the means of achieving them but do not replace them with Evaluation: their own goals or means. Marxism – Ignores the role that the powerful have in shaping what is criminal and deviant as well as the role of social inequality.. Control Theory Durkheim ignores the impact that crime has on the individual victims instead focuses on the impact on society. Doesn’t quantify how much crime is beneficial to society. Crime doesn’t always lead to solidarity but can cause isolation of both victim and criminal. Thinker: Hirschi Belief Attachment Overview: Sub-Cultural Theories Asks not why people commit crime but why they don’t commit Thinker and overview Evaluation crime. This idea suggests strong Status Frustration – Cohen Willis – W/C boys do not share the same ideas of status bonds with society stops people Involvement Commitment Young people get frustrated by their inability to achieve social goals which lead to status so as M/C boys. from committing crime. turn to crime to achieve status. Ignores female delinquency Only discusses youth crime. Illegitimate Opportunity Structures – Cloward and Ohlin Assumes the official statistics on crime are accurate. Criminal subcultures which socialise young people into criminal activity. Over exaggeration of the criminal opportunities Evaluation Conflict Subcultures where there is little social cohesion. available to the young. Retreatist Subcultures those who fail to gain access to the other two subcultures. Assumes all people are naturally bad and it is society that keeps people good. Doesn’t explain why the bonds are weak or Focal Concerns – Miller Not all W/C are criminals strong, or how they become so. You can have strong bonds but W/C have a different set of values or focal concerns to the rest of society which include Matza – Sub culture membership is often short lived. hyper masculinity which can lead to criminal behaviour appearing normal. still be deviant – sexuality  Marxist Theories of Crime and Deviance Capitalism is criminogenic because by Gordon (1976) - Crime is a rational Evaluation its very nature it leads to crime as it reaction to capitalist foci: Greed, causes exploitation of the working class. Profit, Competition and Capitalism leads to an ever increasing Identify Explain materialism. Which is why it is gap between the rich and poor and it is found in all social classes despite Marxism focuses on class not surprising that the poor might turn to what official statistics suggest. crime in order to afford the necessities. Ignores inequalities and ignores other The frustration of exploitation can also other inequalities that can lead to crime lead to violence. causes of such as gender and ethnicity. Also crime completely ignore other causes of crime outside of inequality. Selective law enforcement means Reiman (2001): The ruling class are more likely to commit crime but less likely to have that the criminal justice system applies Suggests that the working class the offence treated as a criminal one. the law to different social groups in Passive cannot help but commit crime due different ways. Working to the economic circumstance. Where as the working class and ethnic Class / Example: Social security fraud is committed Also suggests that criminals are not minorities are criminalised; the Romantici by the poor and almost always leads to to blame but the society in which powerful and rich appear to get let ses prosecution but tax evasion doesn’t they live has caused their off or ignored. Criminals behaviour. If crime was a symptom of Selective law making means that the Chambliss The law is shaped to protect capitalism then communist states property and profits of the rich and Crime in would be crime free. This was not laws themselves are socially powerful. He also argues that the rich and communis the case in Soviet Russia and Cuba. constructed to benefit the rich and powerful are part of a crime syndicate. t states. powerful. Box argues that the rich often engage in activities which result in death, Snider – Governments are reluctant to pass injury, fraud and theft but the laws which will regulate the activities of Most of the victims of crime are the businesses or threaten profitability as this will activities are protected under the law. effect donations. Ignores poor and working class, if Marxist – Health and Safety laws. the victims views were accurate then the ruling of the class would be victims. The ideological functions of crime are Pearce – laws are occasionally crime. to give a reason for the social control passed which on the surface look by the ruling class in order to prevent like they are to benefit the working revolution from occurring. Criminals class but the reality is that they still Modern democracies and law Law are often portrayed as ‘disturbed’ by benefit the ruling class through makers are elected by the makers in the media rather than reveal the role loop holes and lack of electorate and include a range of modern that capitalism has in making people prosecution. interests. Also most criminal laws are democra criminals. 2007 corporate homicide law – in not controversial and there is a cies are first 8 years only 1 successful consensus regarding the greater elected. prosecution. good.  Neo-Marxist Theories of Crime and Deviance Capitalism is based on exploitation and class conflict and 1 Fully Social Theory means a comprehensive understanding this is key to understanding crime. In what three ways does understanding of crime and deviance for The state creates and enforces laws for the benefit of the Neo-Marxism agree with the betterment of society 2 traditional Marxism? ruling class. Capitalism should be replaced with a classless society where 3 crime would be greatly reduced. Elements of a fully social As applied to Hall (1978) theory of crime Policing the crisis Criminals make a conscious choice Criminals are not In what 4 ways 1 to commit crime (meaningful 3 passive puppets of can crime be action. capitalism. The wider origins of The 1970’s was a time of considered 1 1 Political motives behind crime. Free will. the deviant act. social crisis. Voluntarist ? 2 4 Readdressing inequalities in wealth. Evaluation The immediate Inner city riots, conflict in 2 origins of the 2 NI, strikes. deviant act Rock 1988: Gives an overly romantic view of criminals, Robin Hoods who are fighting an unjust system. 1 Left Realism points out the a majority of crime is against he working class Mugging – police suggest more likely to be by the working class. 3 The act itself. 3 carried out by African Hirst 1975: Regards Neo-Marxism as having strayed too far from traditional Caribbean men. 2 Marxism to be considered linked. The immediate Media outrage at 4 origins of the social 4 muggings Feminist criticism: Gender blind theory – applies the same explanations to reaction Racism in the MET police 3 both men and women despite it being made clear that men and women generally have different motivations to criminal activity. The need to find a The wider origins d scapegoat & ease with 5 5 which African Not all crime are politically motivated, for example domestic violence of social reaction. Caribbean men could and rape are not political motivated or a reaction to capitalist 4 be blamed. inequalities. Right realists argue that crime is opportunistic rather than a Sense of injustice reaction to perceived injustice. The effect of amongst EM, loss of 6 6 confidence in the Theory is overly idealistic and difficult to apply to real life. Hall was the labelling. closest but this still isn’t a perfect fit and contains a lot of conjecture. criminal justice system by 5 EM  Labelling Theories of Crime and Deviance Labelling Process Consequences of Labelling Social Construction means social phenomena that is created by a society and is not naturally occurring Thinker: Lemert Explain result of evolution. Primary Deviance Secondary Once a person is labelled a deviant they take on the label Deviance Self Fulfilling and begin to act in the way that they have been labelled. prophecy A person commits Relativity of Crime and Deviance an act that they The deviant act is (Becker) know is witnessed and a deviant/criminal label is attached Identify Example but no one else to the person An attempt to control deviance leads to greater amounts of knows so no label committing the Amplification Contextual Nudity that deviance. Two main examples of this are Stan Cohen’s Deviancy is attached. act Mods and Rockers and Jock young’s study of cannabis smokers in Notting Hill. Historical Homosexuality, Period Opium Cicourel believes that labelling is what This is where the individual is identified by a particular aspect leads to selective law enforcement Master Statas of themselves such as being a criminal and this impacts how and negotiation of justice. When a they are treated within society. With criminals this can lead Cultural Drinking alcohol in group is labelled as deviant or criminal to a deviant or criminal career as their label prevents them Saudi Arabia and then the police are likely to focus on from accessing legitimate means of achieving social goals. UK that group and therefore reinforce the stereotype. Generational Ideas of normal Evaluation vary between age He referred to this a typificiations – groups. common sense theories and Strengths Limitations stereotypes of what is a “typical Who are moral entrepreneurs? criminal” Emphasises the social Deviant becomes the construction of crime and victim and therefore not to The people who decide what is Who are Agencies of Social deviance blame for behaviour. morally acceptable within society. Control? Identifies and reveals the Deterministic Examples: role of the powerful in crime Examples: Ruling class and deviance. Doesn’t explain why people Formal Governments Police commit the original Law Makers CJS Shows how deviant careers deviance. Courts can be established. Informal Doesn’t explain where the Peers stereotypes come from. Society  Realist view of Crime and Deviance Realist approaches are different from other theories of crime because they not only look at the causes of crime but also give practical solutions as to how to deal with it. Left Realist View of Crime Right Realist View of Crime The left realist view of crime developed during the 1980’’s and 1990’s. They Right realist views correspond closely with the neo-conservative Background Background follow the Marxist view that society is unequal and this is what causes crime governments of the 1970’s and early 1980’s. They see street crime as a real and deviance. However unlike the Marxists they believe that gradual and growing problem that destroys communities and undermines social change is necessary rather than a violent overthrow of capitalism. cohesion. Right realists are less concerned with the causes of crime and more concerned with practical and realistic solutions to crime. Despite this they do offer some explanations for the causes of crime. Lea and Young suggest that deprivation is at the root of criminality, not Deprivation Wilson and Herrnstein 1985 – put forward a biosocial theory of crime. They Differences poverty. In the 1930’s poverty was high but crime rates were low. Instead Biological Relative believe that crime is caused by a combination of biological and social they argue that as living standards have risen so has peoples feeling of factors. They believe that some people are more predisposed to crime being deprived compared to others. This can lead to resentment and through personality traits such as aggressiveness, extroversion and risk people turning to crime to achieve hath they feel they are entitled to. taking along with low impulse control. This mixed with poor socialisation or lack of role models leads to criminal behaviour. Causes of crime Causes of crime Marginalised groups are those people that do not feel they are part of Marginalisation Charles Murray – believes that crime rates are increasing due to the the underclass society, and lack the goals and organisations to represent their interests. Socialisation & This leads to a sense of frustration and resentment amongst those groups growing underclass of people who are dependent upon the welfare and this can lead to criminal behaviour which they believe will improve state. He believes that this underclass fails to adequately socialise their their situation. children. Murray suggest that the ‘glorious revolution’ of the 1960’s led to the increase of lone parent families which are inadequate agents of socialisation and teach children to not take responsibility for themselves. Links to the work of Cloward and Ohlin and AK Cohen especially their ideas Sub Cultures of blocked opportunities and a groups inability to achieve goals through Ron Clarke 1980 – Assumes that individuals have free will and the power of reason, therefore criminals have made a choice to commit a crime. Rational legitimate means. For left realists a subculture is a collective response to the Choice problem of relative deprivation. For left realists criminal subcultures still Clarke argues that if the perceived cost of committing the crime is subscribe to the goals and values of society such as materialism and outweighed by the benefit, people will be more likely to offend. Right consumerism – e.g. Ghettos in America hooked on Gucci, BMW and Nike. realists believe that the current costs of crime are too low which is why the crime rate has increased. Left realists believe that in order to tackle crime you first need to tackle the Tackling View on social problems which lead to crime, in particular the causes of inequality Right Realists do not believe that it is beneficial to tackle the causes of crime and deprivation. Policies and strategies should focus on creating better crime as they are difficult to change, instead we should be looking at Tackling View of relationships between the public and police, and create a multi-agency making criminal behaviour less attractive to people. This includes target crime approach, hardening and Wilson and Kelling’s Zero Tolerance theory. Target hardening focuses on making it harder for crimes to be committed in the Milovanovic – accepts the governments definition of crime being the street first place where as zero tolerance means all criminal behaviour must be crime committed by the poor. dealt with immediately. Evaluation Interactionists – Doesn’t explain the motives due to reliance on quantitative data. Ignores wider structural causes of crime. Evaluation Assumes a value consensus. Overstates rationality of the criminals – this doesn’t explain violent or Relative deprivation cannot explain all crime as not all those that impulsive crimes. experience it go on to commit crime Contradictory between rationality and bio-social causes of crime. Focus on high crime inner city areas gives an unrepresentative view of Ignores corporate and white collar crime. crime and makes it appear a greater problem than it is.  Measuring Crime Trends in Crime Sources of Crime Statistics Trend Outline Evaluation Reported Recorded Crime Crime These are the statistics Not all crimes that are Gradual Rise In Crime – end of 1930 – 1950 Police Recorded the war, returning soldiers feeling compiled based on the reported to the police are frustrated. Rise in standard of reports filed by the police. recorded by the police. Crime living. Leading to relative These are crimes which are Reasons for unreported Reasons for unrecorded deprivation. investigated by the police. They may not end in a crime crime Steeper Rise In Crime – Time of conviction or court case. Not all crimes are 1950 – economic growth and social 1980 Embarrassment anomie with changes in the role entered into official of women and wider society. Part of the British Crime People don’t always know they figures Fear Victim Surveys Survey, 50,000 people are are victims of crime. Rapid increase – Time of May record crimes as 1980 – Mid asked if they were a victim Police economic recession which led to something different to the Don’t know they are a 1990 of crime in the past12 Priorities/targeting higher relative deprivation and police. victim of crime. months. Relies on memory. unemployment. Deal with it Status of the victim Gradual annual decline – themselves Mid 1990 - Could be due to changes in the Compiled using the court Only records crimes that are Work Relations 2016 reporting, New types of crime records of which cases are taken to court. Crimes can Distrust the police Court Records which are not included. E.g. taken to prosecution. They be reported and not taken Cyber crime include information about to court for various reasons the defendants, victims and such as lack of evidence or Perspectives Views of Crime Statistics. types of crime as well as the a pre-trial deal. Official Statistics are those which results of case (Guilty or Not Functionalists accept official statistics at face are collected by government Guilty) Functionalism / New Right / value as they see them as reliable and valid agencies and usually published sources of data. Right Realism by the Office of National Looks at the composition of Not all crimes are punished Statistics (ONS) the prison system including: with a custodial sentence. Interactionism / See statistics as a social construction and Prison records Ethnic makeup, gender, Middle class criminals are Labelling only useful for identifying stereotypes and age and class. more likely to get a fine or Theory assumptions. The Official Crime Rate is the Also looks at length of suspended sentence. This Statistics show a biased view of crime as they statistics that are complied using sentence and recidivism can lead to court records are constructed by the ruling class. They also police, court and prison records. rates. being biased towards the Marxism / Neo- ignore white collar and corporate crime working class. Marxism which therefore suggest criminals are working class. The British Crime Survey are the Self report surveys ask People may not know if they Self Report Survey statistics which ware complied people if they have have committed a crime as Statistics under-represent the extent of through victim surveys and self committed a crime in the some crimes are not seen as Feminism female crime and crimes against women last 12 months. These are real crime(e.g. Speeding), such as domestic violence and rape. report survey’s. 50,000 people over the age of 16 are asked conducted along side also relies on memory and Statistics are broadly correct but they under victim surveys annually. truthfulness. annually if they have been a Left Realism represent white collar and corporate crime Around 50,000 people over and exaggerate working class crime victim or crime. 16 are asked. particularly those by ethnic minorities.  Gender and Crime Trends in Gender and Crime Reasons why women commit less crime than men Reasons for increased female crime Property offences Outline & Thinker Evaluation Outline & Thinker Evaluation crime by except burglary, Types of women In general women tend to commit less Freda Adler – as women have Crime rates in women started shoplifting, fraud Less detectable detectable crimes then men such as become more liberated from growing in the 1950’s before Liberation Thesis especially benefits, patriarchal control there will be a the liberation movement. Offences shoplifting and petty theft. Even when prostitution. increase in the levels of female crime A majority of female men shoplift they tend to select bigger as well as an increase in the criminals are W/C so less Violent crime, assault, more detectable items than women. seriousness of those crimes. Th due to likely to be influenced by crime by greater self confidence and liberation movement. Types of sexual offences, white men assertiveness in women as well as Chesney-Lind - women collar crime and greater opportunities. branching into male crimes is corporate crime. Parsons: Females commit les crime than Walklate: makes a linked to female crimes. men due to the socialisation that they biological assumption Sex Role Theory receive as children and their access to about the roles of men Women are more likely to be Not all women who live By the age of 40 9% of living under the poverty line below the poverty line Feminisation of adult role models. Boys have less and women. It assumes Statistics women have a which can force them into turn to crime to support Prison access to adult role models in the that women are the Poverty conviction against 32% home so are more likely to turn to all more nurturing due to criminal activity in order to make their family. of Men. male gangs for masculine identity. childbearing and ends meet. therefore find their role Doesn’t explain non- models in their mothers. utilitarian crime. Debates on gender crime Heidensohn – women commit less Patriarchal control can statistics crime than men due to the amount of push people into crime Control Theory patriarchal control women are rather than preventing Reasons for Male Crime rates subjected to. This control is in the home, it. Chivalry Thesis workplace and public arenas which Outline & Thinker Evaluation mean that women have less Equal opportunities Thinker: Pollack opportunities to commit crime. could be reducing patriarchal control. Messerschmidt – men commit Could be considered a crime in order to show their description of offenders rather Masculinity Explanation: it is not that women Carlen – Class Deal – material rewards Sample in the original masculinity and prove that than an explanation. Theory Class and Gender Deals commit less crime than men it is that they are less likely to be for being in paid work which enable study making it hard to they are men. He clarifies Not all men commit crime to charged or convicted of the crime women to purchase consumer goods generalise to all between Hegemonic and accomplish masculinity. due to the CJS being made up Gender Deal – conforming to women. Subordinate masculinity Too far reaching. mostly of men who are brought up traditional roles of wife and mother and to be chivalrous towards them. gains emotional rewards and male Suggests that women Mere often stereotyped as being Not all men a criminal. Labelling Theory support. are influenced by more violent than women which Not all women are able to access external factors which can lead to a self fulfilling Rise of the symmetrical family these rewards so they may turn to under plays the role of prophecy on how they should and women in the world of crime in order free will behave. Additionally men are Evaluation: There are now more labelled as providers for the family work means that men are no women in the CJS which disregards Women are socialised into being the and may turn to crime in order to longer seen as the sole the chivalry thesis. “Guardians of domestic morality” and do this. providers for family. Socialisation Women may get treated more there for risk more social exclusion then leniently as their crimes tend to be Men have more opportunity to It doesn’t explain why men men if they are to commit crime. There commit crime both blue collar commit the crimes they do Opportunity less serious. for women face a double jeopardy of and white collar crime. Men are Women face double deviancy in and not all men commit being condemned twice once for more likely to be in situations that the CJS especially when their crime, committing the crime and once for can lead to violent action and crimes go against traditional behaving in a unfeminine way. have access to commit white gender norms. collar crime.  Ethnicity and Crime Trends in Ethnicity and Crime Reasons for ethnic minority criminality Black people make up 3% of the Outline & Thinker Evaluation Prison Statistics population but 13.1% of the prison population. Phillips and Browning 2007 - EM are “over-policed and under protected” Targeting could be caused by moral panics such as the Black Muggers Targeting Asian people make up 6.5% of the Gilroy 1982 - “Myth of Black Criminality” – Stereotyping in the 1970’s and therefore based on actual criminality. Police population but 7.7% of prison Police focus on ethnic minorities and therefore they are more likely to be Can cause a chicken and egg scenario where the targeting leads to population. stopped and searched or arrested compared to the white majority. higher ethnic minority criminality which leads to more targeting. Ethnic minorities are 3 times more Waddington et al 2004 - Certain areas are more densely populated with This maybe the case for first generation immigrants but many ethnic Statistics likely to be stopped and searched Locality Police ethnic minorities which explains higher stop and search statistics. Additionally minorities have moved out of the zone of transition after 1 or 2 Theory by the police. et minorities tend to live in the zones of transition where crime rates are generations and tend to assimilate into the majority culture. much higher due to the lack of social cohesion. Ethnic minorities are more likely to Holdaway 1983 – Canteen Culture – Police Officers in themselves are not Since the publication of the McPherson Report the police force has Court Statistics Institutional racists but when together they can reinforce stereotypes which are then been actively changing policies to deal with institutional racism, and Racism be given a custodial sentence then acted on duty. recruiting more officers from ethnic minorities. However the crime rate those of the ethnic majority. McPherson Report – 1999 – result of the Stephan Lawrence murder which amongst ethnic minorities has not decreased. highlighted racists policies within the police force. Hirschi – Young people regardless of their ethnicity commit crime due to This is not limited to ethnic minorities and is more of an explanation for Social and lack of social controls of attachment, commitment, involvement and belief, age differences in criminality than ethnic minority. Cultural Theory Demographic explanations of in their lives. Asian families have stricter controls over young people which could explain the lower rates of criminality amongst Asian communities. ethnicity and crime statistics Left Realism (Lea and Young) – suggest that ethnic minorities suffer from Not all ethnic minorities join a sub cultures and not all sub cultures are Subcultures Thinker: Morris marginalisation and relative deprivation, This can lead to ethnic minorities criminal in nature. forming sub cultures which help to alleviate feelings of marginalisation but these can take deviant forms and lead to higher rates of criminality. Explanation: BAME groups contain a Gilroy – Ethnic Minorities, particularly Black men, often feel alienated by This doesn’t account for the fact that most crime is commit within ethnic disproportionate number of young everyday experiences of racism and what they perceive as a racist police minority groups, therefore the majority of victims of black crime are Political Protest people compared to the white ethnic force, and as such crime becomes a form of protest, Street Crime are seen black themselves which undermines Gilroy’s theory. majority, explain why there is higher as forms of resistance against white oppression. For example the crimes of the Black Panthers. ethnic minority criminality as young people are more likely to commit Sewell – identifies three risk factors which could be responsible for the The rise of positive black role models such as Barak Obama. crimes. relatively high levels of crime amongst black boys: 1) Lack of a father figure – Large numbers of single mother families There is no causality established between single parenthood and amongst black families mean that boys look to their community for role criminality. Evaluation Triple Quandary models such as gang leaders. Black crime tends to victimise black people. Statistical Illusion – It is impossible to 2) Negative experiences of white culture – Black boys are disaffected by determine if it is the age of the their experiences of school, policing and employer racism. offenders that causes the higher rates 3) Media – Media influence of hip-hop and rap stars believe that status or their ethnicity. can be achieved in two ways: 1) Acquisition of status symbol designer clothing and jewellery. 2) Construction of hyper masculinity based on violence and sexual conquest.  Social Class and Crime Trends in Social Class and Crime Explanations for trends in Explanations for White Collar and Corporate Crime social class and crime Prison populations are made up Prison Statistics Outline more from the working class than Selective Law Enforcement from the middle class or the upper Reiner – Explains working class crime by using Merton Strain theory, but also Strain Theory classes. The police force and criminal explains middle class crime and white collar crime by suggesting that there is justice system treat the working no limit to success financial or material so even those who appear successful class and the middle class can feel strain. Working Class Middle Class differently. Middle class are to get a slap on the wrist as they are Murray – the underclass is responsible for the majority of street crime. Hirschi Control Theory Street crimes More white seen as having made a mistake Types of Crime suggests that the underclass are more likely to lack impulse control and bonds such as theft, collar crime, where are the working class are to the community which prevent them from committing crime. assault and corporate more likely to be arrested for the shoplifting. crime and same crime. Also many corporate Gordon – capitalism not only encourages the working class to be criminal by Criminogenic crimes are not investigated or Capitalism cyber crime. creating a culture of envy and hostility. They commit utilitarian crime to survive prosecuted by the criminal justice in a capitalists system and commit non-utilitarian crime to vent frustration at system. being oppressed. Middle class crime can be explained as capitalism encourages those who are rich to enrich themselves further. White Collar Crime Means when a Selective Law Creation Becker – the working class are unfairly tattered by the CJS, they are less likely person uses their job or company to Labelling Those who create the law are to be able to negotiate the system to their advantage. The police tend to Theory commit crime for personal gain. For often of the middle and upper patrol working class areas more which results in the working class crime example embezzlement, fraud and classes, this means that hey are statistics being higher than middle class. insider trading. able to manipulate the law into benefiting their own needs and The middle class have more opportunities to commit white collar crime and Opportunity will know ways to manipulate the Choice / corporate crime. They hold the positions within the company which gives them Rational law for their benefit. the access required to commit this type of crime. Corporate Crime Means crimes committed by a company in order to Labelling and Stereotypes Messerscmidt – middle class men who engage in white collar crime may do so increase profits and company Edgework / Masculinity standing. These include crimes such as to show off their masculinity. The working class are often healthy and safety violations and labelled as being more paying below minimum wage. Katz also suggests that engaging in white collar crime can also link to the idea criminogenic and therefore the of edgework and the feeling of excitement and adrenaline the acts may give. criminal justice system sees them as making conscious choices to commit crime where as middle Evaluation Street Crime also referred to as blue class are seen as making a Doesn’t explain why only some people commit crime and not all people or companies collar crime, includes crimes such as mistake or unintentionally use crime to resolve problems. Additionally it is difficult to gain accurate statistics on theft, assault vandalism and committing a crime. corporates and white collar crime as these are always reported to the police and shoplifting. often resolved in house or through ombudsman.  Media and Crime A Media Representations of Crime Media Distortion of Crime Perspectives on Media influence on crime Fictional Media Kidd-Hewitt & Osbourne Outline Criminals Victims Police They see media reporting of crime as In reporting crime the media helps to keep social solidarity. increasingly driven by the need for a Functionalism / Super Villain Female Victims = Super Intelligent Crimes reported tend to reflect the things people are most (Moriarty) Helpless (Sherlock) spectacle. (Key value of dramatization) Pluralism concerned about and most want to see reported, thus they Stupid Bumbling idiots Spectacles are engaging because create demand which is met by the media. Male Victims = (Clouseau) audiences become both repelled by Different forms of media report different crimes in different ways, Psychopaths (Dexter) Vigilante Always get the the activities but fascinated at the they are not all dominated by a single ideology or small group of bad guy same time. owners pushing the same agenda. Rational / Planner Ethnic Majority (Danny Ocean) The reporting of crime reflects the ideology of the ruling class, meaning: Innocent Factual Media The crimes of the ruling class or those at the higher end of society Postman are under-reported. The media’s emphasis on sexual and violent Marxism Criminals Victims Police crime means less importance is attached to some very large and Media coverage of crime is increasingly serious white- collar crimes and corporate crimes, which rarely Under Class Missing white Corrupt a mixture of entertainment get reported. woman Ethnic syndrome Brutality and sensationalism leading to what Crimes of the working class are over-reported. Minorities Postman refers to as “Infotainment” The reporting of crime is used as a way of maintaining control Racists over powerless groups. Young Selective Reporting Incompetent Crime reporting reinforces the stereotyping and oppression of Men women. Feminism Women are portrayed as victims Under reporting of violence against women, especially domestic News values violence. Surette(1998) They are highly critical of reporting of sex crimes against women  The Immediacy of the story as a way to provide entertainment.  Dramatisation – action and excitement Law of opposites – The media shows the direct opposite of official statistic. For The media is a social construction as is crime.  Personalisation - human interest Interpretivists look at the labels attached to people who are Interpretivists example the media focuses on murders and  Higher Status of the focus of the story. violent crime when most crimes in the UK are determined to be deviant and see the media as a moral