Crime, deviance, social control and order Functionalist explanation of crime +deviance Marxist and feminist explanations of crime  Interactionalist explanations of crime Crime Illegal acts which break the law eg shoplifting, murder Functionalist perspective on crime Crime is natural and positive Crime is natural and a positive aspect of society It reinforces the boundaries of what is right and what is wrong Structural theories – focuses on structures Marxist perspective on crime Capitalism causes crime Capitalism encourages greed, materialism and competition Not everyone can afford the products of capitalism, so the working class are likely to turn to crime Interactionist perspective on crime Focuses on individuals Looks at how people are labelled in society Looks at ow people react to crime and the impact this has on the criminal Deviance Behaviour that does not conform to society’s norms eg eavesdropping. It is socially constructed Social order Functionalist Marxists Society being kept stable and harmonious Anomie When the norms that control an individual’s behaviour break down Marxist views of law enforcement Laws are made to protect the ruing class eg laws to protect private property Agencies of social control work in favour of the ruling class Ethnic minorities and working class people are likely to be targeted by police etc Social construction of crime and deviance Becker argues deviance is created by society by society labelling (or judging) particular people and acts. Some groups have more power to apply labels and create social rules Maintained through agreement on values, norms and rules Delinquency Minor crime and deviance, usually committed by young people Maintained through bourgeoisie controlling the proletariat Formal social control How laws, written rules and formal agencies of social control control people’s behaviour in society Merton’s strain theory (1938) KEY STUDY People’s aspirations are shaped by their culture eg American Dream People accept the goal of making money, but lack opportunities to do this They experience strain and anomie develops, leading to delinquency to make money Feminist perspective on crime Feminists focus on how female offenders are treated by the criminal justice system They focus on how and why women are victimised in society Deviant career Process by which someone comes to see themselves as deviant Master status When status eg junkie becomes someone’s main identity Informal social control How unwritten rules and processes eg approval and disapproval of people control people’s behaviour Double deviance thesis Women are treated more harshly in the CJS as they have broken the law and broken ideas of femininity Becker (1963)’s labelling theory KEY STYDY Becker explains how people develop deviant careers Someone who uses drugs, for example, is labelled as a ‘junkie’ This status becomes their master status – rather than employee, or daughter She joins a criminal subculture and resorts to criminal activities to fund her habit Self-fulfilling prophecy has happened Formal agencies of social control Police, Houses of Parliament, courts and judges, prison service, probation service Cohen’s subcultural theory (1955) Cohen studied sub-cultures, and used this to explain crime in young WC boys in the USA He argued delinquent subcultures are formed when working-class children cannot meet middle-class expectations in school They experience status frustration and create their own (illegal) ways to get status and success within their subculture eg a gang Heidensohn (1985)’s control theory Explains why women commit less crime than men Women are controlled by the patriarchal nature of society, making it harder for them to commit crimes At home, time is taken up with childcare and housework In public, women’s behaviour is controlled by fear of male violence Informal Friends, colleagues, family, religion Sanctions Rewards and punishments for people’s behaviour Positive sanctions eg praise for conforming Negative sanctions eg ignoring or making fun of people

Class and crime: patterns Gender and crime: patterns Social class and age Gender and ethnicity Crime statistics Contemporary issues Class and crime: patterns Working-class people are over-represented in prisons Upper-class people appear to commit less crime in crime statistics Gender and crime: patterns Women only commit around 25% of crime according to official statistics, and are less likely to commit violent crimes Two main sources of crime statistics Crimes recorded by the police Surveys such as victim surveys and self-report surveys Deviancy amplification When a media reaction to deviance increases deviance Folk devil Group presented in the media as a threat to society’s values Explanations Merton’s strain theory explains why WC people may commit more crime Marxists argue the CJS is biased against WC people – upper class people may commit more crime, but it is less likely to be detected Gender socialisation – girls are socialised to be gentle and caring compared to boys – less likely to commit crime Fewer opportunities sto commit crime (Heidensohn’s control theory) Chivalry thesis – female offenders are treated more leniently by police and judges. Women seen to need help, not punishment Disadvantages of police recorded crime Not all crimes are discovered Not all crimes are reported eg sexual assault, domestic abuse Not all crimes are recorded Media and deviance amplification Stan Cohen (1972) Cohen looked at how the media created moral panics – exaggerating social problems The mods and rockers were 2 groups who clashed in the 1960s and were labelled as folk devils The media exaggerated the clashes, making the police act more harshly The media coverage meant more young people took part Interpretivist Crime statistics are a social construct and not valid White-collar crime Crime committed by individuals in high-status positions eg lawyers in the course of their work eg fraud Labelling Crime statistics show police biases and labels Marxists Crime statistics lack corporate and white collar crime Media coverage of crime The media play a role on agenda setting – deciding what is a problem. Editors (gatekeepers) choose topics according to news values (what is newsworthy) Corporate crime Crime committed by employees on behalf of their company eg pollution of rivers Carlen’s (1988) class and gender deal KEY STUDY Feminist perspective Working class women expected to make the class deal (money for working hard) and gender deal (emotional rewards of being a parent/wife) When they cannot achieve these deals due to poverty, WC women sometimes turn to crime Feminists Crime statistics lack crimes against women Age and crime patterns Young males are the group most likely to commit crime, according to statistics Victim surveys – ask people about experiences Crime Survey of England and Wales (CSEW) Advantages: Gives data not recorded by police Can look at trends and make policies Concerns about Youth Crime Teenage crime costs a lot of lives Knife crime and anti-social behaviour are seen as issues Young people can be scapegoats (blamed for problems in society) Excludes some crimes eg murder Respondents may lie or forget- less valid Prison system - Prisons are overcrowded and there are high levels of reoffending, self-harm and suicide 1. Functionalists argue poor socialisation leads to youth crime ie not learning society’s norms and values Ethnicity and crime Black people are x8 more likely to stopped and searched, and are over-represented in prison Some ethnic groups have higher levels of unemployment/ poverty Statistics could reflect a bias in the police/ racism Self-report studies Ask people about their offending Offending Crime and Justice Survey (2003-6) Respondents may lie Sentencing Some prisoners are released before the end of their sentences. This is criticised as too ‘soft’ Sentences are seen as too short 2. Cohen’s delinquent subculture theory explains why young WC boys commit crime as a result of status frustration