Crime and deviance
with theory and
methods
, 1. Theories of crime and
deviance
Key questions: Key information
1. What is crime and Definitions of crime and
deviance? deviance, social construction
and biological explanations.
Functionalism – Durkheim &
2. Why do people commit
Merton
crime?
Subcultural strain theory
Labelling theory
3. What happens if a person Marxism and Neo-Marxism
is labelled as a criminal? (white collar crime)
Left and Right Realism
4. Are crime statistics
valid?
, Crime Deviance Deviant not
criminal
Any act which breaks Behaviour which Deviant and
the laws of society, moves away from Burping, not criminal
such as murder or rape. conventional queuing
norms and values Rape,
Social control is murder,
enforced by agencies such as burping Criminal not deviant
and farting in paedophilia
such as police and the Speeding, parking on
courts. public.
yellow lines
Biological explanations Definitions and
Early criminologists like explanations Crime and deviance as
Cesare Lombroso sort to relative
find physical criminal
characteristics like long Crime as socially constructed
Crime and deviance is
arms or sloping
If what is consider to be crime relative (changing) in
foreheads. Sociologists
and deviance changes it can’t relation to time, place
find such ‘born bad’
be inherently wrong but must and culture. What one
determinism dangerous
be culturally specific. society may see as a
and prefer to normalise
This means crime and deviance crime another may not,
crime by reminding us
is socially constructed i.e. such as polygamy (many
that we all commit crime
created and defined by the wives). Other examples
and there are social
people of that society and not are homosexuality and
factors which influence
universal. suicide.
our behaviour.
, Durkheim – Key ideas Crime and society Positive functions of
crime
1. Crime is inevitable and Society is only healthy when
necessary to society. social order is maintained 1. Re-marking social
2. Crime has positive through the police and boundaries – affirms
courts. We need a small social norms and
functions.
amount of crime to remind us values.
3. The perfect amount of what we believe in. Only a
of crime will keep
2. Media coverage – as
small minority will be self- a warning to others.
society healthy and interested and commit crime.
avoid anomie 3. Social bonds –
(Normlessness) strengthened as we
unite in disapproval.
Functionalism 4. Safety Value – a
on crime little bit of deviance
Criticisms
reduces more serious
What is the perfect problems –
Society of saints Prostitution – Kingley
amount of crime?
Imagine there was no Davis.
Explaining the functions of crime or deviance, even 5. Malfunctioning
crime doesn’t explain what the most slight slip like society – theft, drug
caused them in the first coughing without putting use and truancy alert
place. your hand over your us to other social
mouth would become a problems in society.
Murder maybe functional crime.
for society but what about
the victim?
with theory and
methods
, 1. Theories of crime and
deviance
Key questions: Key information
1. What is crime and Definitions of crime and
deviance? deviance, social construction
and biological explanations.
Functionalism – Durkheim &
2. Why do people commit
Merton
crime?
Subcultural strain theory
Labelling theory
3. What happens if a person Marxism and Neo-Marxism
is labelled as a criminal? (white collar crime)
Left and Right Realism
4. Are crime statistics
valid?
, Crime Deviance Deviant not
criminal
Any act which breaks Behaviour which Deviant and
the laws of society, moves away from Burping, not criminal
such as murder or rape. conventional queuing
norms and values Rape,
Social control is murder,
enforced by agencies such as burping Criminal not deviant
and farting in paedophilia
such as police and the Speeding, parking on
courts. public.
yellow lines
Biological explanations Definitions and
Early criminologists like explanations Crime and deviance as
Cesare Lombroso sort to relative
find physical criminal
characteristics like long Crime as socially constructed
Crime and deviance is
arms or sloping
If what is consider to be crime relative (changing) in
foreheads. Sociologists
and deviance changes it can’t relation to time, place
find such ‘born bad’
be inherently wrong but must and culture. What one
determinism dangerous
be culturally specific. society may see as a
and prefer to normalise
This means crime and deviance crime another may not,
crime by reminding us
is socially constructed i.e. such as polygamy (many
that we all commit crime
created and defined by the wives). Other examples
and there are social
people of that society and not are homosexuality and
factors which influence
universal. suicide.
our behaviour.
, Durkheim – Key ideas Crime and society Positive functions of
crime
1. Crime is inevitable and Society is only healthy when
necessary to society. social order is maintained 1. Re-marking social
2. Crime has positive through the police and boundaries – affirms
courts. We need a small social norms and
functions.
amount of crime to remind us values.
3. The perfect amount of what we believe in. Only a
of crime will keep
2. Media coverage – as
small minority will be self- a warning to others.
society healthy and interested and commit crime.
avoid anomie 3. Social bonds –
(Normlessness) strengthened as we
unite in disapproval.
Functionalism 4. Safety Value – a
on crime little bit of deviance
Criticisms
reduces more serious
What is the perfect problems –
Society of saints Prostitution – Kingley
amount of crime?
Imagine there was no Davis.
Explaining the functions of crime or deviance, even 5. Malfunctioning
crime doesn’t explain what the most slight slip like society – theft, drug
caused them in the first coughing without putting use and truancy alert
place. your hand over your us to other social
mouth would become a problems in society.
Murder maybe functional crime.
for society but what about
the victim?
