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Summary AQA A Level Sociology: Crime and Deviance
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brief but concise notes on topic crime and deviance for AQA A Level Sociology
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sociologycrime + deviance
,KEY DEFINITIONS:
Key Terms + Emile Durkheim
WORDS:
Emile Durkheim: Argues crime is normal and inevitable in society.
Crime Law-breaking behaviour
Not everyone is equally socialised or committed to shared norms
and values.
Deviance Any behaviour that does not conform to the norms and
Example: Underage drinking is illegal. Most will teach that it is
expectations of a particular society or social group
dangerous and against the law.
Social Methods used to persuade or force individuals to conform However, young people are influence by their peers and the media
Control to the dominant norms, values and laws of society and may drink anyway.
Inevitability of crime is true in modern societies
Risk of anomie - could lead to an increase in crime and deviance. Albert Cohen - Builds on Durkheim's
theory and argues that C&D serves as a
warning device that something in
Crime is also dysfunctional if there's too much or too little crime.
Too much = the collective conscience is not strong enough society is wrong.
Too little = the collective conscience is too strong and there is no room for social change.
CRITICISMS:
Positive functions; C&D strengthens collective values. We need to be
reminded of the norms and values. When a crime is committed, the
Does not explain why some people commit crimes & others do not
public join together to condemn the criminal behaviour and reassert
the difference between what is right and what is wrong.
Does not consider role of powerful groups in determining what is right or wrong
Crime is needed to develop new ideas and some crime anticipates
what will be seen as normal/acceptable in the future.
Left and right realists argue crime is not normal but a problem
, Encouraged to believe in the American
Dream.
Responding to the strain in 5 ways: Robert Merton Through hard work, everyone can live a
comfortable life with their own property
Conformity - This is where people accept both the social goals (material success) and the social means and have access to consumer goods.
(land work, qualifications, etc) and so they work hard and try to be successful that way. This does not However, there is a strain between what
lead to crime.
people want in life and the
socially-acceptable ways of getting it.
Innovation - This is where people accept the social goals but reject the social means and so they they
and find other ways to get material success. While these ways are not necessarily criminal, some
innovators will break the law as a shortcut to material success Merton argues that this might be a
popular option from "lower" class individuals who might struggle to get the best qualifications.
Criticisms:
Ritualism - This is the idea that some people are not striving for the social goals - perhaps because, like (Strain Theory) - Does not explain deviant or
the innovators, they think it is too difficult / out of reach - but do embrace the social means because criminal beluvious that doesn' help achere
they have been socialised to conform Merton suggests that such people may stay in low-status
material success.
occupations but have a strong focus on rules and bureaucracy.
(Strain Theory) - Does not explain why
Retreatism - Merton suggests some people reject both the social goals and the socal means and drop
people often break the law in groups
out of society altogether. Merton suggests that such people could come from any social class (Merton) - Marxists say everyone wants to
background, but they are likely to be deviant and commit crimes such as illegal drug use. buy consumer goods, so this is not consensus
of social solidarity; they're actually serving
Rebellion - Finally there are those who, like the retreatists, reject goals and means but set out to replace the interests of the bourgeoisie that supports
them with new ones. For Mecton these are revolutionaries who want to build a new sort of society. capitalism.
(Merton) - Doesn't fully explain
non-utilitarian crime such as fighting and
vandalism.
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