Criminology Unit 2 Knowledge Organizer

Key Concepts

The Criminal

• Crime: An action or omission punishable by law.
• Deviance: Diverging from usual social or sexual behavior norms.
• Crime as a Social Construct: Social norms and values shape definitions of deviance and crime, varying over time and place.

Sociological Theories of Crime

Functionalism

• Durkheim: Crime is inevitable and serves positive functions:
  • Boundary Maintenance: Reinforces societal norms through the public consequences of breaking laws.
  • Social Change: Deviance by functional rebels encourages social progress.
  • Social Cohesion: Communities unite in response to horrific crimes.

Strain Theory

• Merton: Strain between societal goals and means leads to crime.
  • Structural Factors: Unequal opportunities.
  • Cultural Factors: Emphasis on success goals.
  • Responses: Conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion.

Interactionism (Labeling Theory)

• Becker: Deviance is the result of societal labeling.
• Lemert: Differentiates between primary and secondary deviance.
• Cicourel: Justice negotiation influenced by stereotypes.
• Braithwaite: Different shaming strategies affect crime rates.

Left & Right Realism

• Right Realism:
  • Crime is a rational choice.
  • Focus on inadequate socialization and biological differences.
  • Solutions: Zero tolerance policing, target hardening.
• Left Realism:
  • Marginalization and relative deprivation as causes.
  • Solutions: Multi-agency policing, structural causes tackling.

Marxism

• Crimogenic Capitalism: Capitalism fosters crime through materialism and social inequality.
• Role of State & Law Making: Laws favor the bourgeoisie.

Individualistic Theories

Eysenck Personality Theory

• Certain personality traits (extroversion, neuroticism, psychoticism) linked to criminality.

Psychodynamic Theory (Freud)

• Early childhood experiences shape personality and behavior.

Learning Theories

• Sutherland: Criminal behavior is learned through associations.
• Operant Learning: Behavior is repeated if rewarded.
• Social Learning Theory (Bandura): Aggressive behavior can be learned by observation.

Evaluation of Sociological Theories

• Functionalism: Difficult to quantify the 'right' amount of crime.
• Marxism: Overlooks non-class factors.
• Realism: Left - too lenient, Right - overlooks non-street crime.
• Interactionism: Can be deterministic.
• Strain Theory: Focuses on economic crime.

Biological Theories of Crime

XYY Theory

• Chromosomal abnormalities linked to aggression.

Genetic Theories

• Twin Studies: Higher concordance in MZ twins suggests genetic influence.
• Adoption Studies: Genetic link to criminality through parental records.
• Lombroso's Theory: Atavistic features link to criminal behavior.

Physiological Theories

• Sheldon's Somatotypes: Body types influence criminality.
• Brain Injuries: Affect behavior and self-control.
• Biochemical Factors: Neurotransmitter levels linked to aggression.

Influence of Theory on Policy

• Biological: Health models in prisons, death penalty.
• Individualistic: Behavior modification programs.
• Sociological: Multi-agency approaches, CCTV, restorative justice.

Social Changes in Policy Development

• Changes in societal attitudes towards homosexuality, racism, smoking, domestic violence, etc.

Campaigns Influence on Policy

• Individual Campaigns: Initiated from personal experiences, e.g., Clare's Law.
• Newspaper Campaigns: Spread campaign messages to wider audiences.
• Pressure Groups: Advocate for legal and policy changes.