SY3 -Understanding Power and Control

Understanding Crime

Mrs Leigh Ashford

Objectives

• Consider ways of controlling crime and deviance

• Consider your own perceptions of crime• Consider some causes of crime

WHAT IS POWER? “an individual or group has power when they are able to get what they want despite opposition from other people”

Sources of powerCoercion which involves the use of force. People obey because they feel that they have no choice and that they are forced to obey against their will.

Authority is exercised over us when we willingly obey an individual or a group because we see it as the right thing to do. Force is not necessary because we agree to obey.

Headteacher  

A mugger  

Prime Minister  

Police officers  

Bullies  

Parents

Which have power based on coercion and which from authority?

Social Control – formal or informal?

• The law• The media• Government policies i.e tax, welfare or education• Domestic violence• Role modelling• The police and armed forces• Socialisation• Patriarchy • False class consciousness • value consensus• Trade unions

• Which form of control is the most effective?

Task

• In groups of 3 brainstorm answers to questions in exercise 1 of your booklets. You have 5 minutes!

Task

• Now see if you can apply sociological perspectives to your answers

• What are they ?

Who,s the criminal ?

2. Perceptions of Crime True/False game.

Do Official Crime Statistics reflect our perceptions ?

Official crime rates in the UK are falling and surveys suggest that

as a result people feel safer than they did 2 years ago

Young African-Caribbean males are more likely to be perpetrators of crime than

victims

The white population in the UK fear crime more than people from minority ethnic groups.

Statistics show that males and females commit the

same types of crimes.

A middle-class white boy living in a rural community is more

likely to receive only a caution for a first offence than a

working-class black boy living in a city.

Women offenders are sometimes treated more harshly because of a perception that they are ‘unfeminine’

Official statistics only reflect around 50% of actual crimes

committed.

A woman over the age of 60 is far more likely to fear crime than a male under 25 yrs.

What causes crime ?

A summary of types of theory

Biological theories

• Cesare Lombroso was the first of these thinkers.

• They suggest that the physical make up of criminals is different from that of ‘normal’ people.

• This then pre-disposes them to crime.• Some more recent gene mapping studies have

shown certain genes may be linked to criminal behaviour – however this is not certain.

Social Psychology

• H J Eysenck was one of the best known.• They suggest that criminals are different in

their mental structure in some way. • They commit crime because their social

experiences have led to incorrect thinking.

Structural theories of crime

• These suggest that the workings of society are at fault.

• Laws and social structures create criminals.• Marxism sees capitalism as the main

problem which leads to poverty and hence crime. However Functionalists see crime as a product of social consensus over what is right and wrong – crime is seen as good for society.

Labelling theories

• These suggest that the reactions of people to those who are labelled as criminal is the problem.

• It creates self-fulfilling and a hardening of the behaviour and does not allow people an escape route.

• They define themselves as having a criminal identity.

Sub-cultural theories of crime

• Criminal behaviours arise through the creation of deviant norms and values within sub-cultures. Poor socialisation within families is identified as a major cause.

• They form criminal groups with separate values and norms from those of mainstream society in order to attain the goals that they desire. E.g drug dealing to gain material wealth instead of qualifications and a job.

Postmodernism

• These theories claim that other theories ignore the uniqueness of criminal acts.

• It is pointless to try to explain crime with an overall theory since every action is unique and individuals are unique.

• The main theories are out of date in today’s society. New technology such as CCTV and the internet has led to different solutions and forms of crime.

Activity and discussion

• One early sociology text, Jack Nobbs’ Modern Society suggested some of the following as causes of delinquency and delinquent behaviour.

• Where do these following suggestions fit into the previous categories described?

Over-identification with media figures who are criminal

Sense of injustice at an unequal society

Being misunderstood at school

Weak parental discipline

Neglected upbringing

Mental and physical inadequacy

Spoiling of children

Emotional disturbance

Low self esteem

Living in a bad area

Bad family examples

Single parenthood

Poverty

Instinct of aggression

• Everyone is capable of making mistakes given a unique set of circumstances

What would be the best theory to use to explain these crimes

• Stealing from a supermarket• Taking drugs• Rape• Homicide• Genocide• Credit card fraud• Domestic violence

Plenary discussion

• Free-will vs Determinism• Do we choose to commit crimes or are we

determined by social structures?• Which of the theories suggest free-will and

which suggest structural causes?• A clue – biological causes of crime are

deterministic but are not sociological – they are psychological.

3. Apply your Sociological knowledge and reflect on your

learning in the Plenary Squares Game