25th February Social control: the sequel!

Before last term we looked at the meanings of the terms informal and formal social control. You all should have read your social control booklet!

AQA spec: ‘Candidates should examine the different theories of

crime, social order and social control’

Approaches to Understanding Social Control Functionalists- see the criminal justice system as

operating to look after interests of society as a whole. Without this control= anomie. A key component of social control is punishment, it allows us to see how far society goes to maintain social control.

Durkheim- societies can only exist if members share common values and a collective consciousness. A legal system is then put in place to create boundaries.

Durkheim argued that the type of formal system of control reflects the type of

society Mechanic societies

Retribution(less complex societies)

Organic ‘Restitutive law’(more complex

societies)

Savage penalties are imposed on the offender in

order to reinforce the norms of society. It will also

be public and physical in nature so public hangings, branding and mutilation

As societies develop punishment shifts from public punishment to

imprisonment The aim of punishing someone is to let them make amends for their

actions

Marxists argue that the CJS operates to benefit the ruling class, law and police

are both agents of the ruling class.

Rusche and Kircheimer (1939) agree that law reflects ruling class and go

further stating punishment also reflects their interests. Capitalism has

allowed prisons to serve useful proposes, training workers in

disciplines of long working hours poor conditions

Hall and Chambliss (1976) also argue that the CJS

operates solely to for the benefit of the ruling class.

The CJS- police judiciary and prisons is based on

controlling the working classes ensuring that

opposition to capitalism is squashed

(They argue slavery was an early form of punishment

because of the need for labour. Today capitalist societies have

prisons to train workers to cope with the monotony of long meaningless hours of

work)

Reiman (2006) argues that the law itself is based upon outlawing certain acts performed by the working class, yet possibly ignoring the more harmful acts of the ruling class

Late modern perspectives

Late modern writers offer more complex analyses of the criminal justice system and the forms of social control. Their interests focus more on the changing forms of social control over time. The two well known of writers are: Foucault and Stan Cohen!

Foucault Put the issue of social control at the

centre of his writings, society is a battleground of competing interests. The key to gaining power is to have control over knowledge and the methods of achieving this.

Those who succeed in having their definition of knowledge accepted gain power and in turn will use this to enforce their view of the world. The CJS play an important part in enforcing these rules.

Changes in Social Control

Stan Cohen (1985) suggested key themes in the changing nature of the formal control in western societies.

Penetration- previously laws were made and haphazardly enforced by whatever authority was around at the time, society now seeks law to be penetrated throughout society, there is more conformity and control right through to the media and schools and even private companies.

Size and Density- people in control or have means of control is much larger then previously. This then leads them to process larger numbers of crime.

Identity and visibility- crime use to be public, now subtle forms of control CCTV, door staff at night clubs. Again drawing on the notion of a surveillance society.

FunctionalistMarxistPersepctives

Late modern perspectives

A fair assessment? Why?

Examine the role of formal and informal social

control in controlling behaviour (12 marks)

Social control!

Question help! 12 marks! Start of by giving a brief definition of each type of

social control (noting that social control is exercised both for criminal non-criminal behaviour…. Give examples!)

You should examine some of the social institutions that exercise control (i.e education, family, police)

You need to consider a range of sociological approaches to social control such as Functionalism, Marxism and late-modern approaches (i.e Foucault and Cohen!)

Feeley and Simon- Actuarialism

Suggest governments look for risk factors and then focus their energies on their energies on the group(s) identified as most likely to commit crime

The stress of social control has changed form controlling deviants behaviour to controlling potentially deviant people

Therefore agencies work out who is the greatest risk from committing deviance and act against them.

They extend Cohen's point on privatisation and argue that there is large amounts of surveillance which help profit companies.

The Police

Approaches to policing

Consensus Conflict

Scranton (’85)Imposing m.c values on w.c and ethnic-minority

communitiesHigher patrol rates in

these areasImpose law which reflects the bourgeoisie interests

The consensual approach:Close relationship between local area

and policeRepresent the interests of majorityPolice come from community and

reflect its interestsIndividuals are caught as a result of

complaints from community

Police Discretion

Reiner (1992) has suggested three ways of categorising police discretion

1. Individualistic- police has their own discretion, specific concerns and interests and applies it to the law accordingly. Gorman (1982) found that racist police officers were a lot harsher to ethnic minorities.

2. Cultural- police officers are white and male. Have a very specific occupational culture According to Skolnick this has three main

components. I). Suspiciousness- as part of their training they

are taught to discriminate between ‘decent’ and deviant people.

II). Internal solidarity and social isolation- spend a large amount of time with their peers, isolated form the public. They also rely on each other rather than others in order for support.

III).Conservatism- must abide by the law those who want to join hardly ever have apolitical strong attitude.

Structural-

this view comes from a Marxist approach, the very definition of law is biased in favour of the powerful, police officers definition of crime derives from their role as agents of control in a capitalist society. Morgan found that 55% of prisoners were unemployed, 30% were in manual 60% under 25 and 87% male. 12% African despite only 3% of society are from this background!

THINK AGE, CLASS, ETHNICITY!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDGAqx5y-Jw