aqa a level sociology topic ten markersthomastallissociology.weebly.com/uploads/6/6/2/1/...to crime...

AQA A Level sociology

Topic TEN MARKERSCrime & Deviance

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AQA A Level Sociology topic TEN MARKERS: crime & Deviance

ITEM A People are set goals by society, but not everyone has an equal chance of achieving those goals by legitimate means. Barriers to achievement might include where people live, as well as educational attainment. There are a variety of ways in which subcultures can respond to this.

Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which deviant subcultures respond to blocked opportunities. (10 marks) Subculturesaregroupswithinmainstreamsocietythathavetheirown,different,normsandvalues.Functionalistssuggestthesesubculturesareoftenformedwhenopportunitiesareblocked.Inversionofmainstreamnormsandvaluesortotalretreatfromsocietyaretwoofthewaysinwhichsubculturesmayrespondtoalackofopportunity.AlbertCohendevelopedhistheoryofstatusfrustration.Henotesthatyoungworkingclassboysareoftenlowachieversatschool;thismeansthatopportunitiestosucceedonmainstreamtermsareblocked.Theboysrespondbyformingasubculturewhichinvertsthenormsandvaluesofmainstreamsociety.Whatisconsideredgoodorpraiseworthybythemajorityisseenasnegativeanddeservingofcensureinthesubculture,andviceversa.Becausetheyareunabletoattainhighstatusbyconformingtosocietalvalues,membersofthesubculturecarryoutanti‐socialactsandcommitcrimes,therebygarneringhighstatuswithintheirgroup.WhatCohennotesisnotdissimilartotheanti‐schoolsubculturesrecognisedbyPaulWillisinhis“LearningtoLabour”study.However,Cohenhasbeencriticisedforconcentratingonworking‐classboyswithoutseriouslyengagingwithsocialclassorgender.Somesociologistshavequestionedwhethermembersofdelinquentsubculturesconsciouslyinvertthenormsandvaluesofmainstreamsocietyratherthancommittingcriminalactsoutofboredomandadesireforexcitement.ClowardandOhlin,ontheotherhand,consideredhowtheareainwhichsomeonelivesmightaffectthesortofdeviantsubculturetheyjoinandhowthatsubculturerespondstoblockedopportunities.Alackofsocio‐economicopportunitythrougheducationdoesnotautomaticallymeanthatanindividualwilleitherembarkonacriminalcareerorsucceedasacriminal.Thelocalityinwhichpeoplelivecanblockopportunitiesforsuccessthroughcrime,too,dependingonwhetherorganisedcriminalnetworksalreadyexistintheneighbourhood.Wherenosuchnetworkexists,acriminal

Thereisnorequirementforanintroductionfor10‐markquestions.However,it’sagoodopportunitytomakeyour“2ways”fullyclear.Oneofthe“hooks”intheitem(educationalachievement)hasbeenpickeduphereandlinkedtoCohen.Cohen’stheoryisbrieflyoutlined.ThisispickingupAO1marks(knowledge)andAO2(applicationofmaterialfromtheItem).SomeanalysisbeginswiththecomparisonwithPaulWillis(andit’sgoodtobesynoptic).Hereissomeevaluation.Themarkschemeasksfor“appropriateanalysis/evaluation”.Another“hook”istakenupherewiththeideathatlocalitymightlinktoblockedopportunities.ClowardandOhlinexplainedsuccinctlywithafocusononespecificresponse(retreatism).


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subculturemightbecomeretreatist(dropoutofsociety)andtheresponsemightthereforebetoengageindrug‐takingorsimilaractivity.ClowardandOhlinidentifiedthisresponsealongsideothers,suchasorganisedcrimeandfightingforterritory.Inreality,however,manydeviantsubculturesinvolvetwoormoreofthesecharacteristics.Gangsmakinglargesumsofmoneyfromdrugdealingalsousethedrugs;andtheyfightwithothergangstotakeoverterritoryandsoincreasetheirdrugtrade.Thus,somewouldarguethatClowardandOhlinfailtoexplainhowdeviantsubculturesrespondtohowlivingindifferentlocalitiesmighteitherblockorincreaseopportunities.[421words]

Againthereisclearevaluationthatisultimatelylinkedbackveryexplicitlytothequestion.

Examinercomments: MarkBand:8‐10Thisansweriscomfortablyinthetopband.Two“hooks”aretakenfromtheitemanddevelopedinawaythatclearlyanswersthequestion.SufficientknowledgeofsubculturaltheoriesisincludedtogainplentyofAO1marks,whilethereisalsoplentyofanalysisandevaluationforAO3.Thereareotherwaysthisquestioncouldhavebeenapproached,although“wherepeoplelive”and“educationalattainment”aretheobvioushooksandthereforedolendthemselvestothesetheories.Somestudentsmightsee“blockedopportunities”andfocusonMerton’sstraintheory,perhapspickingupontwo“adaptations”tostrain,however,withoutaverycleardevelopmentto“deviantsubcultures”,thisapproachwouldstruggletoattainhighmarks.



ITEM A Some Marxists argue that crimes committed by the rich tend to be ignored, or they are able to afford to get away with them through paying for the best lawyers or bribing officials. Other Marxists point out that most laws are designed to control the working class or benefit the ruling class anyway, even those that appear to benefit workers.

Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which society’s response to crime and deviance benefits the ruling class. (10 marks)

TraditionalMarxistideasaboutcrimeemphasisehowtherealpurposeofthelawistoprotecttheinterestsofthebourgeoisieandtocontroltheproletariatinordertopreventrevolution.Therulingclass,andtheinstitutionsthatservethem,respondtocrimeonlytobenefitthemselves.Onewayinwhichtheydothisisbyturningablindeyetowhite‐collarandcorporatecrime.Anotherisbytreatingproletariancrimesmoreseriously,givingharsherpunishments.Chamblissfound,inhisstudyofSeattle,thattheseriouscriminalswereoftenbusinessmenandpoliticianswhousedtheirconnectionsandwealthtoavoidpunishment,whilethepoliceconcentratedonthestreetcrimeandanti‐socialbehaviourperpetratedbytheworkingclass.Chamblissarguedthiswasbecausethelawsandthepolicewerenottheretopreventcrime,onlytocontroltheworkingclassandprotecttherich.ThisissupportedbytheworkofGraham,whofoundthattheUSA’s“warondrugs”didnotextendtothosedrugsthatmadeaprofitforbourgeoispharmaceuticalcompanies.However,thisresearchisfromthe1970sandinrecentyearstherehavebeenhigh‐profilecriminalinvestigationsintocorporatecrime(suchastheEnronscandal).Ratherthantheauthoritieschoosingonlytopursueworking‐classoffenders,itmaybethatitissimplyeasierforwhite‐collarcriminalstoescapedetectionbecauseofthenatureoftheircrimes(oftenhidinginplainsight,withdiffusevictims).However,Marxistsnotehow,whentheyarepursued,white‐collarandcorporatecriminalsusuallyreceivelesserpunishmentscomparedwithworking‐classcriminals,eventhoughtheiroffencesmightinvolvemuchlargersumsofmoney.Fraudsterssometimesavoidimprisonmentorareinopenprisons,whereasaburglarwillbelockedup.Sometimescorporatecrimeisnotdealtwiththroughthecriminaljusticesystematall;forinstanceinhigh‐profiletaxevasioncaseswherecompaniesareabletoreacharrangementswiththe

Anintroductionisnotessentialfor10‐markanswersbutcanhelp.HereitexplainsanoverallMarxistapproachtotheissuesraisedinthequestionandclearlyidentifiesthetwo“ways”thatwillbepursued.ThesedoemergefromtheItem,butthe“hooks”arelessclearinthisitemthansome.DemonstratessomeclearknowledgeandunderstandingofMarxistviewsonclassandcrimeandgainssomeAO3analysismarksbyfindingparallelsbetweendifferentstudies.Someclearevaluationofthefirst“way”forAO3.Alsokeepsusingexamplesandkeyterms.Thesecondwayisintroducedpartlyinanalysisofthefirstway(whichisquiteaneffectivewayofmaintainingagoodchainofreasoning).Againthe“way”isevaluatedquitestronglyandultimately



government.Althoughcontemporarylegalcases,suchasthoseofStarbucksandGoogle,supportthisargument,thereisalsoevidencetothecontrary,wherewealthydefendantsgetharshersentencesandso‘madeanexampleof’.’Amillionaire’sdaughterreceivedalongprisonsentencefordrivinglootersaroundLondoninAugust2011,andthejudgeusedheradvantagedbackgroundasanaggravatingfactorwhendecidinghersentence.Thiswouldsuggestthatsocietydoesnotalwaysrespondtocrimeinawaythatbenefitstherulingclass. [404words]

linkedtothequestion.Ofcoursemorecouldhavebeenincludedhere(suchastheargumentthatpeoplewhocommitpersonalandviolentcrimesaremoreinneedofcustodialsentencesthanwhite‐collarcriminals)butselectivityisalsoausefulskillfor10markers.

ExaminerComments: MarkBand:8‐10Thisisatop‐bandanswertoquiteadifficultquestion.Sometimestherewillbetwoveryclearhooksintheitem,andonotheroccasionsitmighttakealittlemoredigging,likethisone.Therewereclearlyotherwaysthatcouldhavebeendevelopedfromtheitem,butthesetwoansweredthequestionappropriately.Essentially,thisresponseisabriefintroductionandtwostrongPEEELparagraphs(point,explain,evidence,evaluate,link).Thisanswerisconcept‐richwithkeytermsemployedthroughoutanditmanagestobecontemporary,bothbyusingtheageofsomeoftherelevanttheoriesasanevaluativepoint,andbyusingcontemporaryexamples.



ITEM A Some sociologists say that right realist approaches achieve control but not justice. Right realists recommend severe punishments for anti‐social behaviour and low‐level crime in order to demonstrate to the rest of society that these behaviours are not acceptable. They argue that this also prevents more serious crime. Whether the police interpret behaviour as anti‐social might, however, depend on where it is happening and who is doing it, not just on what is being done.

Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why right realist approaches to crime and deviance might 'achieve control but not justice.' (10 marks)

JamesQ.Wilson’srightrealist“brokenwindows”theoryinspiredzerotolerancepolicinginNewYorkthatappearedtohaveanastonishingimpactonthecity’scrimelevels.However,twocriticisms,suggestingthatitachievedcontrolbutnotjustice,are:somepeoplewereunfairlysenttoprisonforminorcrimes;theapproachwasinconsistentlyapplied,dependingonparticularsocialcharacteristics.Theideaofbrokenwindowswasthatacommunitytoleratingminormisdemeanours(suchasvandalsbreakingwindows)fallsfoulofseriouscrime.Topreventthelatter,thereshouldbezerotoleranceofanti‐socialbehaviourandminorcrime.Oneexampleofthiswasthe“threestrikesandyou’reout”approach:aseriouscustodialsentencewouldbegiventopeoplewhohadoffendedthreetimes,regardlessofwhatthatthirdoffencewas.Thismeantthatpeoplecouldbeservinglongcustodialsentencesforcrimesasminorasjay‐walking,publicdrunkennessorwashingpeople’scarsatjunctions.Thisledtoareductioninsuchbehaviour,butcouldcertainlybeviewedasbeingunjust,nottomentioninefficient.Atthesametimethebrokenwindowsapproachreducedanti‐socialbehaviourandminorcrime,therewasadramaticdecreaseinseriouscrime,too,withthehomicideratefallingbyover50%.Criticsmaintainthatotherfactors,beyondzerotolerancepolicing,accountedforthefall,forinstance,areductioninpovertyinthecity.However,thecorrelationofthepolicetacticandthefallincrimeisimpressive.Nevertheless,peopleservingsignificantsentencesforminorcrimesisanexampleofcontrolwithoutjustice.Anotherwayinwhichthecontrolachievedthroughrightrealistapproachesmightbeconsideredunjustishowitimpactsonsomesocialgroupsmorethanonothers.Afterall,freshmanstudentsengaginginpublicdrunkennessorjaywalkingareveryunlikelytofindthemselvesaccusedofa

Abriefintroductionthatclearlyputsthequestionintocontextandidentifiesthetworeasonstobeanalysed.Theseveryclearlyemergefromhooksintheitem(i.e.thereferencestoseverepunishmentsandpoliceinterpretation).ThisisaclassicPEEELparagraph.Thereisachainofreasoningintheparagraphallowingforsomecounter‐evaluationattimesandthereisaveryclearlinkbacktothequestionattheend.Thesameapproachistakenwiththisparagraph:aclassicPEEEL,plentyofdetailanda



crimeatall,letalonefaceaprisonsentence.Thetargetsforzero‐tolerancepolicingtendtobeminority‐ethnicorlow‐incomepeople.Stereotypesaboutcrime,labellingandpolicediscretioncombinetoensurethatwhilethereiszerotoleranceofanti‐socialbehaviourbypoorblackpeople,thereissignificantlymoretoleranceofmiddle‐classwhitepeopleengaginginthesamebehaviour.However,whilerightrealistsarelikelytoarguethatzerotoleranceshouldmeanzerotoleranceofstudentsandmiddle‐classyouthtoo,thediscriminatorywayinwhich“zerotolerance”policieshavebeenenforcedisanotherexampleofcontrolwithoutjustice. [398words]

discussionthatfollowsachainofreasoning.Again,thereisaclearlinktothequestion.

ExaminerComments: MarkBand:8‐10Thisisaveryclearresponse,comfortablyinthetopmarkband.Itidentifiesthetworeasonsquickly,andtheyareveryclearlydrawnfromtheitem.ThetworeasonsarethenanalysedveryclearlyintwoclassicPEEELparagraphs.Whileanintroductionhasbeenusedhere,thisisnotessential.However,ithasallowedthewritertogivesomebackgroundandclearlyidentifythetworeasons.Evenwiththis,thereisstillquitealotoffurtherexplanationoftherightrealistapproachesinthefirstparagraphsoifallofthishadgoneintheparagraphswithnointroduction,itmighthaveimpactedontheclarityandreadabilityoftheresponse.Keytermsareusedregularlythroughoutandclearunderstandingisdemonstratedoftherelevantconcepts.



ITEM A Black and Asian people are much more likely to be stopped and searched by the police than are their white peers. Sociologists disagree about whether or not this is evidence of racism by the police. Some sociologists suggest that the times when and places where stop and searches occur means that it is unfair to expect stop‐and‐search data to be proportional to the whole population.

Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why some ethnic groups are much more likely to be stopped and searched by the police than others. (10 marks) Stopandsearchstatisticspresentaclearpicture.In2014,thepolicestoppedandsearched15White,65Black,23Asianand28mixedraceindividualsperthousandinthepopulation.Whythisdifferenceintheratesofstopandsearchhappenedislessclear.Whilesomesociologistsputthisdowntoinstitutionalracismandthenatureofpolicediscretion,otherssuggestthatblackandminority‐ethnicindividualsaremorelikelytobeoutonthestreetsinhigh‐crimeurbanareasatthetimeswhenstopandsearchestakeplace.In1999theMcPhersonReportconcludedthattheMetropolitanPolicewas‘institutionallyracist’,andotherstudieshaveshownevidenceofextensiveracismwithinthepoliceforce.ABBCundercoverreport(TheSecretPoliceman)foundshockingevidenceofracismintheGreaterManchesterforce,forexample.Thepolicechoosewhotostopandsearch.Sociologistsdisagreeaboutthecause(s)ofthediscriminatorywayspolicedeploytheirdiscretion.Potentialcausesinclude:individualpoliceofficers’discriminatoryviews,aculturalissuewithinthepoliceitselfderivingfromaconservativecanteenculture,oramorestructural,institutionalissue.Marxists,forexample,arguethatthepolice’sjobistosupporttheinterestsoftherulingclassandcontroltheproletariat.Theminority‐ethnicgroupsthataremostlikelytobestoppedandsearchedareoverwhelminglyworkingclass;therefore,theinequalityofstopandsearchstatisticsmightbethepolicesimplycarryingouttheirroleinacapitalistsociety,onbehalfofthebourgeoisie.Whetherornotthisexplanationhasmerit,discriminatorypolicingisonepossiblecauseforsomeethnicgroupsbeingmuchmorelikelythanotherstobestoppedandsearched.However,Waddingtonetal.(2003)suggestedaverydifferentexplanationforthesestatistics.Theirstudylookedatwhattheycalledthe‘availablepopulation’(i.e.thosepeoplewhocouldpotentiallybestoppedandsearched),andfoundthat

Abriefintroductionwithkeyknowledgegoesontoidentifythetworeasonsthatwillbeanalysedwhicharebothveryclearlydrawnfromhooksintheitem.Thisparagraphaddressesthefirstreason,policeracism.Plentyofevidenceisprovidedinasuccinctway.ThisparagraphisaninterestingalternativetoaPEEELparagraphelsewhere,dependingmoreonanalysisthanevaluation.Arangeofdifferentexplanationsforpoliceracismareconsideredinananalyticalway.Ofcourse,itwouldhavebeenpossibletosuggestacriticismofthisview,butthatevaluationreallycomesintheformofthesecondreason.Clearlinkbacktothequestion.Thesecondreasonalsoprovidesevaluationforthefirstone,makingforananswerrichinAO3.



thosewhowerestoppedandsearchedwerebroadlyproportionaltotheavailablepopulation.Inotherwords,stopandsearchestookplaceatparticulartimesofdayandinparticularareas(suchastowncentres)andthereweremanymoreminority‐ethnicindividualsinthoseareasatthosetimes.However,thepolicewereactivelyinvolvedinWaddington’sstudy,sotheycouldbeaccusedoflackingobjectivity.Whatevertheunderlyingcause,thecharacteristicsoftheavailablepopulationisonereasonwhysomeethnicgroupsaremuchmorelikelytobestoppedandsearchedthanothers. [389words]

Succinctdescriptionofthestudyclearlyappliedtothequestionandevaluated.Againaveryclearlinkbacktothequestion.

ExaminerComments: MarkBand:8‐10Thisiscomfortablyinthetopband:averydirectresponsewithabriefintroductionandthentwoparagraphsthatclearlyaddressthequestion.Theanswerissuccinctwithlotsofkeyterms,concepts,examplesandtheoriespackedintothetwoparagraphs.However,itisstillreadableanddoesnotloseclaritybytryingtosaytoomuch.Thisquestionhadveryclearhooksintheitemthatitwasimportanttopickup.However,areasonableanswercouldhavetakentwodifferentexplanationsforpolicediscrimination(institutionalracismandcanteenculture,forinstance)andthiscouldstillbesaidtohavebeendrawnfromtheitem.However,themarkerwouldwanttoseesomeengagementwiththesecondhook,referringtotimeandplace.



ITEM A Even today, boys and girls are often brought up very differently and taught different norms and values. This can be seen both in family life and in expected adult job roles. Statistics suggest that men are much more likely to commit crime than women.

Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which gender socialisation might lead to gender differences in rates of offending. (10 marks) Menaremuchmorelikelytocommitcrimesthanwomen.Mencommit90%ofmurders,forexample.Sociologistssuggestarangeofreasonsforthis,manyofwhichrelatetogendernorms.Twounderlyingreasonsforthisgenderdifferentialmightbe:womenaresocialisedintotheexpressiveroleinthefamily(tobenurturingandcaring);whilemen,traditionallyatleast,havebeensocialisedtogoouttoworkandprovideforthefamily.Feministsociologists,forinstanceHeidensohn,havenotedhowtherolewomenareexpectedtotakeinapatriarchalsocietymakesthemlesslikelytocommitcrimes.Womenaresocialisedintoadomesticrole(whatParsonscalledtheexpressiverole):theyareexpectedtobenurturingandcaring.Giventheirexpectedroleandbehaviour,womencommittingviolentcrimewouldbedoublydeviant,deviatingbothfromsociety’snormsandvaluesandfromgenderscripts.AkeyelementofthisperspectiveisHeidensohn’scontroltheory.Frombirthtoadulthood,familiesexertgreatercontroloverthebehaviorofgirls,whichformspartofthecanalisationintogenderroles.Becausetheyarecontrolled,theyhavefeweropportunitiestocommitcrime.Boysaremuchmorelikelytobeoutingroupsoraloneatnightwhenmuchcriminalitytakesplace.However,liberationistfeministslikeFredaAdlerwouldarguethatthisisanoutdatedview;sincethe1970s,girlsandwomenhavehadmuchmorefreedom.However,shealsonotesthesignificantupsurgeinfemalecrime,whichsupportstheviewthatsocialisationintodifferentroleswithinthefamilyliesbehindgenderdifferencesinoffending.Traditionally,menweresocialisedtoprovideforthefamilyandgoouttowork.Inthepast,womenweremorelikelytobemarginalisedinadomesticrole,whilemenhadtheopportunitiesatworktocommitoccupationalcrimeortomakerelationshipsoutsidethefamilythatcouldleadtocriminality.Furthermore,somearguethataspectsofmasculinityarepotentiallycriminal:toughness,independenceandevenaggression.Thesocialpressuretoprovideforthe

Abriefintroductionsetsthesceneandgetsstraighttothepointwithidentifyingtwoways,clearlydrawnfromtheitem.AgoodPEEELparagraph/chainofreasoningthatanalysesandevaluatesthefirstreasonwithclarity,revealinggoodsociologicalknowledgeandunderstandinganduseofkeyterms.Chainofreasoningisultimatelylinkedbackveryexplicitlytothequestion.Thesameapproachistakenwiththesecondway.Plentyofanalysisandevaluation.Ofcoursethereareplentyofotherwaysthischainofreasoningcouldhavegone,



familycanleadtopropertycrimeswhenmenareunabletoearnmoneyorprovideinother,legitimateways.Again,thismightbeanoutdatedview;andothersociologistsarguethatmendonotcommitmanymorecrimesthanwomen;ratherthat,foravarietyofreasons,suchasthechivalrythesis,thestatisticsaremisleading.Nevertheless,socialisationintoamasculinegenderrolecouldaccountforgenderdifferencesincriminality. [403words]

suchaspostmodernideasaboutacrisisofmasculinity,etc.buttheskillofbeingselectiveisalsotothefore.Linkedbacktothequestion.

ExaminerComments: MarkBand:8‐10Atopbandresponsewhichverycleardrawsontwohooksfromtheitemanddevelopsthemsuccessfully.Abriefintroductionisusedtogivesomeusefulbackgroundknowledgeandclearlyidentifythetwowaysthatwillbeconsidered.Somemarkersmightlookatthesecondparagraphandfeelthatmultiplewaysarepresented(working,groups,masculinity,needtoprovide,etc.)butbybeingclearintheintroductionthatthisparagraphisallaboutmenbeingsocialisedtogotoworkandprovideforthefamily,itunitesthesedifferentstrands.Itisquitelikelythatwhenexplainingandanalysingapointyoufindyourselfmakingsupplementarypointsthatcouldbereadasbeingentirelyseparatepoints.Abriefintroclearlyidentifyingthepointspreventsconfusiononthereader’spart.Clearlymuchmorecouldhavebeenincludedinthisanswer.Inevaluation,chivalrythesiscouldbeexplored,postmoderncriticismscouldhavebeenraised,etc.However,itisimportanttodirectlyanswerthequestionandbeselective.



ITEM A Some sociologists argue that there is an underclass in society whose members are more likely to commit crimes than members of other social classes. They argue that this class has been created by government welfare policies and is characterised by households in which nobody has a job.

Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why members of an "underclass" might be more likely to commit crimes. (10 marks) NewRightsociologists,likeCharlesMurray,arguethatthewelfarestatehascreatedanunderclassinsociety:dysfunctionalworklessfamilies.Theyarguethatmembersofthisclassareinclinedtowardscriminalitybecauseofinadequatesocialisationinsingle‐parentfamilies,whileleftrealistswouldarguethatsuchindividualsaremorelikelytooffendbecauseofrelativedeprivation.Murrayarguesthatgovernmentwelfarepoliciesgiveperverseincentivesforpeopletoformlone‐parentfamilies.Thechildrenofsuchfamilies,particularlyboys,areinadequatelysocialisedbecausetheydonothaveastrongmalerolemodel.Theabsenceofafatherandhisinstrumentalrole,providingdisciplineandaworkethic,meansthatchildrenarelikelytoengageinanti‐socialbehaviour.Toleranceofthatbehaviourwill,rightrealistslikeWilsonargue,leadtomoreseriouscriminality.However,criticsarguethatthestatisticsusedtosupportthispositionarequestionable;otherfactorslikesocialclass,ethnicityorlocationmightbemoreimportant.Policestatisticsdonotsupporttherightrealistideathatinvolvementinanti‐socialbehaviournecessarilyleadstoinvolvementinseriouscrime.However,theNewRightarguethatthewelfarestateandtheincreaseinsingle‐parentfamiliescausesindividualsfromtheunderclasstocommitmorecrime.LeftrealistslikeLeaandYoungtakeaverydifferentview.Itisnotthefamilystructuresamongdeprivedgroupsthatleadstocriminalitybutthedeprivationitself,particularlyinrelationtoothergroupsinsociety.AsMertonexplainedinhisstraintheory,peoplearesocialisedintoaimingforparticulargoalsinsociety,andtheseareoftenmaterialgoals:nicehouses,expensivecars,andsoon.Inmoderncities,peoplewhohavethesethingsandpeoplewhohavenorealhopeofattainingthemlegitimatelylivesidebyside;andthewealthyandsuccessfularepresentedinthemediaasbeingthenorm.Assuch,relativedeprivation–havinglessthanothers–canbeamajordrivingforceforcrime.Thosewhohavenojobandare

Aclearintroductiongivesthetheoreticalbackgroundtothequestionandidentifiesthetworeasonsthatwillbedeveloped.AstrongPEEELparagraphthatmakesthelinkbetweenthisfirstreasonandahookintheitem(governmentwelfarepolicies)absolutelyclear.Directandexplicitlinktothequestion.Thesameapproachistakenwiththesecondreason.Therewereafewwaystogowiththis(although“householdsinwhichnobodyhasajob”wastheobvioussecondhook)butleftrealismprovidesagoodcontrastwiththefirstparagraph.



reliantongovernmentbenefits,orwhohaveemploymentbutonzero‐hourscontractsarethereforemorelikelytocommitcrimesthanthosewithhighincomes.TheNewRightwouldcounterthattherehasalwaysbeenpovertyandinequality,butthatcrimeratesincreasedsignificantlyinthepost‐warperiodaftertheintroductionofwelfarepoliciesthatweredesignedtomakepeoplelessdeprivedbut,theywouldargue,caughttheminapovertytrap.However,relativedeprivationisaconvincingexplanationforwhymembersofaso‐calledunderclassaremorelikelytocommitcrimesthanothersinsociety.[413words]

Clearreferenceto“thosewhohavenojob”toensurethemarkerisawarewhichhookisbeingdevelopedhere.Anotherclear,explicitlinkbacktothequestion.

ExaminerComments: MarkBand8‐10Atopbandanswerthatneatlyanswersthequestion.Byincludingashortintroductionfollowedbytwostrongandwell‐developedPEEELparagraphs,alltheassessmentobjectivesareaddressedWhiletheNewRightapproach,consideredinparagraphone,wasaninevitableapproachtotakegiventheitem,therewereplentyofpossibleroutestogowiththesecondreason.Whilethelikelyhookwasjoblessness,thiscouldhavebeendevelopedwithMarxistideasorindeedwithstrainorsubculturaltheories.Whileleftrealismworkedwell,thereareoftenmultipleacceptablewaystoansweraquestion.Similarly,anextendedexamplecouldhavebeenincludedintheanalysis,liketheUKriotsof2011.Again,therearemanywaystoanswerthesequestionsbuttheskillofselectingwhattowriteandwhatnottowriteisanimportantonetodevelop.



ITEM A Many sociologists argue that the world is undergoing a process of globalisation, where it is becoming ever more interconnected. This has positive benefits, like improved opportunities for travel and communication, as well as negative effects like the erosion of local cultures or the loss of traditional jobs in developed countries. It is also suggested that globalisation has a number of influences on crime and deviance.

Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which globalisation might be causing an increase in crime. (10 marks) Manysociologistsarguethatsocietiesarebecomingglobalised:theworldisevermoreinter‐connected.Thisgreaterglobalintegrationcouldleadtoanincreaseincrimeintwoways:improvedglobaltravelandcommunicationcreatingnewopportunitiesforcriminality;thetransferofmanufacturingjobstodevelopingnationsfromdevelopedcountriesincreasingrelativedeprivationinthelatter.Whilehyper‐globalistsviewthedevelopmentsintravelandcommunicationsincethemiddleofthe20thcenturyinoverwhelminglypositiveterms,theseverydevelopmentshaveenabled,orevencreated,arangeofcriminalactivities.Theeasewithwhichpeopleandgoodscantravelaroundtheworldisreflectedintheblackmarketofsmugglingandtrafficking.Peoplesmugglersoftenexploitthepeopletheysmuggle,takingthemfromadesperatesituationinonecountrythenusingthemasillegalworkersinthedevelopedworld.Thesmugglingofproductslikeillegaldrugsisalsofacilitatedbytheeaseofglobaltravel.Theinternet’scommunicationrevolutionhasalsocreatedawholenewarrayofcyber‐crimes,e.g.identityfraud.Traditionalists,whoquestionthewholeconceptofglobalisation,arguethatsuchcrimeshavealwaysexisted,andthatnewtechnologyhasalwayschangedthenatureofcrimetosomeextent(likesteamshipsorgunpowder);butnothingsignificantornewishappeningtoday.Manyothersociologistsdisagreeandthinktheglobalisationoftravelandcommunication,whilemostlypositive,hastransformedcriminality.Pessimisticglobalistspointtothewayglobalisationhashadanegativeimpactonthetraditionalworking‐classcommunitiesinthedevelopedworld.Manufacturingindustrieslikesteelworksandcoalmineshavebeenexportedtocountrieswithmuchlowerlabourcostsleavingconcentratedareasofjoblessness.Thesubsequentrelativedeprivationis,accordingtoleftrealists,akeycauseofcrime.Peoplelivinginlargely

Aquickintroductionbrieflydefiningthekeyterminthequestionandclearlyidentifyingthetwowaystobedevelopedintheanswer.Theseclearlyemergefromhooksintheitem.Gooduseofkeytermsandmixtureoftheoryandexamplesinthiswell‐developedPEEELparagraph.Althoughthiscouldseemliketwowaysintheoneparagraph,theclearintroductionputthesetogetheras“improvedglobaltravelandcommunication”.Clearlinkbacktothequestion.Thesameapproachtakenwiththesecondway.



prosperouscountriesmayfindthemselveslackingmanyofthematerialgoodsenjoyedbytheircompatriots,andfeelleftbehind.Aswellasdrivingpropertycrime,globalisationmayalsopropelpoliticalextremism,andindevelopingcountriesthesensethattheirculturesandidentitiesarebeingerodedbyaglobalculture,bothofwhichmayresultincriminalactivity.Hyper‐globalistswouldquestionthisandsuggestthatglobalisationisadriverofgrowthandprosperity.Butthehighratesofcrimeandunemploymentinex‐miningareasoftheUKorex‐steelareasoftheUSAsuggestthatglobalisationcouldbecausingcrimethroughrelativedeprivation.[399words]

Someusefulevaluation,groundedinatheoreticalframeworkandthenaveryclearlinkbacktothequestion.

ExaminerComments: MarkBand:8‐10Atop‐bandresponsewhichquicklyandsuccinctlyidentifiestwohooksintheitemanddevelopsthemintoaclearresponsetothequestion.Thereisacleartheoreticalframeworkandknowledgeandunderstandingofthetheoriesmentionedissound.Awiderangeofpotentialcriminalityisreferredtoandsuccessfullylinkedtothequestion.Althoughthereisnotadirectreferencetotheitem(asin“AsexplainedinItemA...”)thereisanechoingofthelanguageoftheiteminordertosignpostthatahookhasbeenrespondedto.Alogicalchainofreasoning,essentiallyfollowingtheclassic“PEEEL”structure,inbothparagraphsnotchesupplentyofAO3marksforbothanalysisandevaluation.



ITEM A Green crime is crime committed against the environment, rather than against a human victim. This could include pollution or animal cruelty. There is a debate between those who take a traditional approach and are only interested in green crime that breaks the law, and those who consider all harm to the environment to be green crime, regardless of whether a law has been broken

Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why a minority of green crimes are prosecuted by the criminal justice system. (10 marks) GreencriminologyisaconceptfirstintroducedbyM.J.Lynchin1990.Greencrimeisdefinedascrimecommittedagainsttheenvironmentitself.Tworeasonswhysuchcrimesmayfailtobeprosecutedbythecriminaljusticesystemare:first,thereisoftennoclearvictimandsecond,notalwayshavelawsbeenbroken.Whetheryoutakeananthropocentricapproachtogreencrimeoranecocentricone(i.e.whetheryourmainconcernisthehumancostortheecologicalone),manygreencrimesdonothaveahumanvictim.Crimeslikepollutionoranimalcruelty,asintheitem,arethereforelesslikelytobereportedtothepolicethanburglaryorassault.Mostcrimesthatareprosecutedhavebeenreportedtothepolicebythepublic.However,alotofgreencrimedoeshaveadirecthumanvictim.Ifawatercourseisbeingpolluted,orthereisillegalfly‐tipping,landownersorlocalresidentsarelikelytoreportit.Similarly,whileanimalsthemselvescannotreportcrimes,therearevariouspressuregroupsandconcernedcitizenswhowilltakeupcasesontheirbehalf.Also,whileprimarygreencrimeisarguablyoftenvictimless,secondarygreencrime(criminalityinordertoavoidenvironmentalregulationsorcensure)oftendoeshaveavictim.Nevertheless,thelackofdirectlyaffectedhumanvictimsinmanygreencrimescanaccountforlargenumbersnotbeingprosecuted.Amoresignificantissueinrelationtotheprosecutionofgreencrimeisthatgreencriminologyisoftentransgressive:itisconcernedlessaboutillegalityandmoreaboutharm.Manyexamplesofenvironmentalharmarenotillegal,atleastnotinthecountrieswheretheyarehappening.Itisthereforeimpossibleforsuch“crimes”tobeprosecutedthroughthecriminaljusticesystem.Instead,internationalpressure,includingfromnon‐governmentalorganisationslikeGreenpeace,isthewaytheissuesmayberesolved.Greencrimeisoftenglobalincharacter.Deforestationinone

Snappyintroductionexplainsgreencrimeandidentifiesthetworeasonsthatarebeingdeveloped,bothdrawnfromtheitem.Lotsofkeytermsused.Thesearebrieflydefined(whichisgoodpracticeifyouhavetime).Thepointisexplainedwithexamplesandthenthereistheusualdetailedanalysisandevaluation,featuringfurtherkeyterms.Explicitlinkbacktothequestion.Thecandidateincludessomeanalysisevenwithinputtingforwardthetwopoints,byconsideringtheirrelativesignificance.Againexamplesareincluded.Itwouldhavebeenpossibletoexpandthisfurtherwithspecificreferencetologgingin



countrycanleadtoflashfloodsinanother.Ifthedeforestationislegalinthecountrywhereitoccurs,thereislittlethevictimscandoaboutit.Manysociologistsofcrimeanddeviancewouldarguethatlegalactswhichcauseharmtotheenvironmentshouldnotbeconsideredtobecrimesatall.However,forthosesociologistswhodotakeatransgressiveapproach,thelegalityofmuchgreencrimeinevitablymeansthatmuchofitisnotprosecuted.[403words]

NepalandfloodinginBangladesh.Thereiscertainlynoreasonnottoincludethis,althoughthisresponseisalreadyonthelongside.Similarly,theevaluationcouldbemorebrief.Clearlinkbacktothequestion.

ExaminerComments: MarkBand8‐10Atopbandresponse.Itincludesanumberofquitedifficultconcepts.Inothertopicareas,itmightbepossibletorefertoaconceptwithdefinition,becauseit’safamiliarconceptacrosssociology,butthingslikeanthropocentricortransgressiondoneedsomeexplanation.Ananswercouldpackinfewerconceptsandstillhitthetopband.Thisisclearandfollowsthenowfamiliarstructureofabriefintroductionandtwofull,well‐developedPEEELparagraphs.Sometimespeopleforgetaboutlinkingtothequestion,andit’sveryimportantinthesequestionsasthemarkerneedstobeveryclearwhatthetwopointsareandthattheydirectlyaddressthequestion.



ITEM A Situational crime prevention strategies assume that the choice to commit a crime is a rational one, made after weighing up the benefits against the risks. These strategies are intended to reduce the opportunities for the committing of crimes. An example would be the installation of a burglar alarm to reduce the risk of being burgled.

Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why situational crime prevention strategies may not be effective in reducing crime. (10 marks) Situationalcrimeprevention(SCP)strategiesarepopularwithlocalcouncilsandpropertyowners.Theyincludedesigningout(e.g.homelessnessspikes)ortargethardening(e.g.anti‐vandalpaint).Tworeasonswhytheymightbeineffectivearethatcriminalsdonotnecessarilymakearationalchoicetooffend,andcriminalitymayjustbedisplacedratherthanprevented.Postmodernsociologists,likeKatzandLyng,questionwhethercriminalsreallymakearationalchoicetooffend.Fortargethardeningtopreventacrime,aburglarmustseeaburglaralarmanddecidethattheriskofbeingcaughtoutweighsthepossiblebenefits,andsochoosenottooffend.Formany,though,criminalityisaboutthebuzzandtherisk,andthedesiretoavoidboredom,ratherthanarationalcalculation.Forthoseseekingabuzzfromrisktaking,inparticular,thehighertherisk,thegreaterthebuzz.Yetthereisevidencethatburglaralarmsreducetheriskofburglary,forinstance.Whilesomeanti‐socialbehaviourmightbeaboutrisktaking(thereforeanti‐vandalpaintmightseemlikeachallenge)formoreseriouscrime,theriskofgettingcaught,andthepotentialpunishments,doactasadeterrent.However,itisclearthatforsomeminorcrime,suchasgraffiti,SCPstrategiesmightsimplyupthestakesandproduceagreaterthrill.AmorepracticaldifficultywithSCPisthatofdisplacement.WhileburglaralarmsorCCTVmightdeteracrimeinthatparticularlocation,itmayonlysucceedindisplacingthecrime,andthereforefailtoreducecrimeoverall.WidespreaduseofCCTVintowncentres,forexample,hasarguablypushedcriminalityintootherareasoftownwherethereislesssurveillance.Oncecrimessuchasdrugdealingandsolicitingmoveintootherareas,theycanreacha“tippingpoint”andcauseaneighbourhoodtobecomeassociatedwithcriminality.InstallingSCPstrategiestheremerelydisplacestheproblemagain.Targethardeningmerelypushescriminals

Aquickintroductionexplainstermsandhighlightsthetworeasons(clearlylinkedtohooksintheitem).Becautiouswithabbreviations,oneortwounfamiliaronesclearlylabelledfirsttimeisfinetohelptimemanagement,butessaysfullof“wc,rc,avp”etc.testthemarker’sgoodwill!Alinktosometheoryandaclearpoint,wellexplained,analysed,evaluatedandlinkedbacktothequestion.Thesameapproachtakenagainwithquiteadetailedexplanationofdisplacementandtheintroductionofsomeotherrelatedconcepts.



towardssoftertargets.Ifburglarsavoidhomeswithalarms,theydonotgiveupburglaryaltogether,insteadtheyconcentrateonpropertieswithoutalarms.Ofcourse,thegreaterandmorewidespreadtheuseofSCP,arguablythefewersofttargetsareavailableandthiscouldultimatelyreducethecrimerate;butaffordabilitywouldensurethatnotallpotentialtargetswereprotected.Therefore,thelikelihoodisthatSCPstrategieswillcontinuetodisplacecrimeratherthanreduceit.[388words]

Asuccinctbutdetailedanalysisandevaluationultimatelylinksbacktothequestion.

ExaminerComments: MarkBand:8‐10Averyclear,succinctresponsewhichiscomfortablyinthetopband.ItcontrastswellwiththeGreenCrimeresponsetoshowhowasimilarmarkcanbeattainedwithfewerwords.Itisstillrichwithconceptsandthosethatmightbeunfamiliararefullyexplained.Aclearunderstandingofsituationalcrimepreventionisdemonstrated,thetworeasonsareveryclearlylinkedtotworecognisablehooksintheitem,andthereasonsaresubjecttosomewell‐arguedanalysisandevaluation.Aswithotherresponses,plentyofothercontentcouldhavebeenincluded,suchascomparingwithalternativeformsofcrimepreventionandthatwouldhavebeenaperfectlyacceptableavenueofanalysisandevaluation.However,itisimportanttobeselectiveandnottothroweverythingatthese10markquestions.Ina30markquestionaboutcrimeprevention,allthoseotherpointswouldbehighlyappropriate.



ITEM A Some groups in society are much more likely to be the victims of crime than others. For example younger people, including students, also unemployed people and those on low incomes are statistically more likely to be a victim of a crime than people who are older or wealthier. Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which people’s characteristics or behaviour might contribute to being a victim of crime. (10 marks) Positivistvictimologysuggeststhatpeople’sbehaviourorcharacteristicsincreasetheirlikelihoodofbeingavictimofcrime.Youngpeopleputtingthemselvesinriskysituations,andtheleastwell‐offnothavingmoneytospendonprotectingthemselvesaretwowayswhichmayexemplifythePositivistpersepctive.Youngpeoplearetheagegroupmostatriskofbecomingvictims,accordingtodatafromtheCrimeSurveyofEnglandandWales(CSEW).Onereasonforthisisthattheyaremorelikelytoputthemselvesinvulnerablesituations.Peopleintheirlateteensandearlytwentiesoftendrinktoexcess(makingthemvulnerable),gooutlateatnightandgenerallyhaveamorecarefree,evenreckless,attitudetotheirownsafety.However,somesociologistswouldcriticisethisexplanationandsuggestthatitisvictimblaming.Justbecausesomeonegetsdrunkorstaysoutlatedoesnotmeanthattheyareresponsibleforthecriminalactionsofanotherperson.Criminalshaveagencyandchoosetocommitcrimes,irrespectiveofthebehaviouroftheirvictims.Nevertheless,therecklessnessofyouthisonewayinwhichsomeone’sbehaviourorcharacteristicscouldcontributetovictimhood.CSEWdataalsoshowsthatthoseonthelowestincomes,especiallytheunemployed,arealsoataheightenedriskofvictimisation.Positivistvictimologyagainseekstoexplainthisintermsofbehaviourandcharacteristics.Therearevariousprecautionsthatcanbetakentoprotectoneselffromcrime,butthesecostmoney.Homesecuritysystems,forexample,areexpensive,asaremoderncarswithhi‐techsecuritysystems.Oneprecautionpeoplemighttakeistostayawayfromareaswithhighcrimerates,butthisisimpossibleifyouliveinone.However,Marxistsociologistswouldcriticisethisperspectiveandsaythatworking‐classpeoplearemorelikelytobevictimsforstructuralreasons,ratherthanbecauseoftheirownbehaviour.Logicallyyouwouldexpecttherichtobeatgreatestriskofcrimeastheyhavemoretosteal,butthe

Aquickintroductionwhichplacesthequestioninatheoreticalframeworkandidentifiesthetwowaystobedeveloped(clearlylinkingtohooksintheitem).AclassicPEEELparagraphwithextensiveexplanation,evidenceandevaluationand(veryimportantly)aclearlinkbacktothequestion.Thesameapproachistakenforbothparagraphs.Thisapproachpicksupplentyofmarksforallassessmentobjectives.



state’sroleistoprotecttherichfromthecrimesofthepoor.AccordingtoMarxists,thestatedoesverylittletoprotectthepoor.Theywouldarguefurtherthatlivinginareaswithhighcrimeratesandnotbeingabletoaffordexpensivesecurityistheresultofthestructureofacapitalistsociety,notindividualbehaviour.However,notpayingforthebestprotectionfromcrimeisanotherwayinwhichpeople’sbehaviourorcharacteristicscancontributetotheirownvictimhood.[410words]

Bywritingaclearchainofreasoning,itispossibletoessentiallyholdadiscussionaboutthetopic,whilemaintainingreadability.

ExaminerComments: MarkBand:8‐10Atop‐bandanswerthatgetsstraightdowntoansweringthequestion.Thebriefintroductionishelpfulinthatitprovidedanopportunitytosetthequestioninatheoreticalframework(positivistvictimology).Thisimmediatelyshowsthemarkerthatthecandidatehasagoodknowledgeofvictimisationandwillgobeyondacommonsenseextensionoftheitem(whichwouldbethenatureofmanyanswerstothisquestion).BylinkingtheanswerandthehooksfromtheitemtoknowledgeoftheCrimeSurveyofEnglandandWales,thecandidateagainrevealsgoodlevelsofknowledgeandapplication.Theresponsethengoesontobeanalyticalandevaluativeanddirectlylinksbacktothequestion.



ITEM A Sociologists debate the purpose of punishment. Some argue that if criminals make a rational choice to offend, when they see people are punished severely for their transgressions, they should make a rational choice not to offend. Others emphasise the need for criminals to reform their ways.

Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which punishment can prevent further crime. (10 marks)

Forsociologists,thepurposesofpunishmentcanbesummedupasprevention,compensationandretribution.Twowaysinwhichpunishmentcanperformtheroleofpreventionaredeterrenceandrehabilitation.Theideathatpunishmentcanactasadeterrenttofurthercrimeisbasedonrationalchoicetheory.Asstatedintheitem,ifoffendersweighupthebenefitsandcostsofcriminalityrationally,thenthemoreseverethepunishmentthemorelikelytheyaretochoosenottooffend.Thisviewissupportedbyrightrealistswhofavourtoughsentencesevenforminoroffences,inordertopreventmoreseriouscrime.However,somepostmodernsociologistslikeLyng(1990)arguethatpartofthereasonwhycrimeisseductiveisbecauseofthethrilloftakingrisks.Therefore,arguablytheriskcouldincreasethe“buzz”.Alsosomecrimeisnotrationalbutisinsteadcommittedoutoffrustrationorwhenundertheinfluenceofalcoholordrugs.However,itseemslikelythattoughsentencesdodetersometypesofcrime.Punishmentcanalsopreventfurthercrimethroughtherehabilitationofoffenders.Thepurposeofpunishmentisnotjusttodeterothersfromcommittingcrimebuttocorrecttheflawedvaluesofoffenderssotheycanreturntosocietyasreformedcitizensandnotcommitfuturecrimes.Ifthisisakeypurposeofpunishment,itslackofeffectivenesscanbecriticised:reoffendingratesarehighforthosewhohaveservedcustodialsentences.Indeed,prisonscanactasaformofsubculturewherecriminalsonlysocialisewithothercriminals,normalisingandreinforcingcrimeanddevianceevenmore.ThisispartlyduetowhatSutherlandcalleddifferentialassociation:prisonersassociatewithcriminals,andthereforelearndeviantvalues.NewRightsociologists,whosupportprisonasthebestformofpunishment,arguethatreoffendingratesareduetoprisonreformshavingmadeprisonslessunpleasant;thatthebestwaytorehabilitateoffendersistodeterthemfromfuturecrimethroughtheir

Averyclearintroductionwhichessentially“decodes”thehooksintheitemtoidentifytwowaystoconsider.AclassicPEEELparagraphthatincludesplentyofkeyconceptsandsometheory.Thisisthesortofquestionwhereitwouldbeeasytomissoutanysociologicaltheory,soincludingpostmodernismandrightrealismmakesitsufficientlysociological.Linkedbacktothequestionwithinthechainofreasoning.Thesecondwayisaddressedinthesameway,withaPEELparagraph.Againthisismademoresociologicalbylinkinganotherwise“commonsense”pointtorelevantsociologicaltheory.



experienceofprison.Theyalsosupportprison’sroleofincapacitation‐peoplecannotcommitfurthercrimesiftheyareinprison.Nevertheless,oneaimofpunishmentistorehabilitateoffendersandpreventthemfromreoffending. [369words]

Aclearlinkbacktothequestion.

ExaminerComments: MarkBand:8‐10Atop‐bandanswerthatavoidsoneofthepotentialpitfallsforageneralpunishmentquestion.Manyofthepointsthatcanbemadeaboutpunishmentarenotespeciallysociological(theycouldequallybemadeinacitizenshipessay,forexample).ItisthereforeusefultolinkthepointstosociologicaltheoryinordertolifttheAO3marksoutofthemiddleband.Thehooksintheitemwereveryclear,buttheknackhereistodeveloptheminaclear,sociologicalwaywhichexplicitlyanswersthequestion.



ITEM A Howard Becker points out that people react differently to the same act depending on who is doing it and where they are doing it. This influences whether the act in question is labelled as deviant or not, as in the saying “one person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter”.

Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which the social context of an act might influence whether or not it is labelled as deviant. (10 marks)

TheideathatthesocialcontextofanactinfluenceshowitislabelledandthereforehowthecriminaljusticesystemmightrespondtoithasbeenraisedbybothHowardBeckerandAaronCicourel.Twowaysthecontextmightinfluenceperception:whoisperformingtheact,andwheretheyareperformingtheact.Cicourelarguedthatthelabelofdelinquencywasplacedonjuvenilesfromlowincomebackgroundsbutnotonbetter‐offyouthsdoingexactlythesamethings.Heidentifiedtwostagesofwhathecalledthe‘negotiationofjustice.’First,thepolicewillbeinfluencedbytheirstereotypesofthetypicalcriminal.Therefore,theywillviewdrunkanddisorderlybehaviourbyamiddle‐classstudentdifferentlytothesamebehaviourbyahomelessyouth.Theformerwillbeseenasnormalstudenthigh‐jinx,thelatterasdeviance.TheactionsoftheBullingdonClub(anotoriousstudentsocietyfortheveryrichatOxfordUniversity)hasalwaysbeeninterpreteddifferentlyfromthatofaninner‐cityyouthgang,eventhoughsomeoftheactivitieswouldbeverysimilar.Yetthereareexamplesoftheoppositehappening,withamillionaire’sdaughterwhodrovelootersaroundLondoninthe2011riotsreceivingahighersentencebecauseofherprivilegedbackground.However,evenifthenegotiationofjusticesometimesworksagainsttherich,itisstillanexampleofthesocialcontextinfluencingtheapplicationofthelabel.Aswellaswhoiscommittingtheact,theplaceinwhichithappensisalsoafactor.Drunkanddisorderlybehaviourinatowncentreistreateddifferentlyfromthesameinaquietresidentialarea,forexample.WhenradicalMuslimstravelledfromBritainandelsewheretoLibyatofightagainstGeneralGhadafi,theywereallowedtotravelandwerepraisedforfightingagainstapresumedtyrannicalregime.WhenpeoplemadesimilarjourneystoSyria,thelabelswitchedfrom“freedomfighter”toterrorist.Inbothcountries,somepeoplejoinedgroupslikeISIS,butdifferentattitudestotheconflicts

Asuccinctandusefulintroductionthatestablishesatheoreticalframeworkandidentifiesthetwowayswhicharetobedeveloped.Thisisthestrongerofthetwo‘ways’,intermsoflinkingtosociologicaltheory(althoughbothcanrelatetoBeckerorCicourel).ItisaclearPEEELparagraphwithplentyoftheoryandusefulexamples.Workingthroughthisexampleprovidessomeusefuldevelopment.Theevaluationcomesthroughacontrastingexample.Linkedbacktothequestion,clearly.Thesecondparagraphisarguablylesssociologicalthanthefirst.Thetheoreticalframeworkisreallythesameasthefirstway,anditwouldwastetimeintheexamtorepeatthepoint.However,the



meantthatthelabelchanged.However,arguablythiswasnotbecauseitwasadifferentplace,butinsteadbecausetheinterpretationofBritishinterestshadchanged:i.e.thatreturningISISfightersposedathreattotheUK.Itisclearthatthesameactcarriedoutindifferentplacescanbelabelledverydifferently.[387words]

answercouldbestrengthenedfurtherwithmoretheoreticalevaluation.Againtheevaluationcomesthroughtheexample,followedbyaclearlinktothequestion.

ExaminerComments: MarkBand:8‐10Thisisatop‐bandanswertoquiteadifficultquestion.Theitemisquiteclearandthehookseasilyidentified.However,whatismoredifficultisfindingdifferentwaystodevelopthetwowaysthatemergefromthehooks.ItisreallytwoaspectsofsocialcontextandbothbestrelatetoCicourel’sNegotiationofJustice,ortoBecker’slabellingtheory.Itisimportantnotonlytoidentifytwoways,linkedtotheitemanddevelopthem,buttoensurethatthetwowaysareclearlydistinctfromoneanother.Thisresponsesucceedsindoingthis,partlybybasingmuchoftheanalysisandevaluationaroundexamplesratherthanthetheoreticalframework.However,itwouldhavebeenpossible(andwouldhaveattainedgoodmarks)tousecontrastingtheorytoevaluateinoneoftheparagraphs.Forexample,inthefirstparagraph,MarxismcouldhavebeenusedtoarguethatCicourelignoredthecapitaliststructureofsociety,orrealismcouldhavebeenusedinthesecondparagraphtoquestiontheusefulnessofclassing“terrorism”asalabel,ratherthanarealproblem.



NOTES



1. Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which deviant subcultures respond to blocked opportunities. (10 marks)

2. Using Item A analyse two ways in which society’s response to crime and deviance benefits the ruling class. (10 marks)

3. Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why right realist approaches to crime and deviance might ‘achieve control but not justice.’ (10 marks)

4. Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why some ethnic groups are much more likely to be stopped and searched by the police than others. (10 marks)

5. Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which gender socialisation might lead to gender differences in rates of offending. (10 marks)

6. Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why members of an “underclass” might be more likely to commit crimes. (10 marks)

7. Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which globalisation might be causing an increase in crime. (10 marks)

8. Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why a minority of green crimes are pros-ecuted by the criminal justice system. (10 marks)

9. Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why situational crime prevention strategies may not be effective in reducing crime. (10 marks)

10. Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which people’s characteristics or behaviour might contribute to being a victim of crime. (10 marks)

CRIME & DEVIANCE 10 MARKERS

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