Crime and Deviance

Discussion Question:

Why do people commit crime?

(Identify at least two explanations.)

Some definitions:

DEVIANCE

SOCIAL DEVIATIONS

SOCIAL DIVERSIONS

CONSENSUS CRIMES

CONFLICT CRIMES

Deviance and Social Control

SOCIAL CONTROL

• Informal control

• Formal control

CRIME

Motivational Theories I

There are two main explanations for deviance: MOTIVATIONAL and CONTROL THEORIES.

There are three variants of motivational theories:

(1) STRAIN THEORIES

Motivational Theories II

(2) LEARNING THEORIES

• DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION

• NEUTRALIZATION

Motivational Theories III

(3) SUBCULTURAL THEORIES

Control Theories

Consequences of Deviance

DURKHEIM’S IDEAS

LABELLING THEORY

Durkheim’s Functional Analysis of Punishment

Durkheim’s Functional Analysis of Punishment

Figure 1: “The Common Sense View”.

Cause

(Independent Variable)

Function

(Dependent Variable)

X YCollectivesentiments,values

Punishment

Durkheim’s Functional Analysis of Punishment

Figure 2: “Durkheim’s Non-Obvious Theory”.

Cause

(Independent Variable)

Function

(Dependent Variable)

X YCollectivesentiments,values

Punishment

Explanations for Crime and Punishment Revisited.

The Conservative Argument

The Liberal Argument

The Radical Argument (Labelling Theory)

The Individual/Social Psychological Level

The Organizational Level

LABELLING:

The Individual/Social Psychological Level

LABELLING:

The Organization Level

Merton’s Typology of Deviance

Anomie

Conformity

Innovation

Ritualism

Retreatism

Rebellion

Merton’s Typology of Individual Adaptation

1. Conformity

2. Innovation

3. Ritualism

4. Retreatism

5. Rebellion

Cultural Goals

Institutionalized Means

+ +

+ -

+-

--

+/- +/-

Key: + Signifies acceptance, - signifies rejection, +/- signifies rejection of prevailing values and substitution of new values.