Sociology Year 2

A Level Sociology – AQA

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How is Sociology assessed?

The course will be studied over two years with examinations at the end of the second year of the course. The

examinations will be structured in the following way:

Paper 1:Education with Theory and Methods • 2 hour written exam • 80 marks • 33.3% of A-level Questions: Education: short answer and extended writing - 50 marks Methods in Context: extended writing -20 marks Theory and Methods: extended writing -10 marks.

Paper 2: Topics in Sociology • 2 hour written exam • 80 marks • 33.3% of A-level Questions: Section A: extended writing -40 marks Section B: extended writing -40 marks

Paper 3: Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods • 2 hour written exam • 80 marks • 33.3% of A-level Questions: Crime and Deviance: short answer and extended writing —50 marks Theory and Methods: extended

Introduction

We will be working through this booklet in lesson time; it can also be used as a revision aid nearer to the exam. Inside this booklet are resources that have been designed to help you to understand and revise. The following areas will be

covered:

Themes and Perspectives in Sociology Families and Households

Education Research Methods in Sociology

Students are to: Complete all key term glossaries

Complete all homework tasks set (including structured revision)

Complete at least 4 hours independent work a week.

The booklet also contains a list of the specification requirements which you can use as a checklist to monitor your progress. Past exam questions have also been included so you know what to expect, some of these will be completed

during lesson time.

These are useful sites which may help you with your revision; some of them have been used within the booklet.

1 http://www.aqa.org.uk 2 https://revisesociology.wordpress.com/

3 http://www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/sociology

When preparing resources, the following textbooks have been used:

Sociology for AQA: Volume 2: 2nd Year A Level by Ken Browne AQA A-level Sociology - Student Book 2: 4th Edition by Steve Chapman

http://www.amazon.co.uk/AQA-A-level-Sociology-Student-Edition/dp/0007597479/ref=pd_bxgy_14_text_z

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This Booklet covers

Topic 3: The Media (pages 7 - 38 )

The relationship of the family to the social structure and social change, with particular reference to the economy and

to state policies Changing patterns of marriage, cohabitation, separation, divorce, childbearing and the life course, including the

sociology of personal life, and the diversity of contemporary family and household structures

Gender roles, domestic labour and power relationships within the family in contemporary society

The nature of childhood, and changes in the status of children in the family and society

Demographic trends in the United Kingdom since 1900: birth rates, death rates, family size, life expectancy, ageing

population, and migration and globalisation.

Topic 4: Crime and Deviance (pages 39 - 82 )

• The role and functions of the education system, including its relationship to the economy and to class structure

• Differential educational achievement of social groups by social class, gender and ethnicity in contemporary society • Relationships and processes within schools, with particular reference to teacher/pupil relationships, pupil identities and

subcultures, the hidden curriculum, and the organisation of teaching and learning

• The significance of educational policies, including policies of selection, marketisation and privatisation, and policies to achieve greater equality of opportunity or outcome, for an understanding of the structure, role, impact and experience of

and access to education; the impact of globalisation on educational policy.

Topic 5: A2 Theory and Methods (pages 83 - 112 ) Quantitative and qualitative methods of research; research design

Sources of data, including questionnaires, interviews, participant and non-participant observation, experiments,

documents and official statistics.

The distinction between primary and secondary data, and between quantitative and qualitative data

The relationship between positivism, interpretivism and sociological methods; the nature of ‘social facts’

The theoretical, practical and ethical considerations influencing choice of topic, choice of method(s) and the conduct

of research.

How is your work assessed? AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of: sociological theories, concepts and evidence

AO2: Apply sociological theories, concepts, evidence and research methods to a range of issues AO3: Analyse and evaluate sociological theories, concepts, evidence and research methods in order to:

• Present arguments

• Make judgements • Draw conclusions.

ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES PAPER 1 WEIGHTING (%) PAPER 2 WEIGHTING (%) OVERALL WEIGHTING (%)

AO1 22 24 46

AO2 18 13 31

AO3 10 13 23

Overall weighting of components

50 50 100

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The assessment for learning cycle

Teacher sets task

Student performs task

Teacher / student / peer marks task

Systematised feedback on task

Follow-up work The systematised feedback will:

Relate to how your work will be marked in the external examinations Be a system that you can understand Provide feedback that is developmental

Key Feedback terms Whole School Sp- Spelling Gr- Grammar Pn- Punctuation Cp- Capital letter ^- Word omitted/ incomplete answer NP//- New paragraph Sociology C- Key concept used K- Clear knowledge U- Clear understanding App- Application (to the question) An-Analysis (method/theory) Ev- Evaluation (study/ perspective) It- Reference made to the source material or item. Strength Target Student Response Required

Year 2 Calendar

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The Media

Topic 3 Component 2

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Key Term Glossary

After completing a topic, you need to fill in the definitions for the following terms, these will prove essential in the build

up to the exam.

Social media

Bias

The IPSO

Synergy

Technological convergence

Dominant Ideology

Ideological State apparatuses

Neophiliacs

Citizen journalism

News Values

Agenda-setting

Gatekeeping

Pluralism

Tabloidisation

Popular culture

Social Action

Cultural homogenisation

Media Imperialism

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Hyper-reality

Moral Panic

Deviancy amplification

Primary definers

The media gaze & the male gaze

Symbolic annihilation

Folk devils

Islamophobia

The glass ceiling

Polysemic

Infant mortality rate

The Hawthorne effect

Cultural convergence

The digital divide

Social capital

Simulacra

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Introduction: Defining the media

The media may refer to a number of different but related elements:

1. The technology involved in communication with large mass audiences without any personal contact, such as televisions, computers, DVD players/recorders, mp3 players, smartphones and games consoles.

2. The institutions and organisations concerned with mass communication in which people work, such as the press, cinema, broadcasting, advertising, publishing and web-related industries.

3. The products of those institutions, such as the news, movies, soaps, newspapers, magazines, websites, books, films, CDs and computer games.

Activity 1.1 Use the information you have been given during the lesson to define the following media types

The ‘traditional media’

The ‘new media’

Social media

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The power of the media: Key questions In the UK in 2014, according to Ofcom, around 96% of homes had digital TV, and viewers watched an average of four hours of television every day. Around 77% of UK households had internet broadband connections, and 8%of adults had mobile broadband; 93% of adults owned/used a mobile phone(with 61% owning a smartphone), and 57% used them to access the internet. Digital broadcasting is leading to the creation of literally hundreds of terrestrial, cable and satellite television channels. Around 7.5 million national newspapers are sold every day. Bauman (2007) cites research that suggests ‘during the last thirty years more information has been produced in the world than during the previous 5,00 years, while a single copy of the Sunday edition of the New York Times contains more information than a cultivated person in the eighteenth century would consume during a lifetime’.

Activity 2.1 Using the information above, complete the following diagram

Activity 2.2

1.

2.

3.

4.

The increase and change in the media/consumption of the media.

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Topic 1: The New Media

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The ‘new media’ refers to screen-based digital (computer) technology involving the integration of images, text and sound and to the technology used for the distribution and consumption of the new digitalised media content which has emerged in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century.

Activity 3.1 Using the information on the previous page, answer the following questions: 1. Identify the trends in the use of new media between 2005 and 2014. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. How, in your opinion, have new media technologies such as the smartphone and digital TV improved the

quality of your life? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. New media has been accused by some critics of undermining the notion of community and creating social

anxiety. Explain some reasons for this argument. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CHALLENGE Argue the point that smartphones are a danger to democracy and the democratic process __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

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Features of the new media Jenkins (2008) argues that the process of technological convergence , bringing together multiple media in the same device, has led to a much more significant process of cultural convergence, whereby consumers are encouraged to seek out and share new information and make connections between dispersed contents from a range of media, which the new technology makes much easier than it ever was in the past. The features of the new media also outline their main differences from the traditional media. The traditional media, like the terrestrial TV channels (such as BBC1 and 2, ITV1, and channels 4 and 5), radio stations and mass-circulation printed nationals and Sunday papers, delivered their content through separate media platforms, and communicated uniform messages in a one-way process to mass audiences. These audiences were all assumed to be homogenous (possessing the same characteristics and interests). It was basically media based on a ‘take it or leave it’ approach, with little consumer participation and control. The technological and cultural convergence has changed the way people use or consume the media. Lister et al. (2003) suggest what distinguishes the new from traditional forms of (mass) media are five main concepts:

Digitality Interactivity Hypertextuality Dispersal Virtuality

Activity 3.2 Complete the missing definitions with relevant examples.

Digitality Digitality essentially means using computers, where all data (text, sound and pictures) are converted into numbers (binary code), which can be stored, distributed and picked up via screen-based products , like mobile phones, DVDs, Digital TVs and computers.

Interactivity

Interactivity means

Hypertextuality

Dispersal

Virtuality

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Who uses the new media? The new media are beginning to overtake the traditional media as a means of mass communication. Internet use across Europe is now around 14 hours per week per person, compared to around 13 hours a week of TV viewing, according to a Microsoft survey. In 2014 in the UK, around 84% of households had internet access, and 80% of the population used the internet. Ofcom’s report ‘Adults’ media use and attitudes’ (2013) documents the extent of media literacy- defined as the ability to use, understand and create media and communications in a variety of contexts- in 2015 and how the media landscape has changed since 2005.

Activity 4.1

1. How have each of the launches changed the way that we interact with the media? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What are Boyle’s (2007) findings? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Compare what media were available to an 18 year old in 1990 compared with an 18 year old in 2016 (on

separate paper).

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Class, Gender and Global Divides

Activity 4.2

Complete the following spider-diagram.

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Overall Impact

Class

Gender

Global

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The new media: Evaluation According to Curran and Seaton (2003), two perspectives dominate the debate about the new media in the UK: 1. ‘Neophilliacs’ are optimistic about the spread and influence of new media technologies which they

see as offering more choice and the opportunity to participate more interactively and effectively in the democratic process.

2. The ‘cultural pessimists’ suggest that new media are not really that new, that interactivity is an illusion because ownership of new media is still overwhelmingly concentrated in the hands of powerful corporations. They also believe that the new media is responsible for the decline in popular culture and has lead to new social problems such as cyberbullying and online sexual grooming.

The neophiliac perspective

Increased consumer choice

e-commerce revolution

Revitalising democracy

The cultural pessimist perspective

‘Not-so-new’ media

Reinforcing elite power

Decline in popular culture

CHALLENGE: According to Turkle (2011) how has the new media made us alone, together?

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Topic 2: Ownership & Control of the media

The ownership of the main mass media in modern Britain is concentrated in the hands of a few large companies, which are interested in making profit. Of the total circulation of national daily and Sunday newspapers, around 86 per cent is controlled by just four companies, and over half by just two companies (News UK and the Daily Mail and General Trust).

Task 5.1 Label the following diagrams using the key research on the topic.

The British broadcasting media

Horizontal integration

Vertical integration

Synergy and Technological convergence

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Theories of Media Ownership and Control Doyle (2002) suggests that we need to study media ownership and control because it is important for societies to have a diverse and pluralistic media provision so that all points of view can be heard. She argues that if concentration of media ownership occurs in a society, there is a danger that abuses of power and influence by elites will go unnoticed and that democracy and justice will suffer as a result.

Pluralism Pluralism is a view that sees power in society as spread out among a wide variety of interest groups and individuals, with no single one having a monopoly of power. Task 5.2 Follow the link and watch the summary of Pluralism then write notes on their view using the following headings: The variety of media products ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Media owners and its content __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ State controls (e.g. Libel) __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Criticisms of Pluralism (separate sheet) Use the information in the lesson to create a leaflet on the major criticisms of the pluralist view using: - Trowler (2004) - Thornham (2007) - Curran (2003)

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Marxism Marxists argue that the capitalist economic system of the UK is deeply unfair because it generally benefits a minority- the capitalist class- at the expense of the majority, and especially the working class. Marxists believe that the inequalities in wealth and income and therefore poverty are the direct result of the way capitalism is organised. Task 5.3

Complete the following table outlining the Marxist approach.

The Instrumental Marxist view

Marxist theories of the mass media strongly challenge the pluralist theory of ownership and control. Marxists such as Miliband (1973) take an instrumental or manipulative approach to the ownership and control of the media. Miliband argued that the mass media represent an ideological instrument which plays a key role in the reproduction and justification of class inequality. The role of the media is to convince the general public that ruling-class ideology is the truth and fact. Marxists such as Marcuse argue that media owners play a key role in helping control the proletariat through a ‘bread and circuses’ approach, meaning that they deliberately make sure that media output is mainly entertainment-orientated so that people are kept happy and docile. Evidence for this approach From 1920-1950 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ From 1951-1974 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ From 1974- Today _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Hegemonic Marxist view

The Glasgow University Media Group (GUMG) suggests that media content does support the interests of those who run the capitalist system but this hegemony is probably an accidental by-product of the social backgrounds of journalists and broadcasters. The GUMG claims that these journalists tend to believe ‘middle-of-the-road’ (consensus) views and ideas, which are generally unthreatening and which, they believe appeal to the majority of their viewers, listeners or readers. When alternative views are included in newspapers or TV, they are often ridiculed by journalists. Economic Pressures The GUMG argues that the journalistic desire to stay in the centre ground is due to economic pressures. For example: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Agenda Setting Using the example of Jeremy Corbyn not singing the national anthem on remembrance Sunday 2015, explain how the media decide what issues should be discussed in society ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Criticisms of the Hegemonic Marxist theory Using your knowledge of other perspectives and the information that has been given to you, come up with 3 major criticisms of the Hegemonic Marxist view

1. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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The Postmodernist view Postmodernists such as Strinati (1995) argue that countries such as the UK have been transformed during the past 30 years from industrial modern societies with manufacturing economies to postmodern and post-industrial societies with service economies. Postmodern societies have three main characteristics that have an impact on the ownership and control debate.

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• Media saturation

2

• Globalisation

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• Absolute truths (meta-narratives)

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Activity 5.1 Design a script, poster or presentation that will allow you to explain the concept of ‘hyper reality’ to a group of year 12 students (not necessarily Sociology students Using the handout and information from the lesson, complete your plan/poster in the space below.

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Topic 3: The Media, Globalisation and Popular Culture Steger (2005) defines globalisation as a set of social processes that are thought to transform our present social condition into one of globality. Steger sees globality as a ‘social condition characterised by the existence of global economic, political, cultural and environmental interconnections and flows that make many of the currently existing borders and boundaries irrelevant’.

Culture Scott & Marshall (2009)

High Culture

Popular Culture

The globalisation

Of popular culture

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The effects of Globalisation: The Postmodernist perspective Postmodernists believe that the mass media have a played a big role in the way that societies have changed from being modern societies, based on industrial manufacturing, to being postmodern societies, based on the consumption and dissemination of information and culture. In particular, postmodern sociologists have argued that the rapid expansion in media technologies between 2005 and 2015 has led to postmodern societies becoming media-saturated. As a result, the media- and the popular culture that they generate- are now more influential in the shaping of personal identity and lifestyle than traditional influences such as family, community, social class, gender, nation or ethnicity.

Strinati (1995)

Jenkins (2008)

Shirky (2011)

Murthy (2013)

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The effects of Globalisation: The Marxist perspective & Cultural Pessimist view

The cultural imperialist approach is very much influenced by traditional Marxism. It argues that popular culture is an ideological product aimed at distracting poorer groups from the exploitation and inequality which is a feature of their everyday lives. This, according to Marxists encourages conformity and a lack of critical thinking. Marcuse (1964) argues that this conformity is the product of media audiences being encouraged by media companies to subscribe to 3 ways of thinking and behaviour.

Flew (2007)

Barber (2003)

Ritzer (1993)

KEY EXAMPLE

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Topic 4: The Selection and Presentation of the News News is presented in a variety of forms in the 21st Century. Up to the 1990s, the main sources of news in the UK were tabloid and broadsheet newspapers, radio and terrestrial TV. However the 21st Century saw the appearance of new media sources of news such as 24 hr rolling news on satellite TV channels. However, despite the growth in new media, the population still rely on traditional methods of news coverage. The 2014 Ofcom survey showed that only 33% of the 16-24 age group read newspapers whereas 60 % relied on the internet and apps. This trend has led some sociologists to believe that young people are deserting the traditional sources of media.

News Values- ICT task Using the Spencer-Thomas (2008) study & websites such as BBC news, SKY news, Al jezeera research some stories that fit with the following news values: Extraordinariness Threshold Unambiguity Reference to elite persons Personalisation Celebrity

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The Construction of News

The following factors have a large impact on what we see and read in the news.

Spin Doctors Churnalism

• Davies (1994)

Citizen Journalism

• Couldry (2010)

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Organisational Routines Some observers of news production suggest that it is important to look at the organisational or bureaucratic routines and rules that exist within particular news organisations. They argue that the logistics of collecting

news may bias what news is gathered or how it is actually presented and reported. This can be illustrated in a number of ways.

Financial Costs

Time/space available

Immediacy and actuality

The audience

Journalistic ethics

Task: Moral Panics Research the following issues and be prepared to talk about them during class discussion. -Mods and Rockers on Brighton beach -Acid House parties of the 1990s -The punk scene of the 1970s -Marilyn Manson and the Columbine High School Massacre

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Topic 5: Media representations of gender, sexuality and disability

It is 7.00pm on Saturday night. You have opted for a fairly dull night in watching some awful celebrity

dancing phone-in show, Dale Winton insulting-your-intelligence with a lottery show ‘quiz’, and then some

rehashed Casualty plot-line involving a motorway pile-up, a chemical leak in a weapons factory and four

kids stuck down a pothole with the water level rising. However, at 7.45 you get a text from an old friend

inviting you to a party at their house.

You are a bit unsure whether to go as you’ve not seen your old friend for some time, but given the

competition on offer on TV it’s a no-brainer and you decide to go. At 9.30 you arrive at the party. Your

old friend gives you a big hug and a kiss.

The other party guests are:

A vicar

A glamour model

A successful barrister

A reality TV celebrity

An ex-prisoner

A heroin user

An elderly woman

A members of a religious cult

A person claiming to have recently been abducted by aliens

A person with cancer

1. What would your reaction be to your old friend?

2. Your old friend introduces you to all the guests listed above. In each case explain what your

perceptions of that guest would be.

3. To what extent do your responses support the idea that the mass media creates negative and harmful

stereotypes within society?

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Gender, Sexuality & Disability assignment Based on the information in your textbook, on prezi and on the weebly, you need to create a sociological investigation. How does the media affect the way that we see gender, sexuality and disability? You need to use either a questionnaire or interview and combine with either an observation or content analysis. I will cover this in more depth in the lesson. Write your results below:

Aim(s)

Method

Procedure (including participants)

Findings (trends in qualitative data or a graph/table to represent

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quantitative data)

Conclusion

Sources

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Topic 6: Media representations of ethnicity, social class and age

Group Definition Representations

Children

Youth

Older people

Social Class Representations Examples in the media

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Ethnicity and stereotypes

Stereotype Example Criticisms – how is the

representation misleading?

Lawbreakers, drug-dealing,

welfare fraud, gun culture.

Low-paid workers

Have a culture which is

“alien” to British culture.

Immigration is a threat to

the British way of life.

Source of conflict and

disruption.

Creating social problems –

asylum seekers, immigrants

and welfare scroungers

rather than the persecution

that some people have fled

from.

Stereotypical success –

sportsmen and musicians

rather than academic or

professional success.

International issues which

need the “white western”

population to solve their

problems.

Challenge: How has media reporting over the past 15 years created a negative image of Islam?

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Topic 7: The relationship between the media and their content, presentation and audiences

THE HYPODERMIC SYRINGE MODEL • In the Early 20th Century – the mass media was seen to have a lot of power • The press was seen as being able to control and persuade their audiences • The hypodermic syringe model sees audiences receiving daily injections of messages from tv and

newspapers. • These messages are like a drug. • They ‘brainwash’ (condition) the audience and effect their attitudes and behaviour.

Imitation violence

Desensitisation

Censorship

Criticisms 1. Preventing

real-life violence.

2. Methodological

problems

Control Indoctrination Conditioning

Moulding

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Active audience approaches

2 step flow model

Study examples

Selective filter model

Study examples

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THE USES AND GRATIFICATIONS MODEL • this approach looks at what audiences ‘do with the media’

• This gives the audience more choice and doesn’t see them as being moulded and controlled. • It looks more at ‘individual needs’ that are met by the media.

• Basically, we watch TV for different reasons and individuals gain different things from it.

TASK Can you sort the following into those that relate to: (a) hypodermic syringe model or (b) uses and gratifications model… 1. Injections 2. personal taste 3. Different needs 4. controlling 5. Indoctrination 6. choice

7. Like a drug 7. satisfaction

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The cultural effects model

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Component Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure that you have covered all the areas needed for success in your exams. The following topics will be covered in class. However, it will be your responsibility to catch up with any topics you miss and to actively revise the different areas.

Topic Area Covered in Class

Revised

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Crime & Deviance

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Key Term Glossary After completing a topic, you need to fill in the definitions for the following terms, these will prove

essential in the build up to the exam.

Anomie

Collective conscience

Consensual

Correlation

Crime

Criminologist

Critical criminology

Delinquency

Deviance

Discipline

External patterns of social control

Formal social control

Informal social control

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Left realism

Mechanistic society

Organic society

Underclass

Gang

Illegitimate opportunity structure

Status frustration

Subcultural theories

Crimes of the state

Scapegoats

Deviancy amplification

Folk devil

Symbolic Interactionism

British Crime Survey

Repeat victimisation

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Social construction

Institutional racism

Cognitive map

Collective efficacy

Opportunity theory

Drift

Malestream

Normative masculinity

Corporate crime

Occupational crime

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Topic 1: Functionalist, strain and subcultural theory

Deviance and control theories The sociology of crime and deviance is one of the most diverse and interesting in the subject.

There are two traditional definitions and explanations of deviance and control; that based in the normative school of thought as well as the relativistic approach. Use the labels below to explain

the normative and relativistic definition of deviance.

The normative definition of deviance

The relativistic approach

EVALUATION BOX- Use the space below to draw conclusions on the 2 above approaches.

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A collective conscience Derived by Durkheim as a way of explaining the rules and actions within society.

Based on the idea that society generally has the same moral code due to standardised methods of primary & secondary

socialisation.

According to Durkheim there are two sides to crime:

1. Positive- It helps society change and remain dynamic

2. Negative- Too much crime can lead to social disruption.

Activity 2.1 Complete the following table using information gathered in the lesson

Positive aspects of crime Negative aspects of crime

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Topic 2: Labelling Theory

Symbolic Interactionism The theory that labelling derived from.

Argues that the social world consists of symbols that have a culturally defined meaning and can change how a person acts or

behaves.

These symbols are not fixed and often change over time

This symbol changes our interaction process and our sense of self.

Activity 2.2 Deviance as a reaction

Unlike other approaches that assume that only certain people commit crimes, symbolic interactionists tell us that everyone commits crime but only some people are caught and stigmatised for it.

Using the space below; write an example of this that has been in the media within the past 5 years.

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Response and enforcement of rules

The idea that all deviant and criminal acts in society are treated the same way in society is not one that is shared by symbolic interactionists. Outline the procedure and findings of the following

studies: Study name Procedure Findings

Lemert (1972)

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

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Stan Cohen (1972)

Young (1971)

Cicourel (1976)

Liazos (1972)

EVALUATION

Gouldner (1968)

EVALUATION

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The Creation of Rules Using the space below, illustrate a Marxist, functionalist and symbolic interactionist view on why rules are created.

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=marxist+symbol&start=205&um=1&hl=en&safe=vss&sa=N&tbo=d&biw=1441&bih=678&tbm=isch&tbnid=Mmfctec0ItYqMM:&imgrefurl=http://undecidedeyepatch.tumblr.com/post/15514711316&docid=tECvi5215gRheM&imgurl=http://www.marxistbooks.com/images/P/h&mrb.jpeg&w=550&h=550&ei=FqvFUITwJMim0AWpx4HQCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=225&vpy=267&dur=29&hovh=224&hovw=224&tx=101&ty=113&sig=110096858566650752654&page=6&tbnh=145&tbnw=143&ndsp=44&ved=1t:429,r:33,s:200,i:103http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=symbolic+interactionism&start=236&um=1&hl=en&safe=vss&tbo=d&biw=1441&bih=678&tbm=isch&tbnid=s4YZmBRDZETbGM:&imgrefurl=http://ourwayit.com/CA501/&docid=Cb8VoiylSup7UM&imgurl=http://ourwayit.com/CA301/MCj02909520000[1].gif&w=136&h=176&ei=0azFUOHBNsPJ0AXe4oA4&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=114&vpy=278&dur=1233&hovh=140&hovw=108&tx=103&ty=75&sig=110096858566650752654&page=7&tbnh=132&tbnw=102&ndsp=44&ved=1t:429,r:46,s:200,i:142

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Crime, Labelling and the Media Labelling theory has contributed greatly to our understanding of how media links with crime and criminal

behaviour through the concepts of deviancy amplification and moral panics. Deviancy amplification definition Relevant studies and findings

Moral panics definition Relevant studies and findings

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Topic 4: Realist Theories of Crime Two distinct strands: Right Realism and Left Realism. Both aspire to take crime seriously but each have their own distinctive explanations for crime and how to tackle it. Right Realists favour a ‘get tough’ stance and use both biological and social explanations.

- Increased use of prison and the death sentence (USA) - ‘Short sharp shock’ approach

Left Realists on the other hand couch their explanations firmly in the inequalities created by capitalist society, but unlike their Neo-Marxist predecessors are more guarded about the possibilities of fundamental social change in the short term.

- Left Realists advocate a DUAL APPROACH: - a)practical measures to reduce crime - b) pushing for long term change to a more equal caring society which can ultimately

eliminate the root causes of crime.

Activity 2.3 Highlight the article below. Discuss its relevance to Right Realist approaches to Sociology

The Thatcher Crisis Years

1979 to 1983 – Tories, Trots and New Romantics

Short sharp shock – Thatcher’s regime for wayward youth

Posted by The Thatcher Crisis Years

Not long after the 1979 election, Home Secretary William Whitelaw had announced he was going full steam ahead on a key manifesto promise – the Short Sharp Shock.

To a euphoric Tory party conference in October 1979, the urbane and aristocratic Whitelaw told delighted delegates that detention centres for teen lawbreakers would no longer be ‘holiday camps’. This played on widely believed, media stories of young hooligans leading cosseted lives behind bars. “Life will be conducted at a swift tempo,” he assured the party.

The belief was that a regime of early wake up calls, military drill and manual labour over a three month period would shock young offenders out of a life of crime. To break even the most determined spirit, periods of recreation could be denied, silence was the general rule with only 30 minutes of chat between prisoners permitted each day.

The Short Sharp Shock regime kind of resembled the opening half of the movie Full Metal Jacket – a mindless ultra-disciplinarian series of routines that aimed to bury liberal attitudes to offender rehabilitation once and for forever. This was going to be punishment pure and simple and the duly traumatised young criminals would keep their noses clean from then on.

Curiously, prisoners at one of the four Short Sharp Shock centres, Glenochil in Scotland, were referred to as ‘trainees’. They were assessed in the mundane tasks they were ordered to perform, like cleaning the floors, and given colour coded tokens to mark out levels of achievement.

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Under the terms of Whitelaw’s 1980 Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act, any young offender banged up for less than four months at Glenochil could expect a regimented hell. Dormitories spotless by 6.45am while prison officers with peaked caps and pulled down shirtsleeves tipped over their bed mattress for any minor infraction and ordered it remade.

Marching was seen to be the idea therapy for these youngsters. Marched to breakfast, marched to their cells, marched to the work areas and then marched to their tea break. They were even forced to jog on the spot until told to stop.

Some of this simply echoed the kind of regimes that already existed in borstals but with greater intensity and over a shorter time period. But it also signaled a view in government circles that a crackdown was needed on Britain’s wayward youth, a reversal of the permissive society kicked off in the 1960s and perceived to have set in train some kind of moral decline.

But it wasn’t morals that these young primarily lacked. It was jobs in the real world. Most of those sent to the designated Short Sharp Shock centres had committed acts of theft or stolen vehicles and something like 90%, according to the Sunday Times, had no work at the time of offending.

In an unfortunate twist for the government, these kids with little by way of a future often found the regime a relief from the drudgery outside. Effectively, it took their minds off how dreadful things had become in their shattered communities.

As one youth mused.

“I can’t say whether I’ll go out and pinch again or not, but I can tell you that drilling hasn’t made any difference. It makes me better, I think. I enjoy it, it passes the time more quickly and it makes us fit. Next time, we’ll just run faster from the coppers won’t we?”

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Application of synoptic studies

Using the space below each study explain their links with the above topic.

Miller (1962)

Kelling (1982)

Murray (1990)

Merton (1938)

Becker (1963)

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Application of synoptic perspectives Using the space below, explain each perspective & their links with the above topic.

Marxism Symbolic interactionism

The New Right

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Explaining Offences In this section, we will explore why some places have a higher level of criminal activity than others. Wilkstom (1991) studied crime patterns in Stockholm and found that poorer areas and affluent areas close to or adjacent to poorer areas suffered from the highest levels of crime. He also found differences in the types of crime being committed. For example, violent crimes were more likely to occur in the poorer areas but burglary was more likely to occur in the affluent areas close by.

Cognitive Maps

Cognitive maps

Using the information on page 368, explain the above diagram. Include Brantingham (1991), Clarke (1995) and Cohen & Felson (1979) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Topic 5: Statistics & Patterns of crime This topic focuses on the way in which we measure crime. The most favoured form of information for

positivists are official statistics.

Official Statistics Use the space below to outline and evaluate official statistics including the terms quantitative data, value free, positivism, interpretivism, the dark figure of crime.

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http://www.broadband-finder.co.uk/blog/2008/08/

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Victim Surveys (the CSEW and local surveys) Use the space below to outline and evaluate victim surveys including the terms qualitative data, value laden, interpretivism, corporate crime. Outline

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___________________________________________________________ Self report studies These are surveys given to a cross-section of the public that asks them the crimes that they have

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committed. This gives us information on the individuals in society who have committed crimes but not been caught or processed by the police. However weaknesses of this method include:

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Patterns of Offending

Topic 6: Ethnicity & Crime

Property crime

Violent crime

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There are three ways for sociologists to gather statistics on ethnicity and crime:

1. Official statistics 2. Victimisation studies

3. Self-report studies

Official statistics

Per 1,000 population, higher rates of s1 Stop and Searches were recorded for all BME groups (except for Chinese or Other) than for the White group. While there were decreases across the last five years in the overall number of arrests and in arrests of White people, arrests of those in the Black and Asian group increased

Victimisation studies

The most recent data on victims showed differences in the risks of crime between ethnic groups and, for homicides, in the relationship between victims and offenders. Overall, the number of racist incidents and racially or religiously aggravated offences recorded by the police decreased over the last five years. Risks of victimisation The 2010/11 British Crime Survey (BCS) showed that the risk of being a victim of personal crime was higher for adults from a Mixed background than for other ethnic groups. It was also higher for members of all BME groups than for the White group. Over the five-year period 2006/07 to 2010/11, there was a statistically significant fall in the risk of being a victim of personal crime for members of the White group of 0.8%. The apparent decrease for those from BME groups was not statistically significant. Findings from the 2009/10 BCS interviews with children showed that a higher proportion of children in the BME group reported that they avoided travelling on buses because they were worried about their safety or avoided using a mobile phone in public all or most of the time (22% and 30% respectively) than in the White group (14% and 22% respectively).

Self-report studies

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Using the space below, explain the findings of the Bowling (1995) study on self-reports and ethnicity

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Sentencing and Punishment After arrest, those from an Afro-Caribbean background are more likely to be held and charged with a serious crime than white offenders. Asians and African-Caribbeans are more likely to be found guilty by around 18 percent.

Bowling and Phillips (2002)

Jones and Singer (2008)

Mayhew et al (1993)

https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1093&bih=514&tbm=isch&q=poverty+in+the+uk+houses&revid=595543127

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Racism in the police Use the space below to create a 500 word article on the Stephen Lawrence murder and subsequent Macpherson

Report. Use at least 3 different sources in your article.

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Theories of race and crime For each of the following approaches, state the main perspective that they link to and their theories on

ethnicity and crime Perspective

The Left-realist approach

Perspective

Perspective

Perspective

Perspective

Theorist(s)

Lea and Young (1993)

Theorist(s)

Theorist(s)

Theorist(s)

Theorist(s)

Conclusions

More arrests made of Afro-Caribbean males

due to racism within British society, not

just the police force.

The marginilisation of these groups leads to

the formation of criminal subcultures.

Conclusions

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Conclusions

Conclusions

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Conclusions

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Topic 7: Gender & Crime

The following table highlights how we are used to seeing women in the media in relation to crime; as victims.

Using the information above and the information in the lesson, to explain why women could be

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Explaining female crime

Why do women commit significantly less crime than men?

Sex- Role

Theory

Socialisation FUNCTIONALISM

Social control

Marginalisation

FEMINISM

Changing roles

LATE MODERNITY

POSTMODERNISM

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Study Focus: Jones (2008)

AIMS

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METHODS USED

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FINDINGS

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EVALUATION OF METHOD

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Explaining male crime

It is important to focus on the nature of criminality in relation to masculinity as well as femininity. An extremely important post modernist view is that of Katz (1988) in relation to the seductions of

crime.

Katz: Seductions of Crime

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Topic 8: Social Class and Crime • A variety of data show a link between social class and known offending. • For example, 41 per cent of prisoners are from social classes IV and V (19% of the general

population) against only 18 per cent of prisoners from social classes I, II or III (45% of the general population) (Walmsley et al., 1994).

• A study of persistent young offenders also found that only eight per cent were from households whose head was in non-manual employment(Hagell and Newburn, 1994).

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Topic 9: Globalisation, human rights, state & green crime

Definitions for occupational and corporate crime originate from Sutherland’s

work in the 1940s. Green or environmental crime is much more modern

concept defined as a result of our increasing impact on the environment.

Occupational crime

Corporate crime

Environmental crime

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Occupational crime Ditton and Mars have both studied theft by employees and found that in the range of industries they looked at- minor theft was regarded as a legitimate part of the job and was refined as a

‘perk’ or ‘fiddle’.

Levi (2007)

FINDINGS

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Corporate crime

Corporate crime is often seen as an invisible issue. Using the boxes below,

outline why this might be using key studies.

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Globalisation and crime

According to Giddens, globalisation is: “the intensification of worldwide social relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa”.

❖ By this, Giddens means that modern forms of

communication have made distance and national borders far less important than barriers between social groups.

❖ What happens in one society can quickly impact on other

societies - anywhere in the world.

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Environmental/green crimes

Use the space below to summarise an event that could be considered as a green crime, linking it to studies such as South (2004)

Primary environmental crimes Secondary environmental crimes

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Topic 10: Crime & the media The media is a source that can raise awareness about crime that goes on in society; the media is a source that can create moral panic in society.

Moral Panic – This is when an awareness of a large amount of crime is recognised by the public which leads to a

worried society.

The Crime Amplification Spiral Explained The media creates a distorted view of the amount of a

particular crime.

By the media raising the awareness of an amount of a

particular crime this then leads to public concern. The crime then becomes high on politicians lists.

Politicians and police take action and decide to do

something about it.

The police crackdown leads to the discovery of more

crimes.

Some people will resent being targeted and therefore go

on to commit further crimes. (Secondary Deviance) Modern examples would be bogus asylum seekers, new

age travellers and benefit cheats.

The state is then urged to respond by introducing

tougher social control.

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Media and Behaviour – The Relationships Reflection – The media does not change what we think, it reflects society. Imitation – People act and copy what they see in the media.

Cathartic Effect - Watching violence makes you less likely to behave badly because it gives you a sense of release.

Desensitisation - Seeing violence on the television makes you unfeeling. Disinhibition – Violence in the media makes it more acceptable in reality.

Sensitisation – A sense of disgust leads to improved behaviour.

Evidence of the media affecting behaviour

Bandura – The Inflatable Doll Study.

Bandura aimed to see whether what children saw in the media encouraged them to copy and imitate what they saw. He carried out an experiment with nursery school children.

Group 1: Didn’t see the adult mistreating the bobo doll Group 2: Did see the adult mistreating the bobo doll.

The children were shown an adult mistreating a bobo doll by punching and kicking it as well as hitting it with a mallet.

The group of children were then put into a room filled with lots of attractive toys which the children assumed they

could play with, the children were then told they couldn’t play with these toys and put into another room filled with unattractive toys which included an inflatable doll (bobo doll) and a mallet. As predicted the children who watched the

bobo doll being mistreated earlier on were more likely to imitate the aggression towards the doll than those children who didn’t see the mistreatment of the doll.

Panorama Video 1994

Nathan Martinez watched Natural Born Killers about ten times and he was accused of copying what he saw on the film. He killed his stepmother and had sister. Although according to the director Martinez would have been violent

anyway because he had a violent father.

Conclusion Studies have shown that the media can have an affect on people behaviour.

Some sociologists argue that some people are violent because of their upbringing not necessarily because of the

media.

Bushman: saw the media can affect people’s behaviour but it is often already aggressive people.

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Topic 11: Control, Prevention, Punishment: Victims & The CJS

1. Briefly label the following diagram with the roles of each person within a courtroom.

2. How does somebody become a barrister?

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3. Before giving evidence, what are witnesses expected to do?

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4. Does cultural capital play a role in the court system and if so, how?

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5. Is the court system fair? Based on your experience, briefly write down the strengths and weaknesses

of the court system in the UK.

Strengths Weaknesses

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Victims of Crime: Questions

1. How does the UN define victims?

2. What does Nils Christie (1986) believe about victims?

3. What is meant by ‘positivist victimology’?

4. Suggest two criticisms of positivist victimology.

5. What is meant by ‘critical victimology’?

6. Suggest two criticisms of critical victimology.

7. Suggest three reasons why the poorest social groups are most likely to be victims of crime?

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8. How does (i) age; (ii) ethnicity; (iii) gender and (iv) repeat victimisation impact on the likelihood of

people becoming victims of crime?

9. Give three examples of the impact crime can have on the victims.

10. Explain what is meant by secondary victimisation and fear of victimisation.

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Example Questions These answers have not been through the AQA approval process. 1

4 THE MEDIA Example answers 1 Outline and explain two ways in which screen violence may affect audiences. [10 marks]

STUDENT RESPONSE There are two views on the impact that violence in the media can have on its audience. Some theorists believe that violence leads to a copycat effect, thus increasing violent attributes in its audience. However, other theorists believe that this view is too simplistic and that audiences are not that passive. Bandura’s bobo-doll experiment is a classic study which shows that children will copy what they see, especially if the act is carried out by an adult or a person in a position of authority. The theory suggests that people become desensitised by violence in the media and therefore less shocked by violence in real life. The study, however, has been criticised for being rather outdated and not in line with how the media has changed in the postmodern world of media saturation. Feshbach and Singer, for example, suggest that violence in the media actually causes catharsis theory. This means that the media violence gets violent thoughts out of the viewer’s system and therefore the viewer is less likely to be violent. However, this catharsis theory does not explain why there has been a large spate of copycat violence, especially in places such as the USA where the media is so powerful.

TEACHER COMMENTS On first viewing, this answer looks pretty strong and there is good application of classic studies. However, the question asked specifically about screen violence rather than media violence in general. Can you identify how to adapt the answer to be more specific to what is being asked in relation to screen violence? Also, the final evaluative point is brief. How can it be expanded?

2 Read Item A below and answer the question that follows.

Item A Curran argues that owners of media curtail editors’ freedom of action by an implicit understanding of how owners expect the newspaper to develop. Journalists tend to be selected on the grounds that they will fit in. Conformity to the owner’s vision brings rewards in terms of good assignments, promotion and peer group esteem. Resistance, on the other hand, invites punishment. Dissident reporters who do not deliver what the owner expects suffer professional death.

Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which owners influence the content of the media. [10 marks] These answers have not been through the AQA approval process.

STUDENT RESPONSE One way in which owners influence the content of the news is through their own political viewpoints. For example, Rupert Murdoch owns many TV stations, newspapers and publishing companies under the News Corporation company. It is often suggested that his stations, such as Fox News, represent only his right wing, conservative views and anything that does not fit in with this agenda is edited. Of course, many people believe that the world of media should be open to present whatever it so wishes. Another way in which an owner can influence content is through censorship. If the owner does not agree with a television programme or article written for their media outlet then they can stop it being published or produced. Many companies are self-regulated in terms of what they put out to the public: for example the British press is ‘free’ and so there is no obligation to be impartial. Of course, many people are increasingly becoming aware of this and view certain types of media with a degree of caution.

TEACHER COMMENTS This answer is quite a common response, representative of what lots of students tend to produce, in that the answer is accurate but it has not applied or referenced the item in anyway. The question asks you to apply the item and the mark scheme is also specific in saying that the item needs to be applied. Can you identity how to reword this answer by incorporating and building on the item?

3 Read Item B below and answer the question that follows.

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Item B Research suggests that ethnic-minority audiences want to see more realistic representations of ethnic-minority people on television and less stereotyping in the news media. Asian viewers are particularly fed up with being represented as extremists and as victims of religious discrimination, while African Caribbeans are disgruntled with news media because it disproportionately focuses on Black boys as violent or as gang members. Ethnic minority groups want to see realistic media portrayals of their everyday real world and the problems they face, which are often completely unrelated to race.

Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate the view that the media portray ethnic minority groups in a stereotypical way. [20 marks]

STUDENT RESPONSE A stereotype refers to an over-simplified or narrow view of a particular group. Many sociologists believe that the media frequently stereotypes ethnic minorities into a limited set of roles and portrayals. In particular this can be linked to the interactionist ideas on the labelling theory. As mentioned in Item B, many African-Caribbeans, along with other black groups, are often represented in negative terms relating to violence or gang members. For example, it is notable that often a criminal or drug dealer in a film/ television programme is black, such as in famous TV shows such as The Wire. Van Dijk also found in his study of British newspapers that there was a frequent association between black groups and violence or negative language. However, some post-modernists believe that this portrayal of black groups is beginning to change. There are now more positive black role models shown in positions of politics, power or in leading roles. One such example has been the increasing number of black presenters on television shows and news programmes. However, the lack of black nominees at recent Oscar and film presentations would suggest the contrary to the post-modern view.

TOPIC 4 THE MEDIA 2 These answers have not been through the AQA approval process. Shah believes that all we are really seeing in the media is what is known as ‘tokenism’. This means that often a television programme will just use the odd black character in an attempt to be politically correct. This character is often not in a lead role but simply there to make up the numbers. Shah also notes that there continues to be a distinct lack of black producers, executives and directors in the profession. This is often referred to as the ‘white gaze’, that television is filmed through the eyes of the mainly white production staff. A further stereotype of black culture can be seen in rap music, particularly gangsta rap, which often focuses on lyrics about drugs, gangs and violence. This representation has caused a moral panic according to Zylinska, as it causes a public fear amongst some that this is how all black people behave and act. Former prime minister David Cameron also criticised the genre of music in the media for glamourising crime, guns and misogyny. Best and Keller, however, criticise this view and say that rap music is simply articulating the experiences that many black youths face, and that it is highlighting the oppression and racism that many individuals face. Therefore, they would say that black youths are not being stereotyped in the media but rather that they are portraying an accurate representation of the lives that they live. Another example of stereotyping can be seen in the portrayal of Africa which is frequently presented in the media as all being poor and dependent. Many programmes about Africa focus on the poorest parts of the continent and ignore the progressive, developing cities such as Cape Town and Nairobi. Pambazuka is particularly critical of the British press and its representations of Africa for often portraying the view that many of the issues in the continent are the fault of the countries themselves rather than due to exploitation of other nations. Many of these views can be linked to the interactionist ideas on labelling: Cicourel, for example, notes that the public is more likely to report a black crime and police are more likely to arrest a black person. This could be linked to the stereotypical portrayal of black groups in the media, which has led to the public having attached negative labels to these groups. For the black groups themselves, their negative media representation could lead to a selffulfilling prophecy. Despite these issues, however, it should be noted that attitudes towards issues of race have changed massively in the post-modern period. Although there is still an under-representation or misrepresentation of many black groups, the situation has certainly improved considerably. The chances of finding a leading black actor in a film, or a show centred on a black family, has become much higher in the last decade. Stereotypes amongst black groups still exist in the media but likewise these stereotypical portrayals also seem to exist for males, females, the rich, poor, Jews, disabled, etc. Stereotypical portrayals of certain groups appear to be an issue across all types of subcultures and are not just a concern in relation to ethnicity.

TEACHER COMMENTS There are some strong ideas, theories and analysis points in this essay. However the answer falls into the trap that lots of students tend to fall into when answering a question on ethnicity: the answer only really focuses on black groups. Remember, the question is asking about all ethnic minorities, so in order to gain a top band answer this needs to be explored a little more. Can you identify how to develop this answer to include stereotypes of a range of ethnic minorities and not just about black groups in the media?

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TOPIC 4 THE MEDIA

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These answers have not been through the AQA approval process.

1

1 CRIME AND DEVIANCE Example answers 1 Outline two ways in which the criminal justice system may be institutionally racist. [4 marks]

STUDENT RESPONSE Firstly, the police force may exhibit a ca