Social class and crime Cambridge IGCSE Sociology revision
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In plain words
Most people in the world's prisons were poor before they got there. That could mean that the poor commit more crime. It could also mean that the crimes of the rich are harder to see, harder to prove and less likely to end in a cell.
9 things to know
- The pattern: in official statistics, people from working-class and poor backgrounds are more likely to be convicted and imprisoned. Poor areas have more recorded crime, and their residents are more often victims.
- Social exclusion: people who are shut out of the normal life of society, without work, decent housing or prospects, have less reason to keep its rules.
- Material deprivation is the lack of basic resources, which can push people to steal. Relative deprivation is the feeling of having less than others, which matters in a society that advertises wealth to everyone.
- Inadequate socialisation: the New Right argue that some families fail to teach their children society's norms.
- Lack of opportunity: society tells everyone to aim for success, but not everyone has the legal means to reach it. Some turn to crime as another route.
- Status frustration: those denied status by school and work look for it in other ways.
- Power inequalities: Marxists argue that the law is made by the powerful, to protect their property. White-collar and corporate crime does great harm, yet it is less often detected, prosecuted or punished with prison.
- Police targeting, and stop and search: the police patrol poor areas more heavily, so more working-class crime is found.
- Evaluation. Most poor people do not commit crime, so poverty cannot be the whole explanation. Crime exists in every class. The statistics show who gets caught.
Worked example
A shoplifter who steals food worth $50 is sent to prison. A company that hides a safety fault, causing many injuries, pays a fine. How would a Marxist explain the difference?
- The law treats crimes against property harshly, because it was written to protect those who own property.
- The company can afford lawyers and can pay a fine without anyone going to prison.
- The police and courts concentrate on working-class crime, which is visible and easy to prove.
- Power inequalities mean that the more harmful act receives the lighter punishment.
Tips and tricks
- Material deprivation is having too little. Relative deprivation is having less than others. The second explains crime in wealthy societies.
- Always raise white-collar and corporate crime when discussing class. It is the best evidence that the statistics are one-sided.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
Social class and crime: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
Which group is most likely to be convicted and imprisoned, according to official statistics?
The figures show who is caught and punished.
What is material deprivation?
It can push people into theft.
Who makes the law, according to Marxists?
This is the idea of power inequalities.
Why is corporate crime rarely punished with prison?
Power and money protect offenders.
Most poor people never commit a crime. What does this tell us about deprivation as an explanation?Stretch
An explanation that fits only some of the poor is incomplete.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
3 questions, 10 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
Social class and crime
Cambridge IGCSE Sociology 0495 · 10 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
What is meant by the term "social exclusion"?[2]
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Being shut out from the opportunities and activities that most people in society take for granted, such as work and decent housing.
Explain two reasons why working-class people may be more likely to commit crime.[4]
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Any two, each explained: material deprivation may push people to steal what they need; relative deprivation creates resentment at having less than others; lack of legitimate opportunity blocks legal routes to success; status frustration leads people to seek status through deviance.
Explain why white-collar and corporate crime is under-represented in official statistics.[4]
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These crimes are hard to detect, because they take place in offices and are complex. Victims often do not know that they have been harmed. Companies deal with them privately to protect their reputation. The offenders can afford good lawyers and are less likely to be prosecuted or imprisoned.
Answers: Social class and crime
- 1. Being shut out from the opportunities and activities that most people in society take for granted, such as work and decent housing.
- 2. Any two, each explained: material deprivation may push people to steal what they need; relative deprivation creates resentment at having less than others; lack of legitimate opportunity blocks legal routes to success; status frustration leads people to seek status through deviance.
- 3. These crimes are hard to detect, because they take place in offices and are complex. Victims often do not know that they have been harmed. Companies deal with them privately to protect their reputation. The offenders can afford good lawyers and are less likely to be prosecuted or imprisoned.