Which theory says that some crime is useful to society?

functionalism. Punishment reminds everyone of the shared rules.

What causes crime, according to strain theory?

a gap between society's goals and the legal means of reaching them. People who cannot succeed legally may turn to crime.

What do interactionists focus on?

how acts and people come to be labelled as deviant. Deviance is in the reaction, not the act.

What is the New Right answer to crime?

stricter social control and tougher punishment. They blame weak socialisation and soft penalties.

Which is a feminist criticism of traditional theories of crime?

they were based on studies of men, and ignored women as offenders and victims. Sociology of crime was for a long time the study of male offenders.

Sociological theories of crime · Cambridge IGCSE Sociology

In plain words

Five schools of thought look at the same burglar and see five different things: a failure of upbringing, a victim of capitalism, a person who was given a label, a man acting out masculinity, or somebody chasing a thrill. You need all five.

9 things to know

Functionalism: a certain amount of crime is normal, and even useful. Punishing offenders reminds everyone of the shared rules, and today's deviance can become tomorrow's progress. Too much crime shows that shared values have broken down.
Strain theory is a functionalist idea. Society sets goals, such as wealth, for everyone. Those who cannot reach them by legal means feel a strain, and some turn to crime.
Subculturalism: young people who are denied status form groups with their own values, in which breaking the rules earns respect.
The New Right blame crime on inadequate socialisation, weak families and punishments that are too soft. Their answer is stricter control.
Marxism: capitalism causes crime. It creates poverty for some and greed in all. The law protects the property of the ruling class, and it is enforced mainly against the working class.
Interactionism: no act is deviant in itself. It becomes deviant when others label it so. Who gets labelled depends on who has power. A label can become a master status and lead to more deviance.
Moral panic theory: the media exaggerate the threat from a group. The public becomes alarmed, the authorities crack down, and more of the group are arrested, which seems to confirm the fear.
Feminism: crime and justice reflect patriarchy. Sociology long ignored women. Crimes against women, such as domestic violence, are under-reported and were not taken seriously.
Postmodernism: in today's varied, consumer society there is no single cause of crime. People offend for individual reasons, including excitement and self-expression, and new kinds of crime appear with new technology.

Worked example

Newspapers run weeks of headlines about "teenage knife gangs". Police start stopping groups of teenagers, arrests rise, and the papers report a crime wave. Name the process and explain it.

This is a moral panic.
The media exaggerated the size of the problem and stereotyped a whole group.
Public alarm led the police to target that group, so more arrests were made.
The rise in arrests looked like proof of the original story. The reaction increased the recorded deviance.

Tips and tricks

One phrase for each: functionalism (shared values and strain), Marxism (capitalism and class), interactionism (labelling), feminism (patriarchy), postmodernism (individual choice and variety).
Each theory is criticised by the others. Marxists say that functionalists ignore power. Feminists say that all the older theories ignored women.

5 questions, about 2 minutes.

It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.

Sociological theories of 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 theory says that some crime is useful to society?
- Marxism
- feminism
- functionalism (the answer)
- interactionism
Punishment reminds everyone of the shared rules.
What causes crime, according to strain theory?
- labelling by the police
- a gap between society's goals and the legal means of reaching them (the answer)
- patriarchy
- the media
People who cannot succeed legally may turn to crime.
What do interactionists focus on?
- how acts and people come to be labelled as deviant (the answer)
- the amount of money in society
- the number of police officers
- the biology of offenders
Deviance is in the reaction, not the act.
What is the New Right answer to crime?
- abolishing prisons
- ending capitalism
- ignoring minor offences
- stricter social control and tougher punishment (the answer)
They blame weak socialisation and soft penalties.
Which is a feminist criticism of traditional theories of crime?Stretch
- they paid too much attention to women
- they ignored social class
- they were based on studies of men, and ignored women as offenders and victims (the answer)
- they were too critical of patriarchy
Sociology of crime was for a long time the study of male offenders.

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.

Sociological theories of crime

Cambridge IGCSE Sociology 0495 · 10 marks · papermunch.org

Name ______________________________ Date ______________

What is meant by the term "moral panic"?[2]
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An exaggerated public reaction, created by the media, to a group or behaviour that is seen as a threat to society.
I got this one
Describe the Marxist view of crime.[4]
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Marxists argue that capitalism causes crime, by creating poverty and encouraging greed. The law is made by the ruling class to protect its property. It is enforced mainly against the working class, while the crimes of the powerful go largely unpunished.
I got this one
Explain how labelling can lead to further deviance.[4]
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A person who is caught is labelled as deviant or criminal. The label becomes a master status, so others treat them only as a criminal. They are shut out of jobs and normal society. They may accept the label and turn to further crime: a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I got this one

Answers: Sociological theories of crime

1. An exaggerated public reaction, created by the media, to a group or behaviour that is seen as a threat to society.
2. Marxists argue that capitalism causes crime, by creating poverty and encouraging greed. The law is made by the ruling class to protect its property. It is enforced mainly against the working class, while the crimes of the powerful go largely unpunished.
3. A person who is caught is labelled as deviant or criminal. The label becomes a master status, so others treat them only as a criminal. They are shut out of jobs and normal society. They may accept the label and turn to further crime: a self-fulfilling prophecy.