Explaining Crime - Classical Sociology

Brightspace Pulse

Mid-term (October 10th)

Organize the theories, where does it sit in the categories, identify how they explain crime,
examples of how that influenced or impact on our system today
• Multiple choice
• T/F
• Matching

Sociological Theories
• Social pathology was responsible for crime NOT biological or psychological pathology
• No longer the level of analysis changes dramatically (society)
• Society is the problem and is responsible for crime and criminality

Durkheim (fathers of sociology)

• Crime is essentially a social phenomenon and criminality is a product of a specific kind of
social order or lack of
• The way the society was organized
• Group goals
• Consensus based theories
• A society without social integration - social strain
⁃ Anomie which leads to a breakdown in society and increases suicide and crime
⁃ Some crime was functional but beyond a certain point it would be dysfunctional
⁃ Suicide rates was based on not what was going on with the individual but the level of social
integration, people who had a weak link with society were more likely to commit suicide
rather than those who have strong social interactions which causes social strain
⁃ Without collective and shared norms and values, having a collective conscience helped to
integrate us

Social Disorganization Theory

Neighbourhood ecological characteristics
Park and Burges - Social ecology (Chicago School)
• Crime geographically patterned in the zone of transition
• Social organization as a theory
• Concerned about the rapid social change and rapid population growth (urban neighbourhoods)
looked at the characteristics of neighbourhoods was related to crime (looking at areas that
would be considered to be a ghetto, high unemployment rates, deteriorating housing, low
school rates, high school drop out rates, low levels of income, poverty, large number of single
parent households, ethnic and racial diversity)

Shaw and McKay - Social Disorganization

• Social controls broken
• Neighbourhood structure was important, looked at the cultural side, social ties are important
for a collective (traditional slum areas)
• Social controls are no longer operating they way they were which explains why people are not
tied to the values and norms of their parents
• Neighbourhood characteristics

Social not individual explains crime

Social disorganization was responsible for crime NOT biological or psychological pathology
Strain Theories
Consensus Based
• Social structure and social learning influence the attitudes and behaviour of the individual
• Examine social pathology rather than individual pathology
• Something is wrong with society

Social structure theories

• Social strain goals vs means
• Some people have structural obstacles and not that same means to achieve goals
• Really important component
• Having power and having economic or financial success
• Some people have access to power and some do not (the essence of the strain theory)

Robert Merton’s Anomie

Applied Durkhiems thinking about people having common goals and values
They are culturally prescribed goals
People who have cultural strains are more likely to commit crime
Trying to explain lower class crime
Integrated society maintains balance between
1. Culturally defined and approved societal goals
2. Institutionalized approved social means (social structure of attaining these goals)

Merton’s Paradigm of Deviant Behaviour

Goal Means Definition

Conformity + + Do what your supposed

to do within this context
of expectation

Innovation + — Most common, have the

same goals but they do
not have the means
If you don’t have the
means you will steal

Ritualism — + Does not think they will

reach the goals, given
up
They continue to follow
the institutional means
 Retreatism — — Does not think the goals
are attainable or
important
Do not have the
legitimate means
Societal drop outs
(homeless people)

Rebellion + + Have goals but they are

different than the
culturally prescribed
goals
Do their own thing

Status Frustration (Sub-Cultural theory)

Albert Cohen (1955)
• Modified Merton’s theory
• Looked at delinquency among lower class youth
• Lack of access/legitimate means for lower class youth to gain social status and acceptance in
conventional society - produces strains - delinquency
• Going to compete with their middle class peers in order to attain middle class goals and values

Education Act Ontario

In 2005 legislation “requires students to keep learning in a classroom, co-op, workplace or
training program until they are 18 years of age” to ensure that they stay on the legitimate
institutionalized path

New versions of strain theory (1980s - 1990s)

Steven Messner and Richard Rosenfeld: Institutional strain theory (1994) (MACRO)
• Economic goals became priority
• Money concerns dominate and weakens the informal social control of institutions
• About structure

Robert Agnew: General Strain Theory (1985) (MICRO)

• Crime and delinquency is a coping mechanism of stress
• Emotional and psychological strain
• Reason for strain: inability to achieve the culturally prescribed goals

Elements of General Strain Theory

Sources of strain Negative affective Antisocial Behaviour
states

Failure to achieve + value Anger Drug abuse

goals
Disjunction of expectations Frustration Delinquency
and achievements

Removal of positive stimuli Disappointment Violence

Presentation of negative Depression Dropping out

stimuli

Fear Anti-social behaviour

Structural Explanation
• Poverty
• Transient population
• Lack of education
• Lack of legitimate activities (e.g. recreation)
• Heterogeneous community (different cultures/different values)

Social Structure policy (solution)

• Education/training programs
• Priority neighbourhoods (more attention in those areas)
• Community development
• Community recreation programs
• Bullying interventions programs
• Gang prevention programs

Sociological Theories: Emphasis on Social Process

Social Learning Theories
• Sutherland - Differential Association Theory
Labelling Theory (Interactionist Perspective)
• Lemert - Primary/secondary Deviance
• Becker - Moral Enterprise
Social Control Theories
• Hirschi - Social Bonds and Self Control

Social Process Theories

Social Process: interaction between individuals and society
All people have the potential to become delinquent or criminal
Social interactions with family, school, workplace
Wasn’t just the lower class - could be everyone
Crime is a process
Resulting from interactions with others

Social Process Theories (Interactions)

Social learning theories
Differential association theory
Labelling theory

Social Learning theories

Edwin Sutherland (1939) Differential association theory
• Crime is a function of a learning process
• Criminal behaviour is learned through social interactions
• People learn criminal attitudes and techniques (internet) from close and trusted relatives and
companies
• Definitions FOR crime outweigh definitions AGAINST crime
• If you hear people say doing criminal things is fine and is encouraging them, combined with
the attitudes you are more likely to commit crimes

Labelling Theory (Interactionist Perspective)

Challenge notion of social consensus
• Reality is produced through social construction
• Importance of power relations in a given society - who does the labelling?
• Most interested in the reaction that occurs with your interaction with people

Lemert - Primary/Secondary Deviance

• Primary Deviance: initial act of deviance
• Secondary Deviance: internalizes negative label and assumes the role of the deviant

Labelling theories
• Two affects of labelling
⁃ Creation of stigma “You are a delinquent”
⁃ Effect of self image “I am delinquent”
• Edwin Lemert Primary/secondary deviance
Roward Becker Moral enterprise