Transcript The Social Construction of Crime (PPT)

Crime & Deviance
G673: A2 Sociology: Power & Control
Learning Objectives
Compare differences between A2 and AS expectations
 Define the concepts: Crime, Deviance and
Delinquency.
 Outline and evaluate the view that crime and deviance
are socially constructed by:
1. Identifying different interpretations of
crime/deviance
2. Providing examples of how crime and deviance
are culturally and historically relative
3. Summarising the biological construction
argument

A2 vs. AS
G673
 Exam answers are unstructured
 There is a choice of questions (for G673, you choose 2
out of 3 possible questions).
 Synoptic Links are encouraged
 Evaluation and Analysis are even more vital – and can
be the difference between success and failure.
 Overall, you are expected to write in depth and
demonstrate a detailed understanding of theories and
concepts.
How you are marked:
Assessment Objective (AO)...
How to Meet it...
AO1. Knowledge and Understanding
(use of studies, theories, concepts and
examples)
•_______ argued...
•A study by _______ explored...
•A useful example is __________....
•The concept of ______....
AO2. Interpretation and Application
(how well you interpret knowledge and
apply it to the question asked)
•This means...
•Therefore...
•This shows...
•In relation to...
AO3. Evaluation and Analysis
(judgements, criticisms, appraisals and
assessments of knowledge)
•However...
•This was criticised by ________...
•On the other hand...
•A different view is offered by ______...
Unit Content
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The Social Construction of Crime/Deviance
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Sociological perspectives on crime and deviance
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Patterns of Crime by: Gender, Age, Ethnicity, Class,
Geographical Location
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Victimology
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Solutions to the Crime Problem
Discuss
Who here has broken the law?
Disclose your crimes to the class.
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Initial Task: Discuss (Pairs/small groups)
What was the real reason for the UK riots in August
2011? Are some individuals just born bad, or were
underlying social problems to blame?
Present a balanced argument...
Individually - DEFINE
 Crime
 Deviance
 Delinquency
Ext: - Provide at least two examples for each...
Clinard & Meier (2001): Ways of Defining
of Deviance.
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Statistical – Deviance is behaviour that is different from the
‘average’ (e.g. What most people do is ‘normal’)
Absolutist – Deviance is behaviour that contradicts the
agreed values of a society
Reactivist – Deviance is a label applied to some acts and
some people; labels are only applied when society demands
them, so deviance only exists when there is a societal reaction.
Normative – Deviance is behaviour which
contradicts social norms.
Different Forms of Deviance
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Societal – most people agree the behaviour is deviant
(e.g. armed robbery)
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Situational – the behaviour is deviant in the context of a
certain social situation (e.g. using mobile phone in class)
+ Your own examples
Forms of Deviance
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Concealed - hidden away from public view (e.g. a serial
killer)
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Public/Collective - deviance is a collective experience,
conforming to norms of outsider group (e.g. New Age
Travellers).
+ Your own examples
Definitions of Crime
“Any activity that breaches the law of the society in which it
takes place...”
Discuss:
What activities are considered deviant but not
criminal?
Are there any ‘crimes’ which are not deviant (e.g.
Are seen as normal?)
Definitions of Crime

In theory, all crime should be deviant, as the laws of a
society should reflect its norms and values...

...However, there may be exceptions. For example, it
could be argued that speeding is a norm (therefore it is
criminal, but not deviant).
Discuss

If you found cash on the street, at what point
would you feel it necessary to hand it in to the
police? 5p? £5? £50? £500? Would you hand it in at
all? Would it make any difference if it was in a
wallet or a purse?
Hagan (1994) – Factors that affect the
way crime & deviance are perceived
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Social Agreement – if the public are divided on how much
a law benefits society, it may be weakly enforced (e.g. Animal
rights law)
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Social Response – The way in which people respond to a
crime will affect the severity of its sanctions (e.g. Drug use)
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Social Harm – The severity of an act is often determined
by how much ‘harm’ it is perceived to have caused.
‘Victimless’ crimes may be weakly enforced...
Discuss (Small Groups)

What do you think are the five most serious crimes and
why? (Rank in order)
How does your list fit in with Hagan’s three factors
E.g. : Does enforcing these crimes benefit society?
Is public reaction against these crimes strong?
Do the crimes cause obvious harm to people?
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Defining Crime & Deviance
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In groups, study the following images.
Decide which ones are acts of crime and/or deviance and
why.
Do you think society as a whole would agree with you?
To what extent does it depend on where, why and
when each act was committed in deciding whether or
not it is criminal/deviant?
Crime & Deviance
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So, deviance has so many definitions, types and
interpretations…
…and there are many factors impact our view of what
crime is and perceptions of how/when crime is serious.
This supports the view that crime and deviance are
socially constructed: Because we can apply so many
different interpretations/meanings.
Crime & Deviance
Crime and deviance can be viewed as culturally and
historically relative.
Whether an act is judged criminal or deviant depends on
the country in which it takes place and the point in time
in which it occurs.
In Pairs...
Provide three examples of things that are:
 Legal in the UK, but used to be illegal.
 Illegal in the UK, but used to be legal.
 Illegal in the UK, but legal elsewhere.
 Legal in the UK, but illegal elsewhere.
Ext: - Three things that are considered illegal and/or
immoral in almost every society.
5 mins:Then feedback...
T.A.R.D.I.S
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What do the initials stand for?
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We say that Crime is relative to time and space
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This suggests that crime
is therefore socially
constructed.
The Social Construction of Deviance
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To be socially constructed is to be created or interpreted
as a result of the culture and/or structure of your society.
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Crime & Deviance are social constructs. Something is not
deviant until society defines it to be so. And what a society
defines as deviant will be based on its own particular culture,
values etc.
Which is why what is considered deviant is different in
different societies and cultures and at different times.
Activity (Pairs)
Explain how the following may vary over time and
space:
Drinking alcohol
Being an unmarried mother
Homosexuality
Nudity
Body piercing
Speaking in Tongues
5 mins:Then feedback
Social Construction: Why?
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If something is not socially constructed, it may be biologically
constructed.
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If crime is biologically constructed, it must be ‘built in’: We would all
be born knowing what is right and wrong, or ‘good’ and ‘evil’.
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If this was the case, why would different societies – and at
different times – disagree about what is right and wrong?
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The social construction argument says that crime is relative
and subjective; different societies develop their own social
norms and values and this is where our ideas about right
and wrong develop...
However...
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There are issues with the social construction argument,
because there are some things that nearly everyone
recognises as wrong, regardless as norms and values.

For example, surely the treatment of the Jews by
the Nazis is not relative and subjective...
The Biological Argument: Who is Criminal?
Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909)
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Cesare Lombroso claimed to be able to use biological
features to identify criminals.
His work is now discredited – but still
recognised as an important
contribution to criminology, as it was the first attempt to
apply scientific principles to the
study of crime.
Biological Evidence...?
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There is some more concrete evidence for the biological
construction argument e.g....
Brain/hormonal differences of psychopaths
Studies supporting that female crime is exacerbated by
PMT!
However, sociologists generally
dispute or ignore the wider argument...
Social Constructionism: Case Study
Smoking (Troyer & Markle; 1983)
1800s: Smoking condemned; linked to other
‘undesirable’ activities e.g. prostitution, immigration...
Post-WW1: Smoking desirable (possibly due to smoking
among soldiers)...becomes symbolic of style and status for
some...
1960s +: Smoking increasingly condemned as science
makes links to deadly illnesses...
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As norms change, legislation changes with them –
and thus so does deviance
Further Evaluation of the S.C. argument
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Some claim that the social constructionist argument
makes us ignore the crime problem.
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It implies we can eradicate crime and deviance just by
changing the definitions:
But does this make for a better society?
Exam Advice

It is likely that you will get a question on the social
construction of crime/deviance.
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You need to be able to describe why and how
sociologists believe crime is socially constructed (and
briefly identity flaws in this view and/or alternative views).
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You also need to be able to describe the roles of the
mass media and the criminal justice system (inc.
police, courts etc) in the social construction of crime. We
will deal with these aspects later in the unit.
Discuss
“The Popular Garden Annual (1929) advises that, to
obtain a graceful decorative border, a few plants of
the Hemp (Cannabis) might be included, for the
sake of the tall, leafy stems”
How does this quotation illustrate the idea
that crime and deviance are historically and
culturally relative?
Homework
Criminals are not born, they are made.
Write 1000 words (blog/written submission) evaluating this
statement.
Due:TTNW
Perspectives Recap/Research:
In pairs, note down everything you can recall of your learning
so far regarding (You may need to consult moodle!):
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FUNCTIONALISM
MARXISM
FEMINISM
POSTMODERNISM
INTERACTIONISM
Ext: - Based on the above, what would you predict each
might say regarding Crime & Deviance
(10 mins: Then Feedback)