SOCIOL 1A06 Quiz: socio Quiz 6 Notes
29 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Deviance and Crime 19:27
Conceptions of Crime and Deviance
Crime and Deviance as Norm-violating behaviour
Norms – generally accepted ways of doing things
Most important norms are written laws
Deviance – breaking a norm
Crime – breaking a law
Laws are enforced by the criminal justice system – police, courts, prisons,
etc.
Hagan – conception of seriousness to identify different kinds of deviance
Consensus crime – acts that are felt to be very harmful and wrong
harshest criminal sanctions are reserved (mala in se) – crimes
that are evil in themselves
oE.g. – homicide, violent assault with weapon, sexual assault,
armed robbery, kidnapping, theft
Conflict crime – not that they involve acts of interpersonal
violence/aggression, but members of the community disagree over whether
the behaviours in question are harmful, wrong, or deserving of severe
criminal sanction (mala prohibita) – crimes wrong by definition
Euthanasia, gambling, prostitution, drug use, public drunkenness
Social diversion – term for minority heterosexual and same-sex activities
Social stigma – a damaged reputation or status
E.g. – mental illness, gay or lesbian, obesity, drug addiction,
attempted suicide
Particular clothing or hairstyles or musical choices are interpreted as signs
of putative deviant or criminal behaviour
The more serious the form of deviance, the less likely it is to occur
Hagan’s typology – subject to change
Various categories vary over time
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Crime and Deviance as Labels and Social Constructs
Labelling Theory
Belief that publicly recognizing somebody as criminal or deviant is an
important cause in itself of criminal or deviant behaviour
Crime and deviance may be universal, but there are no universal forms of
crime and deviance
The legality of a drug is determined as much by the status of its users as
by the amount of harm done by the drug
The lower the status of the user, the more likely the drug will be
criminalized (e.g. – cocaine)
Social Constructionism
Very similar to labelling approach, but differ in that social constructionism
is broadly concerned with the genesis of all social problems – climate
change, health risks, car accidents… labelling theory applies specifically to
crime and deviance
Both theories in contrast with ‘objectivist approach’ to crime and deviance
Objectivists focus on the behaviour itself
Labelling and social-constructionist theorists argue that crime and
deviance become problematic because some people (powerful people)
define them as such
Crime in the News
White-collar crime – crime conducted by high-status individuals in the
course of their occupation or profession
Steve Chibnall – number of informal criteria that are regularly used by
journalists to select stories
Visible and spectacular incidents with political and sexual
connotations rank highest
Recidivism – repeat offending, particularly following punishment or
rehabilitation
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Counting Crime and Deviance: Numbers and Meanings
Official Statistics
No more than 10% of crime is discovered by the police in the course of
their own patrols or investigations
Dark figure of crime – the number of crime incidents that remain
unknown to the police
Crime rates are higher when young people, males in particular, represent
a large proportion of the population and lower when their numbers are
fewer, as they are presently
Regional Variations in Crime rates
Provinces and cities in the Western part of the country have higher crime
rates then those in the East
Tim Hartnagel – suggests Western Canada encourages a ‘frontier
mentality’ favouring individualism, independence, and risk-taking
More migrants than any part of the country
Migration loosens the social controls that prevent law-violating
behaviour
Homicide Rates
Canadian homicide rates have been decreasing; lowest since 1966
Homicide rates are higher in the West and north
Homicide victims in Toronto have become younger over time, increasingly
male rather than female, and black rather than white; residents of
particularly disadvantaged neighborhoods
People we know as family members or acquaintances are a greater threat
to our safety than strangers are
Acquaintances kill about 1/3 of homicide victims; families kill
another 1/3
oCommon-law spouses
oWomen are four times more likely to be victims of intimate
partner homicide than men; greater risk from violent
attentions of former spouses
oWomen who kill are likely to kill children
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Norms generally accepted ways of doing things. Laws are enforced by the criminal justice system police, courts, prisons, etc. Hagan conception of seriousness to identify different kinds of deviance. Consensus crime acts that are felt to be very harmful and wrong. Harshest criminal sanctions are reserved (mala in se) crimes that are evil in themselves: e. g. Homicide, violent assault with weapon, sexual assault, armed robbery, kidnapping, theft. Conflict crime not that they involve acts of interpersonal violence/aggression, but members of the community disagree over whether the behaviours in question are harmful, wrong, or deserving of severe criminal sanction (mala prohibita) crimes wrong by definition. Social diversion term for minority heterosexual and same-sex activities. Social stigma a damaged reputation or status. Mental illness, gay or lesbian, obesity, drug addiction, attempted suicide. Particular clothing or hairstyles or musical choices are interpreted as signs of putative deviant or criminal behaviour.
