Sociology Theories

Bentham and Beckorea

Laid the foundation for classical criminology.
The criminal justice system was based on faulty ideas of why people commit crime and what we should do to them.
They argue for a level playing field

William Sheldon

Theory of Juvenile Delinquency.
Athletic young men predisposed to violence and crime.
Hyper-Masculinity led to deviance

XXY Theory

That there is a link between genetics and social traits

Social Structural Theories

Deviance caused by sickness or deficiency, Social Disorganization, Strain/Anomie Theory, Routine Activities

Deviance caused by sickness or deficiency

Focus on how social structures contribute to deviant behavior (Social Structural)

Social Disorganization

Based off Park & Burgess's 3 concentric zones of urban development
1. Control zone: Commerce, business and corps
2. Transitional zone: poor. immigrants, crime
3. Working class, residential
Transitional is the most crime 2 reasons:
1. Higher degree of soci

Routine Activites

Reflects some aspects of social disorganization but is based off of 3 factors:
1. Motivated offender
2. Suitable Target
3. Lack of Capable Guardians
Limited to predatory crimes
Focuses on lack of external social controls

Anomie/Strain Theory

Emile Durkheim:
Anomie social condition of normalessness
Time when individuals lose moral bearings
Merton built off this:
Every society has cultural goals, and deviant behavior is just the lack of social guidance

Differential Association theory

Created by Edward Sutherland, learning is behind all behavior, law abiding and breaking. Importance of face to face encounter, we need to learn motives, techniques and rationalization for behaviors. Most likely to imitate behaviors of those we respect

Socialization Theories

Differential and Social Learning Theories, Answers the questions not yet answers by Structural Theories.

Social Learning Theory

Deviance is learned from social interactions.

Social Control Theories include

Social Control Theory, Self Control Theory,

Social Control Theory

Argues that humans by are nature are antisocial impulsive centered
People commit crimes because it is in their nature
Deviance is attractive to all because deviance is a lack of social control.

Self Control Theory

General theory of crime"
The common element in crime, deviance and sin is low self-control
Bad parenting is the reasoning for low self control

What is the difference between Contemporary strain theorists and contemporary anomie theorists?

Comptemporary strain theorists typically focus on stressors that lead some people to engage in crime, whereas contemporary anomie theorists typically focus on how cultural goals may lead some people to engage in crime.

What makes an individual less likely to conform and more likely to engage in deviant acts?

Those who have low control hanging over them such as people sanctioning them that certain behaviors are bad are less likely to conform and more likely to engage in deviant acts.

What is the term that Frank Tanenbaum discuses about the process of labeling and how the audience plays a role?

Dramatization of Evil

Contructionist/interactionist theories

Look at behaviors. beliefs and traits and their conceptualization
This includes:
Functionalism, Labeling theory, Conflict Theory, Feminist Theory and Contrology

Functionalism

2 arguments
1. There are certain behaviors that harm society and its members, therefore they are prohibited
2. Some condemned behaviors are beneficial because they protect social norms and values
Participating in the activities that are viewed as bad make

Labeling Theory

Community labeling and escalation of deviance: sending the boys to reform school actually increased their deviance, since the community had already labeled them as deviant, they themselves now believed and acted as a deviant
Primary deviance: freaky stuff

Conflict Theory

Groups within society have competing norms and values
-These groups struggle with one another
-There is an advantage to those in power for the disadvantaged to believe social stratification is useful
Reject 2 beliefs:
1. Law is a reflection of the social

Feminist Theory

Women experience subordination on basis of sex
Feminism is true equality between men and women
Patriarchal societies keep women subordinate to men

Contrology

Four main points:
1. Social control is problematic shouldn't be taken for granted
2. Social control is typically coercive, oppressive and far from kind
3. Social control goes hand in hand with state or state like control, mass media shapes how we view dev

How does the criminological theory explain why men and women commit crimes?

Women have a need to succeed in marriage and sexual realms of society and men have a need to succeed in occupation and financial realms of society

Transcarceration

Interlocking state agencies to control deviant societies

Panopticon

Jeremy Betham. Small # of guards and a large number of inmates. This is the modern prison

Practice list question

4 main points of contrology

Practice Mertons Typologies of Deviance

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Practice the concentric zones

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How are the social learning and differential association theories different from one another?

Social learning is different FROM DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION BECAUSE THE NEW THEORY INCLUDED PSYCHOLOGICAL REINFORCMENT THEORY AND FELT THAT SUTHERLANDS DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION THEORY WAS UNDERDEVELOPED. EXAM!!!!!!!!