economics and crime
social structure theorists suggest that social and economic forces operating in deteriorated lower class areas push many of their residents into criminal behavior patterns
social disorganization theory
branch of social structure theory that focuses on the breakdown of institutions such as the family, school, and employment in inner-city neighborhoods
concentric zones theory
-crime is a product of transitional neighborhoods that manifest social disorganization and value conflict
-identifies why crime rates are higher in inner-city areas. always zones 1 & 2
social ecology theory
the conflicts and problems of urban social life and communities, including fear, unemployment, deterioration, and siege mentality, influence crime rates
community change
constantly evolving, residents leave, levels of wealth are constantly evolving too
poverty concentration
concentration effects occurs as a result of middle class families fleeing dilapidated neighborhoods
concentration effect
as working and middle class families flee inner-city poverty areas, the most disadvantaged population is consolidated in urban ghettos
collective efficacy
social control exerted by cohesive communities, based on mutual trust, social control may be informal, institutional, or public
strain theory
branch of social structure theory that sees crime as a function of the conflict between people's goals and the means available to obtain these
anomie theory
-people who adopt the goals of society but lack the means to attain them seek alternatives such as crime
-points out how competition for success creates conflict and crime
-suggests that social conditions, not personality, can account for crime
institutional anomie theory
-idea of the "American Dream" but people who cannot achieve it turn to alternative ways to achieve it
-material goods pervade all aspects of American life
-explains why crime rates are so high in American culture
relative deprivation theory
crime occurs when the wealthy and poor live close to one another
general strain theory
-strain has a variety of sources and causes crime in the absence of adequate coping mechanisms
cultural deviance theory
branch of social structure theory that sees strain and social organization together resulting in a unique lower class culture that conflicts with conventional social norms
focal concern theory
-citizens who obey the street rules of lower class life find themselves in conflict with the dominant culture
-identifies the core values of lower class culture and shows their association to crime
millers lower class focal concerns
trouble- getting into trouble is valued
toughness- important for males, value strength, fighting
smartness- street smarts
excitement- search for fun to liven up lives
fate- is in hands of a higher power
autonomy- being independent of authority figures
social process theory
-the view that criminality is a function of people's interactions with various organizations, institutions, and processes in society
-all people, regardless of their race,class, or gender have the potential to become delinquents or criminals
socialization
the process of human development and enculturation
social learning theories
the view that people learn to be aggressive by observing others acting aggressively to achieve some goal or being rewarded by violent acts
differential association theory
-people learn to commit crime from exposure to antisocial definitions
-explains the presence of crime in all elements of social structure
-explains why some people in high-crime areas refrain from criminality
neutralization theory
-the view that law violators learn to neutralize conventional values and attitudes, enabling them to drift back and forth between criminal and conventional behavior
social control theory
-the view that people commit crime when the forces binding them to society are weakened or broken
labeling theory
-the view that people become criminals when labeled as such and when they accept the label as a personal identity
primary deviance
is an norm violation or crime with little or no long-term influence on the violator
secondary deviance
is a norm violation or crime that comes to the attention of significant others of social control agents, who apply a negative label with long-term consequences for the violator's self-identity and social interactions
conflict theory
-tries to explain the connection between social class, crime and social control
-criminal legislation is determines by those who are in power to advance their own interests
power relations
seeks to show how the U.S. justice system is skewed
critical criminology
-spinoff of marxism
-aimed at identifying "real crimes"in U.S. society
real crimes
-racism
-sexism
-pollution
-unsafe working conditions
globalization
the process of creating a global economy through transitional markets and political and legal systems
instrumental theory
-sees criminal law and the criminal justice system as capitalists instruments for controlling the lower class
-enables the powerful to impose their morality of standards of behavior on the entire society
structural theory
based on the belief that criminal law and the criminal justice system are means of defending and preserving the capitalist system (regardless of class)
left realism
-approach that sees crime as a function of relative deprivation under capitalism and favors pragmatic, community-based crime prevention and control
-represents a compromise between conflict and traditional criminology
critical femenist theory
-approach that explains both victimization and criminality among women in terms of gender inequality, patriarchy, and the exploitation of women under capitalism
power control theory
-the view that gender differences in crime are a function of economic power and parental control
-girls are controlled more closely than boys in traditional male-dominated households and there is gender equity in contemporary egalitarian homes
peacemaking criminology
-approach that considers punitive crime control strategies to be counterproductive and favors the use of humanistic conflict resolution to prevent and control crime
restorative justice
using humanistic, non-punitive strategies to right wrongs and restore social harmony
balanced and restorative justice (BARJ)
the justice system should give equal weight to offender accountability, competency development, and community protection
developmental theory
-the view that criminality is a dynamic process influenced by social experiences as well as individual characteristics
life course theories
-theoretical views studying changes in criminal offending patterns over a person's entire life
-are there conditions or events that occur later in life that influence the way people behave, or is behavior predetermined
authority conflict theory
path to a criminal career that begins early stubborn behavior and defiance of parents
covert pathway
begins with minor underhanded behavior and progresses to fire starting and theft
overt pathway
begins with minor aggression, leads to physical fighting and eventually escalates to violent crime
age graded theory
-agree that formal and informal social controls restrict criminality and that crime begins early in life and continues over the life course
-suggests that turning points and social capital can alter the development of a criminal career
latent trait theory
-theoretical views that criminal behavior is controlled by a master trait, present at birth or soon after, that remains stable and unchanging throughout a person's life
-through the propensity to commit a crime is stable, the opportunity to commit crime f
crime and human nature
personal traits such as genetic make-up, intelligence, and body build may outweigh the importance of social variables as predictors of criminal activity
general theory of crime
a developmental theory that modifies social control theory by integrating concepts from bisocial, psychological routine activities, and rational choice theories