This essay is going to discuss the causes of crime and evaluate the theories of criminalisation using one theory for each of the following themes. The themes are labelling and deviant identity of criminalisation, theory of delinquency and criminalisation, theory of political economy and criminalisation, and finally radical theory of criminalisation. This essay will also show some of the weaknesses of each of the theories used for these themes.
The first theme is labelling and deviant identity theory of criminalisation, one of the main contributors to this theory was Howard Becker who in 1963 wrote the book “Outsiders” which provided the foundations of labelling theory. Becker looked at how social groups created deviance by creating the
…show more content…
Sykes and Matza state that there is five contributory factors to the rationalisation process these are “ denial of responsibility, denial of injury, denial of the victim, condemnation of the condemners, and appeal to the higher loyalties.” Denial of responsibility is when a delinquent will blame another group for his criminal act such as his parents did not give them a good upbringing or his school let him down, they look at themselves as the victim. Denial of injury is when they rationalise there action because nobody was hurt, for example vandalism or shoplifting from a large store chain who they believe can afford the lose. Denial of the victim is when they state that the victim deserved it. Condemnation of the condemners they blame the other group for there actions and try to deflect responsibility and appeal to higher loyalties they are fighting for the ethical good. Chambliss and Snider state that capitalism is the main contributor to delinquency as we strive to achieve personal wealth and gain an individual who does not achieve this feel justified in delinquent behaviour.
Theory of political economy and criminalisation this looks at how capitalism can shape delinquent and deviant behaviour. Chambliss argues :
“The heart of the capitalist economic system is the protection of private property, which is, by definition, the cornerstone upon which capitalist economies function. It is not surprising, then to find that criminal law reflects this basic
As societies expanded due to the economic demands posed by the Industrial Revolution, Durkheim said that the moral ties which bounded society together were weakened. Therefore, as society became more complex, a mechanism was engineered to effectively regulate these relationships and the result was the legal system[5]. The codification of moral behaviour, through laws, created guide-lines for large-scale societies. The foundation of these boundaries is in effect a function of crime and deviance, because without crime and deviance, on what basis would these laws be drafted upon?
This particular work will consist of a critical theoretical review and a comparative analysis on two criminological theories. For the comparison I have chosen Marx’s theory of crime and Merton’s strain theory of deviance. My critical comparison analysis will emphasise the central concepts and arguments within both theories and how each theory explains crime. The analysis will then explore modern day studies in which have stemmed from these theories as well as explore the many similarities and differences between these two theories. Exploring the strengths and weaknesses in both approaches and concluding that although both theories are
All struggles for power is political, thus there is an ineluctable political dimension to debates over the definition of crime (Dantzker and Hunter, 2006:7). Serious social harms are ignored by the traditional definition of crime because it benefits the political and economic agenda of a certain group of people. The sociologist Edwin Sutherland argued that the justice system is systematically biased towards people of higher classes, their class power allows them to influence the implementation and administration of the law (Maguire & Radosh 1996 pg 87). For example, large cooperation’s can influence politics, through lobbying, they use their economic power to buy into the government enabling them to influence government policies. Therefore the “law cannot be fully trusted”, (Yar, 2012: 52, because it disproportionately targets blue collar crime over that of white collar. This is because people who make the law have a vested interest. So, a positive attribute of social harms is that it challenges structures of power, such as government, and works outside the framework of “law”, the study of harm, is likely to “implicate states” (Dorling
According to Rachel Boba, “Crime analysis is a law enforcement function that involves systematic analysis for identifying and analyzing patterns and trends in crime and disorder” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime analysis).The information on these patterns can assist law enforcement agencies in the deployment of resources in a more effective manner; it can also help detectives to identify and catch suspects. Crime analysis also plays a role in improvising solutions to crime problems, and developing crime prevention strategies. There are various types of technology that is used in crime analysis. Crime analysis relies heavily on computer technology, and over the past fifteen years there has been a significant improvement in computer hardware and
Seymour M. Lipset2 contends that negative traits that plague the American landscape, such as “high crime and economic inequality”, are fundamental characteristics of and are inherently linked to a capitalistic and openly admirable democratic society. Not only does American history reside in the nature for “disdain of authority”, but current American norms signal that everyone must elevate their own status and rise above the ranks, both economically and socially. In analyzing the trends of high crime, acts such as theft, narcotics production and distribution, fraud, etc. are a means to
Assess the view that crime and deviance are the products of the labelling process (21 marks)
People have a tendency of ascribing external stimuli as reasons for actions and behaviour of man. If a person becomes a criminal, we look for reasons in his background and social setting. However, it is not always necessary that a poor person will take to crime to alleviate his misery.
Classical Criminology The classical school of criminology was around in the eighteenth century. It came abount in a time when the previous dominent spiritual look at defining crime and criminal behaviour was being challenged by a newer naturalistic approach of the social contract theorists. The classical school was the established ideas of monarchs, fedual lords and the fathers of the church.
Crime in the light of critical criminology is an obvious outcome of disparities established in a system. Capitalist economic policies result in economic misery among powerless class in society and certain conditions are created in which adapting the criminal behaviors become the only possible survival strategy. Critical criminology follows the Marxist approach in stating that criminal laws are based on the interests of
This paper will describe my understanding of the text and of the lectures provided in the class. Unlike most classes, where I understood only my view of the text, this class was geared so each student would understand each other’s view. 3 An organization is a collective that has some boundary and internal structure that engages in activities related to some complex set of goals. Members of organizations attempt to meet their psychological, ego and emotional needs within the organization. Criminal justice organizations are particularly unique compared to other public or private sector organizations because of the governmental granted authority. Management within these organizations can be defined as the process by
Public criminology takes information, research and education to the next level, as discovered through this essay. It doesn’t just include lab work, research and discoveries, it involves community based teaching in a way that the public can be informed and educated through upfront communication. Throughout this essay, the broad definition of public criminology will be discussed as well as its relevance to society. As with anything, there are challenges and promises that accompany public criminology and those will be stated in this essay. Examples will be given to help you learn the different concepts of public criminology and how it relates to our modern society. Given as a starting point, according to
Tonya it is believed that society influences a person to become criminal. In some instances people learn criminal behavior from the people who are around them. Deviant behavior violates the social norms. People who use drugs are expected to be criminals because they are vulnerable to the circumstance in which they find themselves in. Drug abusers may engage in crime to seek revenge against those who they think did them wrong or they might commit an act of crime to make themselves feel better. What it boils down to is money, all people are encouraged to work hard but many people are prevented from getting the money they need through legal channels, such as work. As a consequence, these individuals experience hardships and they may attempt to
Social class and crime and punishment has always been an issue in the UK if not globally. For the elite, the criminal justice system serves a purpose to deter and prevent crime, but the reality is that the poor are punished for crimes they commit more so than those of a upper class who commit the same crime. The question is who is to blame for this image of the poor being criminals and the working class crime phenomenon, is it the moral Panic created by the media to distract from the reality of the white collar corporate crime being carried out by the most powerful of society or is it down to Poverty, Labelling, economic and social positioning which all contribute to deviant behaviour. The aim of this essay is to provide a critical criminological view of the punishment of the poor with a wide range of theories and ideas to contribute to the understanding of the poor being punished from the 18th century to today 's contemporary society. It will aim to develop an understanding how criminals and deviant behaviour were defined and perceived from historical periods to now.
In this essay I will unpack three motives of why crime has been posited to be a social construction rather a reality in itself autonomous or neutral. Three different approaches will be proposed to justify crime as a social fabrication, which are; First Crime is a legal based fabrication which takes a form on the doctrinal argument by judges and bring existence to such
My ambition has always been to work in Criminology. I am applying for this course as crime, criminal justice, law and the psychology behind why people commit crimes has interested me since early childhood. Working within criminology requires a wide range of skills that include dedication, reliability, concentration and the ability to remain professional and I believe that I posses these skills.