2. Learning objectives To explore how Functionalist ideas have been developed by New Right sociologists To examine Hirschi’s ideas about attachments and how these reduce crime in society To consider which types of family are linked to criminality To examine the link between family life, communities and reducing criminality To understand ideas surrounding the underclass and how they may damage communities To consider how communities can control criminal behaviour at a local level
3. Hirschi (1996) – bonds & attachment Developed Durkheim’s concept of anomie If people are not controlled by shared ‘social’ values – they will look after their own self-interests with no concern for others Hirschi – ‘what forces people to NOT commit crime?’ Argued that – crime occurs when people’s attachment to society is weakened The ‘attachment’ depends upon the strength of the social bonds that holds people to society
4. 4 bonds that bind us together Attachment : how far we care about other people’s opinions and wishes commitment : refers to the personal investments that each of us make in our lives (what will we lose if we commit crime?) Involvement : how busy are we? (do we have time to break the law?) Belief : how strong is a person’s sense that they should obey the rules of society?
5. The Family and Crime Family is important agency of socialisation – it teaches values that strengthen bonds/collective conscience
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7. Concentration of offending – less than 6% of total sample accounted for 50%+ of all convictionsThe research showed that there were: - consistent correlations between family traits and offending - offenders cam from homes with poor parenting - crime where fathers had criminal convictions - offenders likely to come from poor and single-parent families
8. Family & Morality Dennis (1993) – Families Without Fatherhood 3 generation traditional family = stability = moral values and sense of community Last 30 years = changes to family life have weakened the external patterns of social control that families/communities provided Families/communities restricted the ‘extreme behaviour’ of young people social changes have also undermined the internalised forms of social control (self-regulation) that traditionally occurs through socialisation
9. The Changes that Dennis blames Changing role of women in the family increasing dominant role of mother has led to the marginalisation of the father Increase in fathers leaving their families men no longer socially condemned for leaving their families These two factors = young males not having role models/lack discipline in the home
10. Cohabitation This has undermined the belief that a partnership is for life (as marriage suggests). This weakens the moral fabric of society as values and commitments are flexible and relative..not fixed
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12. The Underclass & the Community Charles Murray (1990) – The Underclass Families exist within communities – there are social networks that surround families Murray argues – over the last 30 years in America there has been an increase in the underclass. The underclass are a group of young people who : - have no desire for formal paid work - preferring to live off benefits & the illegal economy - have a range of short term sexual liaisons - have children who are born outside of serious relationships - have fathers who take no responsibility for their upbringing
13. An underclass ‘subculture’? These children are brought up with little or no concern for the values of society in general They do not share common values and are driven to crime by a separate set of values (subculture)
14. Damage to communities Poorer communities are being destroyed by the underclass. Law-abiding citizens are being driven out of areas and they are becoming more run down The underclass take over areas and this reinforces the culture, norms and way of life that they lead.
15. James Q. Wilson – Broken Windows (1982) Most communities have a balance between those who would commit offences and those law-abiding citizens who put pressure on them to conform and avoid offending. The key to success is how well the conformist apply informal social control on potential offenders A degree of zero tolerance is needed with potential offenders..forced to obey most of society’s minor obligations, ie) litter picking, respect others and their property and keeping noise levels down (think about how ASBOs work) If not kept in check – these behaviours will escalate to more serious crimes. These ideas clearly link back to Durkheim and the importance of communities to reinforce social order through promoting shared values and social control
16. Etzioni – Communitarianism (1993) Ideas based on American society - changes in modern society have pushed ‘decision making’ further away from local communities. Central government is disempowering local communities and communities are losing interest in controlling themselves. Communities feel powerless and do not see it as their job to ‘police themselves’ and control others (informal social control) The answer is ..for communities to take back control and to engage in direct action in a variety of ways to control local offenders to provide support for those in need.
19. Tasks Using material from this powerpoint and elsewhere, answer the following questions. How do the previous pictures illustrate Durkheim’s analysis of crime and how it could be controlled? What do the New Right think would help to reduce crime in society? What criticisms could be made of the arguments/ ideas in this powerpoint?
20. Further links Note that this ppt can be used in conjunction with other presentations on the New Right and policies to reduce crime in society (see New Right folder)
