Crime And Deviance

crime and deviance
SCLY4 Crime and Deviance with Theories & Methods Past Papers Use the following past papers to
practise your exam writing techniques and aid your revision. Make sure you look at the mark
scheme for each question to assess your answer. Also check the 'model answers' from students to see
where good AO1 and AO2 marks were scored. Crime and Deviance Different theories of crime,
deviance, social order and social control. The social distribution of crime and deviance by age,
ethnicity, gender, locality and social class, including recent patterns and trends in crime.
Globalisation and crime in contemporary society; the mass media and crime; green crime; human
rights and state crimes. Crime control, prevention ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The research contexts and settings: prison as a closed setting; controlled nature of prison; variety of
prison types; separation of genders in prison; hierarchical nature of prison; permission to access.
The political and ethical sensitivity of researching prisoners within the prison system. Strengths and
limitations of the method: reliability; representativeness; generalisation; validity; response rate;
sampling frame; operationalising concepts; anonymity; detachment; theoretical perspective; open
and closed questions; mode of delivery. Assess the view that positivist methods are inappropriate for
investigating society. (33 marks) Answers in this band will show good sociological knowledge and
understanding. They will show a clear understanding of relevant debates and issues. These may
include: positivist versus interpretivist debate; quantitative and qualitative data; scientific method;
reliability; validity; objectivity and value freedom; postmodernism; social facts/social construction;
realism; cause versus meaning; micro/macro; etc. Answers will show both breadth and depth of
knowledge of relevant theoretical and empirical material on positivist methods, although with some
imbalances or shortcomings. They will show a sound understanding of important aspects of the
question and of the issues that
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Understanding The Roots Of Crime
One may avoid negativity for any kind of reason. One may be distressed by it, or perhaps one may
find negativity traumatizing to their emotions. Whatever it may be, some people attempt to dodge
any sort of negativity. The topic of my independent novel serves to not only challenge the idea of
avoiding any kind of depressing news, but to bring light to new ways of thinking that humanity
should adopt should we want to understand the roots of crime. Furthermore, we should use our
knowledge of these roots to prevent crime.
On a hot July day in 1965, Gertrude Baniszewski was living on the edge. A once beautiful woman,
she was worn out from parenthood and poverty. With practically no income, she had to raise seven
children by ironing and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Paula broke her wrist slugging Sylvia in the jaw and subsequently went to church and bragged about
it. The Likens' parents came to visit the girls between fairs, and they saw nothing out of the visits.
Later still, Sylvia was accused of spreading rumors that Paula and Stephanie Baniszewski were
prostitutes at Arsenal Technical High School. This provoked Stephanie's boyfriend, Coy Hubbard to
flip Sylvia onto the floor and bang her head against the wall. Gertrude encouraged other
neighborhood children floating in and out of the house to flip Sylvia and burn her with cigarettes.
Torture became the neighborhood game. What served as Gertrude's pretense for keeping Sylvia out
of school is the alleged theft of a gym suit.
Soon after, Sylvia became incontinent, and Gertrude locked her in the basement. A "bathing" regime
came into action; every other day, Sylvia was burned with scalding water. She was starved and often
kept naked. Grosser indignities were to follow, with Gertrude continuing to authorize Sylvia's
torture carried out by the neighborhood children.
A few days before her death, Gertrude decided that Sylvia deserved to be branded after she
"branded" her daughters. She began to carve the words, "I 'ᴍ ᴀ ᴘʀᴏsᴛɪᴛᴜᴛᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʀᴏᴜᴅ ᴏꜰ ɪᴛ!" onto
Sylvia's belly with a heated needle. Gertrude got an asthma attack in the middle of the branding, and
relayed the responsibility to a neighborhood boy Richard Hobbs.
On October 26, 1965, after weeks of being

Compare and Contrast two criminological approaches to...
"Compare and Contrast two criminological approaches to understanding the commission of crime."
Criminologists seek to understand the commission of crime in a given society, attempting to figure
out why certain crimes occur, and then to study how these can be prevented, and deterred by
individuals. The two key approaches I will examine in this assignment is that of the early
'Classicalist' approach, and the opposing 'Positivist' approach, each of which are crucial for
understanding modern criminology today. In the late eighteenth century Britain went through an
Enlightenment period, which is also referred to as 'The Age of Reason' (Paine, 1794) and this is
because reason was emphasised over religion, secularisation transformed ... Show more content on
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Bentham then invented his idea of the perfect prison, the panopticon. This was a model prison
where all prisoners where observed at all times by unseen guards. The Classicalist approach
involves the punishments being 'just' and reasonable, however still being able to deter individuals.
This approach has been criticised by numerous theorists for many reasons. To begin with, despite
this continuing change of the punishments towards offenders, from the earliest codes of public
executions, towards a more subtle reformation and rehabilitation scheme, the 'Rehabilitation of
Offenders Act 1974' mirrors this idea, murder rates have not significantly changed. Also this theory
emphasises much on rational thinking and freewill, however it is debated that we do not always
behave in our best interest, there are times when individuals are intoxicated by alcohol so are not as
conscious of their activities. Moreover, there are crimes which entails the offender gaining no
rewards, and also victimless crimes illustrate that not all crimes and punishments are 'just'. Theorists
then sought to figure out another alternative way for understanding the commission of crime, as
many began to doubt this theory that crime was a simple characteristic of the human nature. In the
nineteenth century the Positivist approach was introduced, which brought a whole new way of
thinking about criminals and certain

Annotated Bibliography On Crime And Crime
Name:
Professor
ENG
10/10/2017
"How Does Poverty Affect Crime" Annotated Bibliography
Ager, A W. Crime and Poverty in 19th–Century England: The Economy of Makeshifts., 2014. Print.
This book explores that relationship between crime and poverty from the historical context of 19th
century Britain. The emergence of the criminal underclass in Britain has for a long time been
associated with the rising rates of poverty at the time. Despite this widespread link between crime
and poverty, very few historians and scholars have actually tried to analyze this perception. Only
recently has interest in the issue taken root and many scholars have scrambled to determine whether
this domineering perception was actually true. This book presents one such attempt to understand
the relationship between crime and poverty from a historical perspective. In particular, the authors
scan the causal factors that might have motivated the poor to engage in criminal activity.
Furthermore, the book examines the variation of criminal behavior among the poor in urban areas
and those in rural areas. This book will be used within the current study to bolster the understanding
regarding the various causal factors the mediate the link between crime and poverty as well as
policy implications for addressing such factors.
Albertson, Kevin, and Chris, Fox. Crime and Economics: An Introduction., 2012. Print.
This book provides an excellent and brilliant dissection of the issue of crime and criminal behavior

Understanding Elements of a Crime
Terrorists and terrorism
Q1. Describe the importance of knowing the elements of a crime before an investigator decides on
an investigative plan.
It is important to know all of the elements of the crime to determine the specific goals of the
investigation: whether it is fact–finding in nature; designed to bring about a criminal prosecution, or
has another specific objective.
Q2. What is the importance of resources as it relates to an investigative plan?
Resources are inevitably scarce for any investigation. An investigator must make a compelling case
to a prosecutor that his or her case is worthy of the resources that will be expended upon it and
worthy of the resources it will divert from other projects.
Q3. How can the community assist government agencies in terrorism investigations?
Human sources are often the most critical components of any investigation. Sometimes people will
cooperate to avoid prosecution themselves; others do so out of altruism. Community members can
provide direct evidence; information about general sentiment about a particular issue; or about
practical aspects of the investigation, such as observations of suspicious activities.
Q4. What is the importance of culture as it relates to the handling of terrorism informants?
Investigators must be aware of inter–community tensions. The word 'Muslim,' for example, is a very
broad term for a variety of professions of Islam. Shiite members of a community may inform upon
Sunni members because of the

The Contribution of the Labelling Theory to Our...
The Contribution of the Labelling Theory to Our Understanding of Crime and Deviancy
We can call a label, or define it as; a mark, name, or even badge.
Something is only deviant, or becomes deviant because someone has been successful in labelling it
as, deviancy is ambiguous, definitions differ from society to society or even culture to culture.
Calling something deviant is a reaction to a type of behaviour.
The labelling theory is very complex, it asks why some people committing crimes are named
deviant but others are not.
Labelling theorists believe when you label offenders as criminals, yobs, this has negative
consequences, deepening and worsening the criminal behaviour.
There are ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
A strength of labelling theory approach to deviance is that it not only concentrates on the social
reaction to deviance committed by individuals, as well as concentrating on the interaction processes
leading to the labelling, these being two important elements of the theory.
The effects on the Individual of labelling are especially important.
Having being labelled, as a deviant, the individual according to Becker, then will accept the label,
and for example turn to the life of crime, possibly with the help of a deviant subculture, feeling they
have no other alternative.
The last part of the labelling theory is,' deviant career', this being when the labelled criminal evolves
into a complete, absolute deviant.
Kai T Erikson (1966) also highlights the way social reaction affects the individual, he supports and
reinforces what Becker suggests, he further suggests that deviance in a society is essential, and is
beneficial for creating a boundary between good and evil.
Furthermore there are a number of policy implications to do with the labelling theory, a vast
majority of them are impractical, such as the emphasis on rehabilitation, in helping the offenders be

rehabilitated from the label, although negatively some will not agree to participate in this.
Another implication is that criminal law

Criminology : A Common Sense Understanding Of Crime
What is Criminology, what are its key tasks and questions, and how does it challenge a "common
sense understanding of crime".
As human beings we all see and hear about crimes from a day to day basis. We all question why we
have crime and what makes a person commit a crime.
Criminology is the definition of our crime today, it defines many aspects and elements that
challenge our common sense understanding of crime. The term 'Criminology' was first introduced
into the English language in Garland 1988 by a criminologist Havelock Ellis (jones, 2013, pp. 2–3).
However criminology was present in the 1860's as Henry Maudsley a medic that worked in the
prison systems to study insane and feeble – minded criminals (jones, 2013, pp. 2.) Criminology
gives an understanding to those that seek justice although some victims may prevent crime or
encourage it to gain the same significance. The reasoning of crime has changed considerably over
the past 40 years, some say it was the change of the criminal justice system abolishing Capital
punishment in 1965, or just the development in different legislations. Making punishment more
psychological rather than physical punishment may have increased the velocity of the crime rate
today as some may argue it is less harsh. Criminology is one to justify these changes to prevent
criminal offences. Criminology is enforced to understand and analyse the extent of offences and
how legislation is formed and put into practice. Development in crime in our

Understanding The Way That Real Life Organized Crime...
There are at least two competing definitions: one that focuses on particular groups of people, and
one that focuses on particular types of crime. Both definitions have some validity, and neither is
sufficient to completely describe the global reality. Understanding the way that real–life organized
crime situations fit these two definitions makes a big difference in the ways we might go about
solving these problems. When most people say "organized crime", it is often a shorthand way of
referring to groups of people, usually "the mafia" and similar groups. Understood in this way,
organized criminal activity is simply whatever these organized crime groups do. The people are
consistent across time, although what they do may change: today maybe extortion, tomorrow maybe
heroin trafficking, or check kiting, or procurement fraud, or all of the above. The emphasis is on the
group, not the nature of the crime. This is an important distinction, because it implies a number of
assumptions about the way that organized crime works. Law enforcement agencies use this
definition almost as a matter of course, because the criminal justice system is designed to deal with
specific offences committed by specific people. Police arrest suspects and seize their property,
prosecutors secure convictions one–by–one, and only individual people can be sent to prison. When
actors in such a system plan proactively, they are limited by the tools at hand, and this affects the
way they conceptualize the

Crime Control Policy Is Grounded Into Two Conservative...
Introduction
According to Garry Potter, PhD, crime control policy is grounded into two conservative traditions in
the United States. Both conservatives are assumptions that assumes that classified traditions are of
social organizations are established around values that have a positive impact on society, while the
other has a reform that is subversive and radical in which become rebellious (2011). However, crime
control is conservative; which is based on two reasons. First, it is the attempt to control and prevent
criminal behavior which displays no interest in producing an elaboration of crime and criminality.
Second, terms of a separation between criminals and non–criminals, for example the behavior has to
be prevented or punished for a solution to the problem of crime. However, according to Gottfredson
and Hirschi (1995) crime control policy in the United States is unguided by theory. Programs that
sow disdain based on ideas why crimes occur are favored. Theoretical criminology has changed to
administrative criminology due to comparison of the crime and the nature of the crime. However,
once theory is established; the government is responsible for controlling crime according to Hirschi
(1993).
When noting crime control policy there are discussion on why it is needed. Multiple categories must
come into play on deciding what crime control policy is based one. Crime control policy is based on
psychological, sociological and biological understanding of criminality.

Evaluate the usefulness of Marxist theory to our...
Evaluate the usefulness of Marxist theory to our understanding of crime and deviance (40 marks)
Synopticity – Crime & Deviance sociological theory
Marxist explanations of crime and deviance, like their work on other areas like the family and
education, rest on an economic and structural analysis of society that sees a class struggle between
the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. This struggle comprises the attempts by the proletariat to free
themselves from the domination of the bourgeoisie as they seek to take over the means of
production.
David Gordon argues that crime is an inevitable product of capitalism and the inequality that it
generates. He argues that inequalities in wealth and income create poverty and homelessness for ...
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The major problem with Marxist analyses of crime and deviance is with their sweeping
generalisations, trying to apply actions to all people that clearly apply to only a minority. Similarly,
their assumption that everything is driven by the economic class struggle is hard to sustain. A
convincing case can be made that Marxism provides one of the best explanations of many
phenomena identified within societies, but the politics of the world has changed and Marxism is no
longer the major social movement for liberation from oppression that it used to be, so it is argued
that Marxism 's conceptual apparatus has become less relevant. In a society where most people have
undergone considerable improvements in their standard of living and where peasant struggles which
might have been applicable in the 19th century when Marx was writing seem to be no longer of
much relevance. This thus suggests that Marxist theories aren't useful to our understanding of crime
and deviance in contemporary society.
Other writers on crime and deviance strongly disagree with the Marxist analysis. For instance
Functionalists might attribute more to imperfect socialisation and see crime as a necessary element
of society to help bring about social change but also to reinforce the collective conscience of
society. Interactionists criticise Marxists for ignoring the processes involved in criminality and the
system, for instance Becker and Lemert focus much more on

Crime Analyst Research Paper
Analysts, known as investigator, detective or criminal analyst play important roles in society to
disrupt, dismantle, prevent crime contributing to safer communities by working in conjunction with
criminology and psychological perspectives.
Analysts provide specialist assistance by analysing criminal intelligence data across every crime
type identifying relationships between emerging trends and patterns of offender profiling, detecting,
apprehending, person of interests ,criminal offenders and crime syndicates, provide
recommendations on preventing future recidivism and strategic planning associated with financial
deprivation against business consortiums, crime against public order, assaults, robbery, and
offending behaviour in family and community ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
RMIT university electives assisting knowledge and skills most relevant to role include: Criminal
Behaviour Analysis SOCU2253 pre requisite SOCU2119, SOCU2221 Criminological Theory;
Offender profiling and crime scene analysis consideration is applied to the intersections between
individual and social class and the issues faced in understanding criminal behaviour developing
understanding and awareness of criminal behaviour, causes of offending, effects and ways society
defines, understands and responds. Understanding offenders perspectives, profiling and case
management of a range of serious violent crimes such as homicide, serial killing, intimate partner
homicide, sexual offending and domestic violence. Extendable in employment applying critical
thinking to effectively solve diverse criminological problems and issues associated with crime
management, the justice system and investigative

Labelling Theories' Contribution to the Sociological...
Labelling Theories' Contribution to the Sociological Understanding of Crime and Deviance Becker
is the main sociologist studying labelling theory on deviance, he argues that 'social groups create
deviance by making the rules whose infraction constitutes deviance.' Meaning acts only become
deviant when observers perceive it and define it as deviant. An example of this would be the act of
nudity, it is accepted in the bedroom between husband and wife or on a nudist camp, but when a
stranger was to enter the bedroom, or someone was to streak across a sporting event, others would
usually see this as deviant, and this deviancy would become a label on the individual. Several
factors affect what the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Which in turn could turn into a self–fulfilling prophecy because of being identified with the label
and it becomes controlling. Once these steps have occurred, what Becker describes as 'the deviant
career' is completed when the individual joins an organised deviant group and thus accepting their
identity of being deviant. However, this is not by any means inevitable and some of those who
started out as convicts or drug addicts can become 'straight' and get jobs or quit their habits. When
Becker identified that he took a 'sequential' approach he means how he explains deviance and at any
stage in the sequence of his explanation it is possible that the deviant will re–enter conventional
society. Lemmert also uses the interactionist perspective in his view of labelling, outlining primary
and secondary deviance, primary being the act before it is publicly labelled and secondary being the
response of the individual or 'deviant' to the reactions of others in society. But he sees the agents of
social control to blame for deviance rather than the traditional views of the blame lying with the
'deviant' individual or group. This labelling theory has contributed two concepts to help understand
the relationship between media and crime: · Deviancy amplification, Lesley Wilkins points out that
a response to deviant acts by media and the police can actually

‚ÄòMarxism Is No Longer Relevant to Our Understanding of...
In order to answer the question, the terms Crime & Deviance must firstly be defined. Crime is an act
against the Law (robbery, murder etc), thus the act is known as illegal, whereas Deviance is an act
that is not against the Law but an act seen as 'abnormal' and going against the norms & values o f
Society, such as cross–dressing etc. Marx developed the idea of Marxism (a conflict theory between
Upper and Lower social classes) in the 18th Century, when social classes were very clearly defined–
the 'Bourgeois' and the 'Proletariat'. For this very reason, what is known as 'Traditional Marxism' is
now quite evidently outdated, mainly due to the emergence of the 'Middle Class' throughout the 20th
Century and the 'Digital Revolution' also ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
will shape public opinion of a crime and as a result, how a victim sees that crime. Relative
deprivation is a crucial concept to Left Realism, and is perhaps the most easily identifiable Marxist
idea in Left Realism. Relative deprivation is not the deprivation of money etc. but being deprived of
something to which one believes oneself to be entitled to have, and Left Realist's believe it is
relative, not material deprivation that causes crime, and following the Idea of Merton's strain theory,
people commit crime to gain what they think they are deprived of. Young began the idea of a
'Bulimic Society', where expensive products, obtainable easily only by the upper classes and
presented daily and rigorously presented to the working class via the Media. Therefore, the Media is
seen as the fuel to relative deprivation, and consequently the root of crime and deviance within
Society. Like all theories, Left Realism has its share of criticisms, such as ignoring white–collar
crime, overzealous in their predictions of the level of crime and over–reliance on Victim Survey's,
which are too subjective to be taken as concrete data. Left Realist's also has its criticizer's, such as
the Right Realist's, who believe economic and social factors i.e. class conflict, don't cause crime, but
cultural factors are to blame (instant

What Is Social Construction Of Terrorism
Social Construct and Terrorism
Perceptions, beliefs, and ideas are ever changing. It is through social construction that humans have
constructed definitions and accepted understandings out of surrounding concepts, thus allowing
them to make a socially accepted concept that can be utilized as a baseline of understanding. Galbin
(2015) defines social constructionism as, "a theory of knowledge of sociology and communication
that examines the development jointly constructed understanding of the world" (p. 48). Additionally,
White (2014) points out that social construct is the "way people view reality" (p. 4), or how things
really are to the human understanding. Social constructions are among all walks of life and are
continuously ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
When defining terrorism, either domestic or international use, it is evident that a social construct is
present. It is difficult to define or categorize the forms of a terrorist "act," or what constitutes as a
terrorist act based on what each party agrees to be an actual form of terrorism. These issues within
terrorism and crime emerge due to the vast diversity within the United States and the world. A law–
abiding citizen in the United States could easily be breaking many laws in another country due to
the social construct that is present. Or even a belief system or political agenda might be accepted by
one group while considered extremists or terroristic in nature by others. Furthermore, social
constructionism and its role in terrorism and crime are based on who is looking through the
viewfinder at that specific point in time. There is an understanding and belief that there is crime and
terrorism throughout the world, yet specifically pinpointing an underlining understanding of what
terrorism and crime is has not been widely accepted (White, 2014, p. 4). It goes without saying that
perception is based on reality and that everyone has different perceptions, beliefs, and ideas that
each produces a different reality, even when it comes to defining terrorism and

Four Types of Crimes
Crime #1 – Murder – From Child Star to Alleged Killer
1. Physiognomy theory states that human behavioral characteristics have external physical
manifestations (Understanding Crime: Essentials of Criminological Theory, pg 95, Unit 3). What
does this mean exactly? Physical manifestation happens through detachment. Detached from your
goal and not thinking about, the physical manifestation will be in process and eventually take place
(http://www.lawsofmindsystem.com/physicalmanifestation.htm). Could this have happen to Skylar?
Skylar is a young man in his 20's, who has been acting since a child. His career came to end in his
early 20's when he wasn't able to remember his lines. He joined US Marine Crops for a brief time,
15 days to be exact. Skylar was physical and sexually abused from this drug addicted father. Skylar
Deleon is saying that he had a poor social treatment. Due to the poor social treatment he, his wife
Jennifer and two other friends handcuff the Hawks to the yacht anchor and sent them hurtling to
their deaths in the ocean. Skylar couldn't take that he wasn't a child star anymore. It was a
detachment that he couldn't come to terms with. Biochemical is that humans are cauldrons of
biological chemicals, many of which are susceptible of external influences and internal disturbances
or imbalance (Understanding Crime: Essentials of Criminological Theory, pg. 96, Unit 3). Skylar is
a young adult who couldn't cope with not working in the show biz. He needed a balance.

Understanding White Collar Crime
Donald J. Joslyn
Tri County Tech
In the United States, there are many different types of crimes that are committed. One type of crime
that is considered non–violent would be white–collar crime. Under white collared crimes there are
hundreds of different types of crimes that would fall under this category. Sociologist and
criminologists have come up with many different theories to what white–collar crime is and what
type of people commit these crimes. In the next few paragraphs I will explain what white–collar
crime is and my opinion on how white–collar crime should be dealt with.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI), white–collar crime can be ... Show more
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He also said that white–collar criminals had more of a negative impact on U.S. society than street
criminals (Schmalleger).
In the recent years, with more state and federal laws against these white–collar crimes, it has
become more difficult to get away with such crimes. There are more agencies out there today that
help prevent and help catch these white–collar criminals before they hurt many individuals and
investors. Agencies like the FBI, the National Check Fraud Center and the National White Collar
Crime Center which teaches small to large businesses how to prevent and know how to spot a
white–collar crime within their company. Even though there are many protections out there today, it
is still a hard crime to prevent. Most local law enforcement officers don't see these types of white–
collar crimes happen due to the criminals committing the crimes are in a private setting when
committing these types of crimes (Schmalleger). Usually, the individuals committing white–collar
crimes are trusted employees within a business and the crime isn't caught till after the offense has
been made.
In conclusion, white–collar crime has become more of a common thing within businesses today than
ever before. Or, it may becoming more noticeable as more prevention is put into place to catch these
white–collar crimes. I do believe most of the white–collar crime committed is due to greed. I also

`` An Act Of Evil `` By O ' Toole
In 14th century mythological creatures like werewolves and vampires were blamed for violent
crimes and the cause of the crime was seen as supernatural, beyond human control. In today 's
society criminals are still labeled as monsters, little effort is made to understand what influences
their actions. However criminals are too average human beings and examining why crimes are
committed can help law enforcement better handled and prevented future acts of crimes. Why do we
label criminals instead of understanding their behavior? What factors influence people to commit
crimes? By understanding the factors influencing the crime can future crimes be prevented? In an
article by O'Toole called, "Words Matter and Labels Make a Difference", she discusses how labels
such as monster limit the public from understanding why the crimes were committed. In the article,
"An Act of Evil? When Monsters Kill", O'Toole explains the reasoning behind a father killing
himself and his two sons. Janet Reitman discusses the life of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the man
responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing in the Rolling Stone article, "Jahar's World". She
interviews people close to Jahar to gain an understanding of what made him execute the bombing.
In the article, "Words Matter and Labels Make a Difference", O'Toole suggests, "Thinking of Castro
– he kidnapped and sexually assaulted three girls for a decade – as evil or a monster may make us
feel better, but it does nothing to further our

Explanatory Understanding Of Crime Essay
Many academics in the field of social sciences have focused much of their research on the topic of
crime. Scholars of many disciplines have tried to attempt answer the question why humans commit
crimes. Max Weber defined explanatory understanding and adequacy on the level of meaning as
ways to understand why people act certain ways in the world by contextualizing these reasons to
cultural norms. By using Weber's definitions, we can understand why people commit crimes of
larceny, vandalism, and weapon possession, and why rates for these crimes differ between men and
women. Focusing on larceny and vandalism, adequacy on the level of meaning may help identify
the causes of these crimes. To understand why people commit crimes or act the way they do in
certain situations, one can turn to Weber's definitions of explanatory meaning and adequacy on the
level of meaning. Firstly, Weber defines ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Weber states that "a motive is a complex of subjective meaning which seems to the actor himself or
to the observer an adequate ground for the conduct in question. We apply the term 'adequacy on the
level of meaning' to the subjective interpretation of a coherent course of conduct when" the action is
"recognized to constitute a 'typical' complex of meaning" (98–99). What Weber means by this is that
when there is a complicated reasoning behind an action, a subjective interpretation must be applied
in that situation. It is misguided to oversimplify a complex situation because the entire perspective
of the situation can be lost. Once the subjective interpretation can be matched up with our cultural
norms and rules, then we have reached adequacy on the level of meaning in understanding that
situation. Adequacy on the level of meaning can help us answer questions that are difficult to
answers, one of these being why do people commit certain

assess the usefulness of Marxist approach to an...
'Using material from item A and elsewhere, assess the usefulness of Marxist approach to an
understanding of crime and deviance' (21 marks) There are numerous Marxist theories that help us
to understand crime and deviance in different ways, however they are all based around the same
ideas. They believe capitalism causes crime in three different ways including, selective law
enforcement, criminogenic capitalism and ideological nature of the law. Traditional Marxists believe
that crime is inevitable in all societies because capitalism is criminogenic suggesting that it is
societies very nature that causes crime. According to traditional Marxists society causes capitalism
in different ways. One of which is due to poverty. The lack ... Show more content on
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As well as defining individuals as 'social failures' directing the blame away from the system. And
thirdly defining criminals as 'animals' and 'sick' for example, justifying putting them in prison.
Keeping these individuals out of the public eye allows us to forget why the crime occurred needed
to help us solve the problems. Traditional Marxists also explore the ideological nature of the law;
this function is valuable in allowing the ruling class to maintain their position of wealth. This
process is what Althusser named the ideological state apparatus. This includes the school and the
variety of forms of media, and it is through these that the ruling class is able to socialise individuals
into accepting ruling class ideology. ISAs are responsible for promoting ruling class values of self
interest and competition and as a result create a society in which basic values support the capitalist
political and economic system. Marxists also believe that crime and the law can perform an
ideological function by essentially brain washing individuals. For example some laws may appear to
benefit the working class for example the health and safety laws at work, but these, according to a
Marxist Frank Pearce are only there to benefit the capitalists by ensuring a fit and healthy work
force. In addition to this by prosecuting a large proportion of the working class it makes it look like
the capitalists are

Understanding Hate Crimes And Recognizing Victims
Hate crime is defined as a "crime in which the perpetrators conduct is motivated by bias or prejudice
toward the actual or perceived race, colour, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or sexual
orientation of another group or individual." (Winterdyk, 390). This kind of crime is not new to
Canada and it can be seen through the treatment of Aboriginals in Canada, as well as the current
treatment of refugees from areas in the Middle East. Hate crimes are a heinous crime that deprives
individuals of essential rights such as the right to dignity. Understanding hate crimes and
recognizing victims, it can be easier for individuals to understand what social changes can be made.
The Conflict theory views "crime as the product of social and/or economic disparities in society and
suggests that people resort to criminal activity in response to division and competition." (Winterdyk,
) This theory draws on the separation and competitive impulses of people which is often found when
dealing with prejudice. Canada is a very diverse country, so many communities have different
cultural groups which may compete or create a division within the community and may progress its
way to crimes of passion, but legally defined as a hate crime. Generally, hate crime is an action or
vocalization against a specific group or individual. There are four main types of hate crime are
outlined in the Criminal Code of Canada, Sections 318–320 which state: Advocating Genocide,
Publicly Inciting Hatred,

Understanding the Similarities to Strain Theory and...
Understanding the similarities of Strain Theory, & General Theory of Crime Angela Sampson #
2396467 Sociology 345: Social Control Professor: James Chriss Cleveland State University April
30th 2012 Abstract: The purpose is to identify the similarities between Strain theories, and General
Theory of Crime. Strain was developed from the work of Durkheim and Merton and taken from the
theory of anomie. Durkheim focused on the decrease of societal restraint and the strain that resulted
at the individual level, and Merton studied the cultural imbalance that exists between goal and the
norms of the individuals of society. "General Theory of Crime", In 1990 Michael R. Gottfredson
and Travis Hirschi wrote the book "A General ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In essence, general strain theory proposed that an increase in strain would lead to an increase in
anger, which may then lead to an increase in crime (Agnew, 1992:61). These previously mentioned
goals turn into strain when the individual is faced with certain disjunctions in their life. The first of
these disjunctions is the one that is the focus of previous strain theories, the disjunction between
aspirations and expectations. This is founded on the principle of culturally bound goals and values
that are accepted by everyone but yet not available to everyone. This idea of the American Dream
then causes strain and frustration in the individual who cannot achieve this dream through legitimate
means. This theory has been criticized because it does not explain middle class crime, it only
focuses monetary goals, social class is the only barrier that is considered, and it does not specify
why some turn to deviance. The loss of positively valued stimuli Agnew's research in the stress
literature led him to the discovery that the removal of positive stimuli can also cause strain. This
loss could manifest itself in the form of a death or a broken relationship with a friend or romantic
partner, or it could be a result of the theft of a valued object. According to Agnew, the strain that is
felt by the individual die to the loss could lead the individual to delinquency as the individual
attempts to prevent its loss,

Comparing The Classical Theory And Psychological...
Introduction 126
The classical theory and psychological positivism theory can still be used to conceptualise crime in
the 21st century, regardless of the shift in criminological thinking. Both theories offer a unique
perspective as to why individuals engage in criminal behaviour, with one suggesting that an
individual acts by their own free will to engage in behaviour while the other argues that criminal
behaviour is due to internal factors influencing the behaviour. This critique will examine the
characteristics and history of each theory before applying the understanding of both theories to the
real life crime case of Katherine Knight. The application of each theory will examine potential
reasons as to why Katherine Knight engaged in criminal behaviour, while comparing and
contrasting the strengths and weaknesses of both theories. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
The classical theory incorporates a more legal definition of crime due to the circumstances in which
it emerged. Crime is conceptualised as a result of a person acting upon their own free will to engage
in the criminal behaviour (SOURCE). However, psychological positivism rejects the notion and
instead argues a person who commits crime is engaging in the behaviour due to internal factors that
have developed during childhood and adolescences (SOURCE). The difference in understanding
can be due to the methods used to approach crime. Psychological positivism utilises a scientific
method to theorise about the deviant behaviour in individuals. However, this is often criticised as
there is no specific method to measure the internal influences (SOURCE). In contrast, the classical
theory ignores the factors that cause individuals to engage in crime, and instead sums the behaviour
to be the rational choice of an individual to engage in behaviour that offers the most pleasure for
minimal pain

A Sociological Approach To Understanding Crime And Deviancy
The definition you find of the term 'labelling theory' is that a sociological approach to understanding
crime and deviancy which refers to the social processes through which certain individuals are
stereotyped to act in certain ways and are responded to accordingly. Such reactions tend to reinforce
a self–conception as deviant and has the unanticipated consequence of promoting the behaviour that
is designed to prevent. Unlike traditional approaches which assume that the causes of crime and
deviance lie either within the biological or psychological characteristics of individual offenders or
within their socio–economic circumstance, labelling argues that criminological analysis should
begin with how people come to be defined as deviant and then examine the implications that such
definitions hold for the future offending behaviour. Such argument is now widely associated with
the work of Howard Becker (Becker, 1963) who famously claimed that behaviour only becomes
deviant when it is labelled and treated as such and that labelling creatures and perpetuates 'deviant
careers'. Traces of such approach can be found throughout the nineteenth century. Henry Mayhew
argued that overzealous policing was a significant factor in the creation of juvenile delinquency in
the mid–nineteenth century. A theme as such are now widely repeated in the recurrent and popular
claims that prisons are 'colleges of crime' and that when people are treated as criminal they are more
likely to act in that

Mental Illness And Criminology Essay
Criminology and Physical or Mental Illness
Crime
Crime is seen as any deviant act that is dangerous or harmful socially and is considered to be
prohibited and punishable under laws of crime(Siegel, 2007). Deviant behavior includes a wide
range of behaviors which are considered to be out of line with the social norms in a given society. It
is deduced from this definition that criminal acts are deviant which a society considers harmful to
them and prohibits them(Siegel, 2007).
Sociological understanding of deviant acts is that they are rooted in a society's molding of these
persons. Theory of Social–psychology is based on the arguments that the inadequacies observed in
social roles, norms self direction and poor role modeling contribute to criminal behaviors.
The argument that people who commit criminal activities are physically or mentally ill can only be
made where an understanding of crime's magnitude is beyond human cognition. Criminologist in
the twenty–first century have advanced the field of criminology and brought about a higher
understanding of crimes. The understanding of human behavior does away with the abnormality of
criminal actions and logical explanations are made. It is cognizable given the twenty–first century
theories of criminology that there are driving forces behind commitment of a criminal action(Siegel,
2007).
Analyzing the classical and Neo–Classical theories of crime, the twenty–first century theories of
crimes are observed to agree that

The Influence of the Media in Shaping the Public's...
The Influence of the Media in Shaping the Public's Understanding of Crime
With the rise of the mass media throughout the world, predominantly the Western world, the issue of
media influence has become a serious one. Due to media's primary obsession with crime and
violence, it definitely has a negative influence on shaping peoples understanding of crime by
exaggerating it. A branch of media which always exaggerates on some crime e.g. terrorist attacks
then other crimes is TV news this is basically an oxymoron; giving us the skin of the truth stuffed
with a lie. TV news broadcasts use dramatic, usually violent stories and images to capture and
maintain an audience, under the pretence of keeping it ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It is clear that crime constitutes a major realm of societal concern.
Initial focus in this essay will be on how influential media is on peoples understanding of crime
through exaggeration. The subject of Cohen's and Hall et al work on moral panic will be largely
touched upon. A basic understanding Wilkins theory would be mentioned, finally a conclusion
would be drawn up.
Maguire (2002) Mass media representations of crime, deviance, and disorder have been a returning
cause of concern. Two competing anxieties can be discerned in public debate, and both are reflected
in a large research literature. On one hand the media are often seen as fundamentally subversive, on
the other as a more or less subtle form of social control.
Those who see the media as subversive see media representation or crime themselves as a
significant cause of offending. This has been a constantly recurring theme. A different concern about
media representation of crime has worried liberals and radicals. To them the media are the cause not
of crime itself but of exaggerated public alarm about law and order, generating support for
repressive solutions. Cohen (1972) "states the fundamental theme of the radical

The Marxist Approach On Understanding And Explaining Crime
HAS 262 Explaining Crime
Essay Plan
Question/topic chosen
The question in which I have chosen for this assignment is:
'Critically analyse the Marxist approach to understanding and explaining crime'
Why did you choose this topic?
I was first originally pressed to this topic not only because am I completing a bachelor of social
science to major in criminology but I am also completing a major in sociology. So far in sociology
we have learnt about Karl Marx and his contributions to sociology including the theories of
dialectical materialism and alienation. Alongside Emilie Durkheim and Max Weber, Marx is
perceived as one of the three creators of the social sciences. When exploring my options of
questions that were put on offer to us ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
3. Eglin, P. and Hester, S., (2013). A sociology of crime. Routledge. Pg. 1–21
Discussion
In this particular piece of work, Eglin and Hester provide a detailed description of Karl Marx's
distinction between the 'instrumentalist' and 'structuralist' justifications of the responsibility of the
state in capitalist societies.
4. Cowling, M (2011) Can Marxism Make Sense of Crime?, Global Discourse, 2:2, 59–74,
Discussion
In this journal Cowling explores the many ways in which Marxism has been used to analyze crime.
He has presented a summary of the reasonable opportunities in using Marxism to construct
awareness of his criminological theory.
Identity and discuss three of the key concepts and/or principles associated with the theory that is
central to your chosen question.
Initially, Marxism emphases on the conflict of three socioeconomic classes:
– The capitalists, who own the income of construction and manipulate the excess labour of others.

– The Bourgeoisie, who hold salaried and management (i.e. middle class) positions.
– The proletariat, who comprise the working class people.
According the Marx, the capitalist economic structure is sustained by the superstructure of social
organisations for example law, education and politics and the criminals were part of the
Lumpenproletariat which

The School Of Criminology
What is criminology, what are its key task and questions, and how does criminology challenge
Common Sense Understanding of Crime'? Criminology may be defined as the scientific
commitment to the gathering of 'fact' (Walkate,2003) or as defined by the Collins dictionary as the
scientific study of crime and criminals. The common sense notion of crime is information acquired
through personal experiences and external influences which often does not hold any merit. The aim
of this essay is to outline what criminology is as a subject and the concept of its two main schools of
thought classical and positivist. It will also be looking at the key tasks of a criminologist. The school
of criminology also challenges the common sense or everyday understanding ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
As a discipline criminology relies on other related field in others to establish the nature cause extent
and control of criminal behaviour on an individual and societal level. In committing of a crime alot
of speculation will be drawn on the individual base on the the two school of thought. The classical
school who upheld the belief that the punishment of a crime should be no more or less severe as
neccessary while the provitist school will focus on the criminal biological features to interpre the
cause of his deviant behaviour. The aim and objectives of both school although different from a
cohesive picture both aim at developing an understanding of crime through studying and analyzing
of human behaviour and social institution with some hope of reducing crime. Criminolghy key task
is developing an understanding committ crime by developing theories, doing research analysing
statistic and present evidence or explanantion . there studies often discredit society common sense
understanding of crime. however commom understading ofcrime is not always refuted but
sometimes use as a base for research. Society relies on several sources to draw a common sense
understanding of crime , one such source is gathered from a individual perpesctive base on their
own experience or those of others. the media is another source that an individual relies on to gather
common sense understanding although it consider to be valuable source of information it should be
treated with sceptism as it is tempting for an individual to read and article and assume it to be true.
views express by others such as

The Usefulness of Sub-Cultural Theories in Understanding...
I am going to be assessing the usefulness of sub cultural theories in understanding crime and
deviance. The functionalist suggested that understanding deviance lies in the studying it function for
society rather than the individual itself. Also consensus is essential for society to function. All
functionalist therefore argues that forms of social control are necessary to check deviant and to
maintain social order. Merton theory of anomie is based on the ideas of the functionalist. Anomie
encourages deviance. Merton understood crime and deviance to be a response to the inability to
achieve social goals. This is often referred to as a strain theory of crime, since Merton highlighted a
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Innovation accepts societal goals but have few legitimate means to achieve those goals, thus they
innovate (design) their own means to get ahead. The means to get ahead may be through robbery,
embezzlement or other such criminal acts. In Ritualism, the third adaptation, individuals abandon
the goals they once believed to be within their reach and dedicate themselves to their current
lifestyle. They play by the rules and have a daily safe routine. Retreatism is the adaptation of those
who give up not only the goals but also the means. They often retreat into the world of alcoholism
and drug addiction. They escape into a non–productive, non–striving lifestyle. The final adaptation.
Rebellion occurs when the cultural goals and the legitimate means are rejected. Individuals create
their own goals and their own means, by protest or revolutionary activity. Merton was highly critical
of competitive and ambitious social values in western society suggesting that competition and greed
encourages people to break the law. The critics of Merton theory is that some say that it neglect the
power relation in the whole of the society Laurie Taylor suggest the Merton theory failed to explain
who creates the rules in the first place, and in whose interests these rules and values have been
developed by the powerful to guarantee success. By focusing on the actions of

Essay on Social Organized Crime Perspective
Social Organized Crime Perspective
In some communities organized crime is as much of a social institution as other legitimate
functions. Often, the impact of organized crime can be hidden and not readily apparent to
community members. In other cases the community may come to accept the organized criminal
group for the benefits they provide. Understanding how organized crime meshes into the social
fabric of a community is important to understanding how to fight against it. Just as important to
understanding the social implications is understanding theories as to why individuals become
involved in criminal activities and how criminal organizations function.
Social Institution as it Relates to Organized Crime
The first thing that must ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Organized crime group's further entrench themselves into the community by establishing legitimate
business interests. These legitimate enterprises provide the organized crime group an opportunity to
mask their true operations and offer covert means to launder money or hide illegal activities from
detection. The criminal group can become imbedded within the community and provide further
opportunities. Organized criminal groups can generate additional business for legitimate community
institutions, jobs, income, and services. This can become so valuable to a community that the
citizens actually accept the criminal organization and look the other way. A major reason organized
crime is so successful within communities are the corrupt ties these groups form with political and
social leaders often as a result of bribery or other favors. Organized criminal organizations become
part of the social fabric of a community. Many individuals who consume illegal services provided
by these groups do not view themselves as criminals, yet they directly support the group's criminal
activities (Lyman & Potter, 2007). Understanding how organized crime becomes part of a
community's social structure is valuable, but an examination of theories of organized crime is
important to provide a deeper understanding.
Applicable Theories
There are two parts to understanding the reasons for the emergence of organized crime. First it is
important to understand the structure and

Criminology: A Canadian Perspective
The investigation of crime, society's reaction to it and approaches to prevent it are all areas that have
interested me from my adolescent years. I have an interest and passion for Criminology studies for
the strict purpose of wanting to fulfill a deeper understanding of the causes and consequences of
crime and exploring how crimes affect our society. This shady interest in the criminal world has
encouraged me to pursue the subject at degree level and to seriously consider a career in a related
field. At the beginning of the course my understanding on crime and criminology was mostly
derived from the internet or media. These tools became very useful for me to learn different subjects
of crime. My perspective on crime changed tremendously throughout reading the first chapter of
Criminology: A Canadian Perspective by Rick Linden, after reading chapter one it made me
understand that the picture of crime presented by the media is often inaccurate. The media painted a
picture that was often wrong and exaggerated. As a ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
A specific issue that made me angry was finding out the writers of television shows and movies use
violence to attract viewers and to sell tickets. This made me angry because most of the knowledge I
learned about crime was mostly learned from the media. Although this made me angry it also helped
me realize the media's misrepresentation of crime has several consequences. For example,
Canadians over estimate the amount of violent crime and have a fear of crime that is higher than the
actual risk of victimization, the media also provide a distorted stereotype of offenders. Crimes are
most often committed by relatives, friends, and acquaintances–not by the mysterious stranger most
of us fear. Learning these consequences of the media helped me deal with my anger and made me
interested in other areas of criminology such as Criminal

Marx and Durkheim’s Views Contributed to our Understanding...
How have Marx and Durkheim's Views Contributed to our Understanding of Crime and Deviance?
Karl Marx's Marxist theory and Emile Durkheim's functionalist theory were both significant in their
own ways and therefore made a large contribution to our perception and understanding of how
crime and deviance occurs and is dealt with in society. The Marxist theory on crime was focused on
the concept that the huge shift towards a capitalist society was the root cause and driving force
behind the formation of social divisions and subsequent increase in crime and conflict. Willem
Bonger expanded on the Marxist theory by explaining that the capitalist shifts lead the law to focus
on the proletariat divisions as the deviant members of society, ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
He believed that the presence of deviance in society allows moral borders and boundaries to be
structured around social assumptions of deviant behaviours and what's considered right and wrong.
The subsequent responses to these types of behaviours promote social unity and encourage social
change. David Downes and Paul Rock proposed that crime should be viewed and a necessary factor
that is a 'healthy social phenomenon' in societies. This shows that Durkheim sparked the recognition
that crime should be viewed as a 'healthy' normality at sensible levels, rather than is being viewed as
a solely negative factor that brings society down. Crime and deviance is supposedly is key to
regularity in society, it provides a huge amount of public understanding and social acceptance to the
existence of crime. In doing this Durkheim allowed a new understanding that crime was something
not to be assumed as something that should be feared within society because it is in actual fact "A
normal product of stable institutions". This was an entirely new and innovative concept at the time
of the theory of functionalisms introduction, people lived in fear of crime and people who possess
deviant characteristics. 'Neo–Durkheimian' theories have also been extremely helpful in
explanations of how we understand Durkheim's theory of functionalism and how it's been
incorporated it in to today's society. They emphasise on the fact that acts of deviance increase levels

Uniform Crime Report
There have been numerous opinions as well as criticism on how crime should be measured in the
United States. FBI, and U.S. Census are a few of the government agencies who utilize crime
reporting methods such as Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), National Incident–Based reporting
system (NIBRS), and National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). Each method is created in
order to give us an estimation of crime rate, so the process to reducing it could begin. Looking at the
history of each report, then review their similarities and their differences, to finally analyzing varies
criticisms, will help in the understanding if these crime reporting methods are effective.
Uniform Crime Report, also known as UCR is created in 1929 by the FBI. Its primary

Understanding Hate Crime Statutes And Building Towards A...
The topic of hate crime is so controversial because there can be different perspectives on the whole
issue, which can eventually cause a massive huge debate on the entire matter. In Ben Gillis article
called Understanding Hate Crime Statutes and Building Towards a Better System in Texas, the
author separates his points in a way that can give the reader a better way of understanding the Hate
Crime laws and the effects of it. Gillis's way of dissecting the article is extremely effective due to
the fact that not only he explains what exactly a hate crime is in its basic form but he also explains
hate crime in its entirety, and he also shows how some states adapt to the whole issue. People may
ask in what way does it make it in a sense "illegal" ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Now any one can take a jab at what they think a hate crime is but in the article Understanding Hate
Crime Statutes and Building Towards a Better System in Texas the author supports us with his
definition of a what is a hate crime "a hate crime, at its basic level is an 'attack upon the person or
property of an individual motivated by hatred of a characteristic of that person, such as race,
religion, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity'" (Gillis 199). Now that the definition gives us
clarity on what exactly labeled onto what exactly is considered a hate crime. For example, did you
know that if someone vandalizes a synagogue and they write something offensive to the Followers
of that particular religion that will be considered a hate crime because of the person is "motivated by
hatred" towards the Followers (Gillis 199). You may have your own perspective on a particular
group but if you so happen to put your hands on the person to harm them because of your belief it
becomes a hate crime. In its basic form of what is a hate crime Gillis uses the definition so that the
reader aware hate crime criteria. Let us take another article for example, In opening of Jesse Larner's
article Hate Crime/Thought Crime he alluded to a situation where two Caucasian men decided to go
and attack two African–American with the intent to do some serious harm to them. There were no
knowledge as to what was motivated them to do so. One thing for sure according to Larner, Sean
Riley Caught up to one of the victims and remorselessly told her "I'm going to kill you, you black
bitch". Without a doubt it is extremely obvious that hatred of a specific race was the driving force
behind the gruesome actions posed by the two "men" especially Mr. Sean Riley. There's no way that
the 1st amendment of the United States correlate with the criminal acts that

Marxists theory to the sociological understanding of crime...
Assess the contribution of the Marxist theory to the sociological understanding of crime and
deviance. (21 marks) Marxism is a macro/structural approach to society, meaning that it looks at the
large–scale societal structure for answers about how society works and operates and explores crime
and deviance in relation to classes within a capitalist society. Marxists claim that laws do not reflect
a value consensus, instead laws and law enforcement benefits the rich (protection of private
property), and discriminate the poor which brings about social class reproduction, the working class
are criminalised for their crimes but the criminal just system are more lenient towards the crimes of
the wealth such as white collar crime or ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Pearce also explores how white collar crime is hidden from the masses and this puts them in a state
of false consciousness so they do not see the full extent of the white collar crime, this is ideological
social control, this is often linked to the media which often portrays stereotypes and demonises the
poor as criminals. Chambliss looks into selective law enforcement, at the heart of the legal system in
the protection of private property, this ensures that the ruling class maintain their wealth, which
leads to social class reproduction. All social groups commit crime, but it is the poor who are targeted
by the criminal justice system. This is linked to stereotypes where the police target deprived groups
in deprived areas e.g. stop and search. There are many strengths and weaknesses to the Marxist
approach, such as it explores law making as well as law breaking, it examines selective law
enforcement so looks into the discrimination of the working class. They also highlight the idea of
social control and how police are more likely to stop and search people based on stereotypes that are
displayed in the media which can also be linked with the labelling theory. However there are some
weaknesses to the Marxist approach such as that it ignores how some laws benefit everyone, and
ignores gender and ethnicity which can be a vital factor in differences in crime and deviance and it
is too

The Relationship Between Class And Our Understanding Of Crime
Discussion about the relationship between class and our understanding of crime has been an
ongoing debate between sociologists for centuries. Some claim that although, in the past, there was
a relationship between the two, that in our modern society, the idea of class has diminished and is in
fact, dead. Therefore, how could it be related to criminal activity and our understanding of it?
However, on the other hand many claim that the concept of class is very much still alive, and is
actually one of the main components in sociology's study of crime – among those are perhaps two of
the most renowned sociologists; Karl Marx and Max Weber, whose theories combined lay the
fundamental basis of sociological analysis's of class and social ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
His explanation of social class was that it was 'a group of people who stand in a common
relationship to the means of production – the means by which they gain a livelihood.' (Giddons,
2013). Using Marx's concept, it can be argued that in every society, past and present, there has been
some form of class system; from feudal time when there were the aristocrats and the serfs to more
modern society composed of the bourgeoisie and the proletariat – those who own and control the
means of production, and those who sell their labour for a wage. Marx claimed that those in the
bourgeois exploited the proletariat by using their power to take advantage of the systems they could
influence in order to please themselves. The bourgeois capitalist ideology was introduced into
society through the superstructure, and was extended and drilled into the brains of proletariat
through education, employment, politics and the judiciary system to mention a few. Marx therefore
argued that there is a subtlety to how the bourgeoisie exploit the proletariat. Furthermore, he
recognised that in modern society wealth is being created on a massive scale, yet somehow, the
working class still remain considerably poorer than the bourgeoisie – he used the

Understanding The General Strain Theory On Crime
Understanding the General Strain Theory on Crime
Codie Bastress
University Wisconsin Oshkosh
Abstract This paper explores Robert Agnew's General Strain Theory by helping to explain what it is
as well as research that has been conducted to support it. A majority of the articles used in this paper
help try and explain or define what GST is as well as attempt to define its components. This paper
will then help better understand some of the research that has been done regarding GST. These
studies will help explain why certain types of strain lead to criminal acts as well as the effect of
negative emotions leading to crime. Another aspect introduces the matter of how people cope with
certain strains by committing crime and reasons behind it. The importance of strains leading to
juvenile delinquency is briefly explained. Next, some limitations on the theory are provided. These
will include recommendations for further studies on the GST along with explanations as to why
policy applications are difficult for this theory. Naturally, weaknesses of the theory will also be
provided within the limitations section. Finally, an application of the general strain theory will be
provided for the film "Bernie."
Understanding the General Strain Theory An abundance of research has been conducted on how
Robert Agnew's strain theory can help better understand why crime is committed. However,
limitations to this to theory have come to the surface. Some suggest that

1.Understanding The Criminal Behavior System And Crime
1. Understanding the criminal behavior system and crime typologies that the book demonstrates; it
is kind of hard to distinguish what type of serial killer Robert Durst is. Judging from the book
examples of different type of serial killers, I would have to say Robert Durst is a hybrid serial killer.
While some of his actions from the video series, "The Jinx", lead me to feel as if he was an
expedience killer who wants to protect themselves from a perceived threat as the book states. Some
of Durst's actions also lead me to believe he was a mission killer, who had a vision for killing
someone. None of his victims seemed as if they were some random act of murder. I feel as if he had
a mission to kill all of them.; one reason making me suspect ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Firstly, if Robert Durst was found guilty of killing his wife Kathleen Durst; I feel as if this would be
the consensus view of crime. This law states all crime is reflected by public opinion. During the
series, The Jinx, many of Kathleen's friends and family said they felt as if Robert had something to
do with the disappearance of his wife. Some of Kathleen staked out the house of Robert Durst and
seen him discarding some of her belongs; not to long after she was concluded to be missing. Durst
then went to drop the missing reward by a significant amount, around 80 thousand to be exact.
Which can cause the public to gain more suspicion towards Robert Durst. Robert's actions
contributed to the disappearance of his wife proved he was a threat to society, no matter what his
social class or status was.
On the same view of crime, the killing of his friend Susan Berman can be looked upon as a
consensus view of crime as well. How will the society feel with a man who executed someone being
able to roam around? Even though Durst isn't selling drugs he is a menace to society, who feel as if
he is above the law. Robert would frequently sent money to Susan, can this be so she wouldn't say
anything to police if interrogated? Durst can be doing this crime, which promotes his behavior to
continue. This will make the people in the state of California where Susan Berman was murdered
will continue to feel

Treadwell Crime
Treadwell (2013) openly admits that the notion of crime is complicated and contested. However, it
is agreed that criminology is a multidisciplinary subject which is interested in the concept of crime
and its impact and role in society. In its attempts to understand crime it is influenced by theories of
philosophy, psychology and law (amongst others). Treadwell (2013) comes to describe crime as a
malleable and constantly evolving concept however he acknowledges that there are massive
variances in the way that crime is conceptualized (based on geographical differences but also time
periods). Behaviours which previously have been labelled as criminal have been decriminalized
where as certain behaviours which were not criminal previously have now been labelled as criminal.
It is a constantly evolving concept. There are various perspectives of crime, including the ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Crime is defined by Muncie (2006) as behaviour which is proscribed by criminal law, however, he
similarly to Treadwell (2013) acknowledges that this in itself is not enough to depict its full scope.
The perceptions and understandings of what people consider to be criminal are highly variable. The
notion of crime is constantly changing and evolving, and is relative to both the time period but also
the societies geographical location. This was comparably argued by Treadwell (2013) in his analysis
of crime. What is considered to be criminal in one era may not be true of other eras of time. This
understanding also varies between different societies and their geographical differences. There is no
one broad understanding of what is considered criminal and what is not, or where this line should be
drawn. Crime is a continuously contested concept across various spheres of the academic world
(Muncie, 2006). There are legal perspectives but there are also social and political views of crime,
with similarities and differences between

Routine Activity And Situational Crime Prevention Theory
Routine activity theory states that for a crime to be committed, three important factors need to be
present including: a motivated offender, an accessible target, and the absence of a capable guardian
against a violation. Marcus Felson and Lawrence E. Cohen introduced the routine activity theory in
1979, where they believed that an individual who has these three characteristics gives them a greater
possibility of committing a crime. Moreover, situational crime prevention is known as strategies of
ways for preventing or reducing the opportunities for criminals to commit crimes that derive from
the routines of an individual's everyday life. Ronald V. Clarke introduced situational crime
prevention theory in 1983, where he believed that removing the situation instead of removing the
criminal could prevent crime. In this paper, I will be discussing what routine activity/situational
crime prevention theory is, and apply two peer–reviewed articles from Google Scholar that test the
routine activity/situational crime prevention theory by discussing what the authors are trying to
figure out and discuss their findings, and lastly, tie the routine activity/situational crime prevention
theory articles to our textbook in hopes to fully understand in depth what the theory encompasses.
Marcus Felson and Lawrence E. Cohen introduced the routine activity theory in 1979. They together
proposed the problem analysis triangle, which represents the three characteristics a person must
have in

Crime And Deviance

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