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DEVIANCE | ||
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Functionalism on Deviance | ||
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Conflict Theory on Deviance | ||
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Social Control | ||
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CRIME | ||
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White Collar Crime | ||
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Crime & Racism | ||
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Police Corruption | ||
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CAUSES OF CRIME | ||
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Hirschi's Social Control Theory | ||
FUNCTIONALISM ON DEVIANCE & CRIME | |||
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An Overview of Durkheim | ||
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Durkheim on Social Order & Deviance | ||
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Durkheim on Crime | ||
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Merton's Revision of Anomie | ||
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM ON DEVIANCE & CRIME | |||
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Labeling Theory | ||
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Deviant Subcultures | ||
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CONFLICT THEORY ON CRIME | ||
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THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM |
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- Video: Functionalism & Other Theories on Deviance 10:02 |
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FOR FUNCTIONALISM, SOME TYPES OF DEVIANCE CAN HAVE POSITIVE FUNCTIONS FOR SOCIETY | |||||
Sociologists have determined that deviance of various types can have positive functions for society |
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For Durkheim, dev serves two necessary functions including that it: |
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- defines the boundaries of acceptable behavior |
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- promotes integration |
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For Durkheim, dev has the consequence of promoting social stability |
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Dev promotes social cohesion in that people who do not deviate feel that they belong to the group or society that supports the norms |
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Dev creates a feeling of us against them, i.e. the ones who break the norms |
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The fact that behavior must be context appropriate is seen in that deviance is interpreted by age & by past behavior |
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The context in which deviance occurs may be social, cultural, or psychological & has a primary or secondary intensity | |||||
1. PRIMARY DEVIANCE IS AN INITIAL DEVIANT ACT | |||||
Deviant behaviors that are short term or cease w/ adult status |
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Primary Deviance is correlated w/ social, cultural, structural & psychological conditions |
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2. SECONDARY DEVIANCE IS DEVIANCE THAT RESULT FROM BEING LABELED AS DEVIANT |
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Secondary deviance evolves out of the offender's self concept |
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Secondary deviance evolves from other's conception of a person |
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Secondary deviance is long term & does not cease w/ adult status | |||||
Secondary deviance includes chronic deviant behavior by people who come to identify themselves as deviant | |||||
The distinction btwn primary & secondary deviance is importance in the development of social policies that reduce the chances of primary deviance inducing secondary deviance | |||||
A MORAL CRUSADE IS AN INTEREST GROUP'S ATTEMPT TO DEFINE A BEHAVIOR AS DEVIANT | |||||
Joseph Gusfield's study of alcohol prohibition concluded that the American Temperance Movement was an example of a moral crusade | |||||
An examination of deviance & social control is an examination of the appropriateness / correctness & necessity of govt & other social actors to utilize all types of social control, labels of deviance, sanctions, etc. to advance a moral crusade, or any behavior or ideology | |||||
For Durkheim, the positive consequences of deviance & social control include increased solidarity |
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- Video: Conflict Theory on Deviance 1:30 |
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THE CONFLICT THEORY OF DEVIANCE FOCUSES ON THE CREATION, DISTRIBUTION, USE, & MYSTIFICATION OF POWER |
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Overt power is the ability to get others to do something against their will |
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Covert power is the ability to set parameters in which people make decisions |
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Those who control power determine what is dev |
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Those who lack power may act in ways they consider acceptable, but these behaviors may be labeled dev by those who control the power |
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From conflict theory, soc change & progress occur as a result of conflict among soc grps |
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Dev beh may represent a challenge to dominant soc grps |
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The dev beh of 1 soc grp may be a demand for a change of norms through the challenge of existing norms |
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DEVIANCE INDICATES A STRUGGLE BTWN SOC GRPS & EACH SOC GRP HAS VARYING AMTS OF POWER |
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The grp w/ the most power tends to control the norms of society |
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The ruling class determines which dev behaviors will be punished & dealt w/ by a formal social control sys |
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The ruling class is the politically & economically dominant powerful grp |
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SINCE THE RULING CLASS HAS THE MOST POL & ECON POWER, IT HAS THE LARGEST PART IN DECIDING WHAT IS CONSIDERED DEV BEH |
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Those outside the power structure socially create acceptable or even desirable beliefs / behaviors, that the ruling class considers to be deviant, at least partly because this offers some measure of opposition to the ruling class |
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The less powerful grps find themselves subject to punishment in a formal soc control sys for things that they consider acceptable | |||||
Conflicts may occur w/in a single instit or org, not just btwn 2 different grps like the ruling class & a grp lacking power | |||||
Conflict also occurs w/in an org as in the conflict in the Republican Party btwn the Christian right & the traditional fiscal policy conservatives | |||||
In the Democratic Party there is conflict btwn social liberals & the more fiscally conservative, centrist wing | |||||
Dev occurs w/in a soc grp if conflict or power struggles exist w/in that grp |
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- Video: Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room |
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- Project: Video: Enron: Intersections of Corporate & Political Crime; Causes of Crime |
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WHITE COLLAR CRIMES (aka corporate crime ) ARE USUALLY NON-VIOLENT ILLEGAL ACTS CARRIED OUT BY UPPER MIDDLE & UPPER CLASS MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY | |||
The term "white collar crime" was coined by the criminologist Sutherland | |||
White collar crimes account for larger economic losses & in some cases, greater human misery than street crimes | |||
Conservative estimated of cost of consumer fraud alone are 5 times higher than combined economic costs of all street crimes | |||
There are SIX basic types of white collar crime | |||
1. PETTY WHITE COLLAR CRIME INCLUDES LESS SERIOUS NON-VIOLENT ILLEGAL ACTS BY LOWER STATUS INDIVIDUALS IN AN ORG | |||
Petty white collar crime includes nonviolent offenses carried out by people of relatively low social status who attempt to gain through deceit | |||
Examples of petty white collar crime include the "larceny of time," which is the most common, & employee theft, which is a major concern to companies | |||
2. WHITE COLLAR CRIME INCLUDES SERIOUS NON-VIOLENT ILLEGAL ACTS BY HIGHER STATUS INDIVIDUALS IN AN ORG | |||
White collar crimes are usually non violent illegal acts carried out by "respectable" individuals, e.g. usually upper middle & upper class individuals in the community | |||
Examples: Computer theft, income tax evasion, & credit card fraud | |||
3. CORPORATE CRIME INCLUDES SERIOUS NON-VIOLENT ILLEGAL ACTS BY THE HIGHEST STATUS INDIVIDUALS IN AN ORG | |||
Corporate crime is the deliberate decisions by corporate personnel that result in actions that violate law | |||
Examples: Enron, Microsoft, Tyco 2002: Hasbro toys fined $7 mm for fixing toy prices | |||
White collar / corporate crimes account for larger economic losses &, in some cases, greater human misery than street crimes | |||
4. ORGANIZED CRIME MAY INCLUDE VIOLENT, NON-VIOLENT, VICTIMLESS, ETC. TYPES OF CRIME CARRIED OUT BY A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE OFTEN RELATED ETHNICALLY OR BY HERITAGE | |||
Organized crime is carried out by organizations who exist mainly for the purpose of conducting illegal activity | |||
Historically, organized crime has been dominated by immigrant & working class ethnic groups | |||
Examples of types of org crime: drugs, prostitution, gambling, protection, money laundering, racketeering | |||
5. POLITICAL CRIME IS THE ABUSE OF A GOVT OR POLITICAL OFFICE OR POSITION, OR A CRIME CARRIED OUT TO GAIN OFFICE OR POLITICAL INFLUENCE | |||
A great deal of political crime is aimed at preventing or controlling dissent | |||
Note: Not all crimes carried out by politicians or govt officials in office are political crimes | |||
The most infamous recent examples of political crime include Watergate, Iran Contra, White Water Monicagate | |||
6. OTHER TYPES OF CRIME MAY BE WHITE COLLAR OR STREET | |||
- War crimes, crimes against humanity | |||
- Hate crimes | |||
- Terrorism |
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IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT OVERALL POLICE IN THE US ARE EXTREMELY JUST & LAW ABIDING, THERE IS A CASE OF ABUSE BY POLICE EVERY YEAR OR SO THAT GAINS NATL ATTN | |||
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When informed on the level of police corruption or excessive violence, most people believe that there are simply too many cases of police corruption to accept |
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Because of the respect society has for the police because of the sacrifices they make, it is difficult to face up to some bad officers |
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While there are cases of police brutality in nearly every major city, the vast majority of police follow the law, do their job, & are not racist |
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With regards to police corruption, a few bad cops are poisoning the well |
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CINCINNATI | |||
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In Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1999, a black was man killed by police for traffic violation |
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NYC: DIALLO | |||
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The Diallo Case occurred in 1999 when in NYC, an unarmed innocent African immigrant, Amadou Diallo, was shot by police |
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The police had fired 41 bullets at the young, unarmed, innocent, African immigrant | |||
When 19 hit their mark, Amadou Diallo dies | |||
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- Supplement: Time: Cops, Brutality, & Race |
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LA | |||
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The LA Corruption Case occurred from 1999 - 2000 when in LA the LAPD was discovered fixing cases against minority defendants |
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When an LAPD cop is caught, he blows the whistle on widespread corruption, testifying that the LAPD regularly fixed cases | |||
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- Supplement: CNN: Attorneys: The L.A. police scandal could affect more than 3,000 cases, freeing both innocent & guilty parties |
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- Supplement: Time: The Motives Behind the LAPD's Mea Culpa |
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NYC: LOUIMA | |||
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In NYC in 1997, a Haitian immigrant, Louima, was sodomized by police & had to be hospitalized |
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In the Louima case, a NYC policeman was sentenced to 30 years for torture |
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- Supplement: CNN: NYC Police Corruption |
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LA: RODNEY KING | |||
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In 1994 in LA, a black man named Rodney King, was beaten unconscious by police before a video camera |
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The police were acquitted by a jury in a local court |
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The LA Riot resulted from the acquittal of the police for the beating of Rodney King |
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Several of the police were later found guilty by a Federal Court of the violation of Rodney King's civil rights |
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MIAMI | |||
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Miami Police racism has been well documented w/ national attention to abuses in 1980 & 1989 |
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NJ | |||
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In the 1990s, after a lengthy investigation, the NJ HP was found to have given a lot more tickets to Blacks, though they did not speed any more than others |
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DWB is jargon which developed in the Black community & has spread to the general culture which recognizes the existence police prejudice |
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- Supplement: Hirschi's Social Control Theory & Drug Abuse |
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INTRO: SOCIAL CONTROL THEORY HOLDS THAT PEOPLE ARE CONTROLLED BECAUSE THEY HAVE INTERNALIZED THE NORMS ( RULES ) OF SOCIETY |
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Social control theory ( SCT ) states that social control depends on imagining the consequences of one's behavior |
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SCT was derived from functionalist theories of crime & fits into the positivist school, neo classical school, &, later, right realism | |||||
Hirschi challenged Sutherland & Cressey's differential association theory on the impact of delinquent peers on delinquency | |||||
FOUR TYPES OF SOCIAL CONTROLS INCLUDE CONTROLS BASED IN:
a. ATTACHMENT TO PARENTS & OTHER SOs b. COMMITMENT TO MAINSTREAM NORMS c. INVOLVEMENT IN SOCIALLY APPROVED ACTIVITIES d. BELIEFS EMBRACED BY MOST OF SOCIETY |
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Hirschi asserts that conformity arises from four types of social controls: which he called attachment, commitment, involvement, & belief |
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a. The social control of attachment refers to attachment to parents, peers, or school |
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People w/ strong & stable attachments to others w/in society are presumed to be less likely to violate societal norms |
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b. The social control of commitment refers to commitment to conventional lines of action |
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A person who has invested time, energy, & resources into conforming to social norms & expectations by, for example, pursuing educational goals is less likely to deviate than someone who has not made such an investment | |||||
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c. The social control of involvement refers to involvement in conventional activities |
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A person who is actively engaged in conventional endeavors by, for example, pursuing employment simply has less time & opportunity to engage in deviance | |||||
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d. The social control of belief refers to belief in a common value |
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Belief refers to a person's level of belief in the moral validity of shared social values & norms | |||||
In American society, certain values such as industrious conduct are espoused as norms & persons who strongly believe in the these norms are less likely to deviate from them | |||||
Those who question or challenge the norms have a greater propensity to behave in a deviant manner | |||||
SCT holds that the process of socialization & social learning builds self control & reduces the inclination to indulge in behavior recognized as antisocial | |||||
The stronger one's attachment, commitment, involvement & beliefs in harmony w/ those of society, the less the chance of becoming a deviant | |||||
SOCIAL BONDS ACT AS SOCIAL CONTROLS BECAUSE TO MAINTAIN BONDS ONE MUST FOLLOW GENERAL SOCIETAL ATTACHMENTS, COMMITMENTS, ACTIVITIES, & BELIEFS | |||||
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Persons will engage in delinquent behavior when their "social bond" to society is weakened |
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The social controls of attachment, commitment, involvement, & belief are constructed through direct, indirect, internal, & need satisfaction bonds | ||||
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Direct bonds are estbed when punishment is threatened or applied for wrongful behavior, & compliance is rewarded by parents, family, & authority figures |
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Indirect bonds are estbed when one refrains from delinquency through the conscience or superego |
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Internal bonds are estbed when one identifies w/ those who influence behavior because his or her delinquent act might cause pain & disappointment to parents & others w/ whom he or she has close relationships | |||||
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Needs satisfaction bonds are estbed when an individual's needs are met & there is no point in criminal activity |
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Hirschi demonstrated that delinquent peers would have no direct effect on delinquency when social bonds inhibiting delinquency were taken onto account |
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Unattached youth drifted together into delinquent groups because weak social bonds failed to prevent both association w/ delinquents & delinquency itself |
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The groups that could strengthen the bonds were family, school, peers, religious institutions, etc. |
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CRITIQUE: SCT DOES NOT EXAMINE HOW SO MANY PEOPLE FAIL TO ATTACH & SACRIFICE SOCIAL BONDS FOR A LIFE OF CRIME / DEVIANCE |
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Many of the conclusions are intuitively convincing, e.g. that individuals will not engage in crime if they think that this will sacrifice the affection or respect of significant others, or cause them to lose employment or their autonomy if they face imprisonment |
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SCT is an advance from differential association theory in that it applies the ideas of soc control & bonding to grps beyond peers | |||||
While in general, people are controlled by attachment, commitments, activities, & beliefs, these social practices fail in many circumstances | |||||
While social bonds are important, SCT does not explain by so many people fail to bond & why bonds break |
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- Project: Public Punishment |
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DURKHEIM & MANY FUNCTIONALISTS HOLD THE CONTROVERSIAL POSITION THAT CRIME IS FUNCTIONAL FOR SOCIETY | |||||
Durkheim viewed a limited amount of crime as functional for society, however if crime became too pervasive, this was a symptom of anomie & the breakdown of the social order | |||||
Durkheim believed that an affinity for crime was the result of social forces | |||||
Durkheim, as he often did, developed his own position in direct opposition to other prevailing ideas of his time (late 1800s) |
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Durkheim directly refuted the positions that an affinity for crime was the result of something that is in individuals' psychological or physiological makeup | |||||
1. DURKHEIM'S ANOMIC EXPLANATION OF CRIME HOLDS THAT THE BREAKDOWN OF NORMS CAUSES CRIME |
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Durkheim developed the concept of anomie, which is a condition of normlessness in society | |||||
In a society, w/in the normal range of anomie we find that there are always some people who are outside the system |
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In a society, outside of the normal range of anomie we find that people engage in more deviant behavior, crime, riot, revolution, etc. | |||||
Anomie occurs at some normal level in society, but becomes socially pathological when the social order breaks down & anomie becomes widespread creating waves of deviance, crime, chaos, etc. | |||||
See Also: The Problem of Social Order | |||||
2. DURKHEIM'S SOLIDARITY EXPLANATION OF CRIME IS THAT DEVIANCE EXISTS BECAUSE SOCIETY MUST HAVE A SET OF BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS THAT HELP TO DEFINE THE CHARACTER OF THAT SOCIETY |
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For Durkheim & the functionalists there are positive consequences of deviance & social control: | |||||
Deviance / crime promotes solidarity in mainstream society |
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Deviance / crime sets boundaries | |||||
Deviance is so crucial to social order that societies lacking it would redefine acceptable behavior to create deviance |
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Conflict theorists would note that deviance has many other positive consequences, i.e., it is a source of innovation |
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There are also dysfunctions of deviance in that deviance beyond a certain level threatens the social order |
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DURKHEIM HOLDS THAT PUBLIC PUNISHMENT IS FUNCTIONAL BECAUSE IT SETS BOUNDARIES & ALLOWS US TO VIEW CRIMINALS AS DEVIANTS / OUTSIDERS | |||||
Public punishment is good for society |
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Public punishment is good for society not for the thrill, but because it allows us to see us as good & others as bad & the experience of a communal punishment against an offender builds solidarity | |||||
Public punishment is functional for society because it creates an in group w/ a norm of obeying the law; i.e. creates solidarity around the law | |||||
Public punishment is functional for society because the communal experience of punishing builds solidarity | |||||
Durkheim's view of the purpose of punishment is NOT to deter or correct the offender, rather it is to maintain the fundamental values of the community | |||||
Functionalists, including Durkheim, argue that the use of coercive social control is legitimate because laws are enacted by representatives of the people in the interest of the people |
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A DEVIANT SUBCULTURE IS A SUBCULTURE WHICH EXISTS OUTSIDE OF THE MAINSTREAM OF SOCIETY & SUPPORTS MEMBERS IN THEIR ACTIONS / LIFESTYLE | |||||
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Because a subculture is a set of people w/ a set of behavior, beliefs, i.e. culture which could be distinct or hidden that differentiates it from the larger culture, a deviant subculture is one whose behavior, beliefs, culture etc. distinguishes it by being outside the norm of the larger culture |
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Cloward & Ohlin extended Merton’s theory, proposing that access to illegitimate opportunities for success is also problematic | |||||
The concept of relative opportunity structure denotes that while Merton noted that society does not provide adequate legitimate means for approved goals, there is also a shortage of illegitimate means to achieve either approved or unapproved goals | |||||
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To organize & expand cultures of deviance, three different types of delinquent subcultures may arise: criminal subcultures, conflict subcultures, & retreatist subcultures |
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Cohen suggests that delinquency is most pronounced in lower class youths because they have the least opportunity to achieve conventional success |
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Miller characterizes deviant subcultures in terms of trouble, toughness, smartness, a need for excitement, a belief in fate, & a desire for freedom |
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Anderson explains that in poor urban neighborhoods, most people manage to conform to conventional, that is "decent" values |
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In applying Hirschi's social control theory, a deviant subculture's very deviance serves to bond it securely together |
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DEVIANT SUBCULTURES ARE SOME THE STRONGEST SUBCULTURES KNOWN | |||||
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Deviant subcultures are strong because the people in them often feel they have no alternative |
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Deviant subcultures are strong because they have high levels of commitment in that people often have a 100% commitment to the group in that divided loyalties are not allowed |
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Deviant subcultures are strong because they have high levels of involvement in that people often spend all their time w/in the group |
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Deviant subcultures are strong because their beliefs are similar to that of the subculture & have little or nothing in common w/ mainstream culture |
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Deviant subcultures are strong because of they are often attacked from outside, building in group solidarity |
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DEFINITIONS & SANCTIONS OF DEVIANCE & DEVIANT PRACTICES ALL REFLECT POWER RELATIONS IN SOCIETY | |||||
The social conflict approach links deviance to social inequality: who or what is labeled "deviant" depends on which categories of people hold power in a society |
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The norms of any society generally reflect the interests of the rich & powerful |
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Power is the ability to get someone to think or act in a way that they would not otherwise have done | |||||
While most people assume power is based on violence, threat of violence, econ, pol, or social control, benign forms of power such as opportunity for growth exist that people do opening & willingly submit to | |||||
The powerful have the resources to resist deviant labeling |
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Laws, which prescribe what is deviant & what is normal, may be inherently unfair giving an advantage to the powerful |
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DEVIANCE WHICH OPPOSES CAPITALISM IS OFTEN SEVERELY SANCTIONED BECAUSE IT IS QUESTIONING SOME OF THE PRIMARY VALUES & SOCIAL STRUCTURES OF SOCIETY |
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Spitzer suggests that deviant labels are chiefly applied to those who impede the operation of capitalism |
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For many decades, labor organizers were labeled as deviant & criminal w/ allegations of secret societies, immorality, communism, & cult like activities | |||||
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WHITE COLLAR CRIME IS LESS DEVIANT THAN STREET CRIME | ||||
White collar crime consists of crimes committed by persons of high social position in the course of their occupations |
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White collar crime is usually controlled by civil rather than criminal law |
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Most white collar criminals are treated leniently |
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CORPORATE CRIME IS GENERALLY CONSIDERED TO BE LESS DEVIANT THAN STREET CRIME & EVEN WHITE COLLAR CRIME |
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Corporate crime refers to the illegal actions of a corporation or people acting on its behalf |
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ORGANIZED CRIME EXISTS BECAUSE IT KEEPS PEOPLE FIGHTING FOR SECURITY RATHER CONFRONTING THE ROOT CAUSE OF THEIR OPPRESSION |
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Organized crime is a business supplying illegal goods or services | |||||
A CRITIQUE OF CONFLICT THEORY ON DEVIANCE IS THAT NOT ALL CRIME IS A FUNCTION OF A REACTION TO CAPITALISM | |||||
Conflict analysis often seems to assume that laws benefit only the rich while their argument is more that they benefit the rich more than the poor | |||||
Conflict theory implies that crime arises only in societies that treat their member unequally because there is a direct correlation btwn the level of inequality in a society & the amount of crime |
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THE US CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS MADE UP OF THE 'LAW & ORDER' SYSTEM & MORE, INCLUDING LAW ENFORCEMENT, PROSECUTION & DEFENSE, THE COURT SYSTEM, THE PENAL SYSTEM, THE PAROLE SYSTEM, & MORE |
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The criminal justice system (CJS) is a society's formal response to crime |
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Key elements of the CJS include due process, equal justice for all, a right to a jury of your peers, the right to representation, etc. |
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A. DUE PROCESS OUR CONSTITUTIONAL CONCEPT THAT ALL PEOPLE ARE GUARANTEED EQUAL, FAIR, & JUST PROCESS WHEN ACCUSED OF A CRIME |
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Due process involves the idea that the CJS must operate w/in the bounds of law, & is guided by the Bill of Rights |
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Anyone charged w/ a crime must receive fair notice of the proceedings, a hearing on the charges, & a judge or jury that weighs evidence impartially |
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B. POLICE, BROADLY SPEAKING, INCLUDE ALL CITY POLICE, SHERIFFS, PRIVATE POLICE, FED LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL, ETC. |
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In the US there are approximately 19,000 police depts & 1 million police officers, depending on the criteria used to count them (w/ part timers counted as 1/2) | |||||
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The police serve as the primary point of contact btwn the population & the CJS |
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The police frequently refer to themselves as the "thin blue line" signifying how they stand btwn the law abiding & the lawless, btwn order & chaos, btwn peace & violence | |||||
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Police quickly size up a situation in terms of six factors, including: |
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1. how serious is the alleged crime?
2. what is the victim's preference w/ regard to making an arrest? 3. is the suspect cooperative? 4. have they arrested the suspect before? 5. are bystanders present? 6. what is the suspect's race? |
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C. THE COURT SYSTEM IS GENERALLY DIVIDED INTO STATE & FED CTS W/ LOWER LEVEL CTS, CTS OF APPEALS, & A SUPREME CT, AS WELL AS VARIOUS SPECIALIZED CTS |
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After arrest, a court determines the guilt or innocence of the accused |
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In practice, about 90 % of criminal cases are resolved through plea bargaining, a legal negotiation in which the prosecution reduces a defendant's charge in exchange for a guilty plea |
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D. PUNISHMENT IN THE US GENERALLY HAS TRIED BUT GIVEN UP ON A SYSTEM TO REFORM PRISONERS SO THAT TODAY PRISONERS ARE GIVEN INSUFFICIENT TRAINING TO MAKE IT WHEN THEY ARE RELEASED |
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There are 2.2 mm people incarcerated in the US in the mid 2000s | |||||
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There are four basic reasons to punish |
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a. Retribution is an act of moral vengeance by which society subjects an offender to suffering comparable to that caused by the offense |
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b. Deterrence is the attempt to discourage criminality through punishment |
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Specific deterrence demonstrates to the individual offender that crime does not pay |
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In general deterrence, the punishment of one person serves as an example to others |
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c. Rehabilitation involves reforming the offender to prevent subsequent offenses | |||||
d. Societal protection is rendering an offender incapable of further offenses temporarily through incarceration or permanently by execution | |||||
A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE PENAL SYSTEM IS THAT OUR SYSTEM IS NEAR OR ABOVE CAPACITY & THAT THEREFORE REHABILITATION IS UNLIKELY | |||||
Punishment deters some crime, yet our society has a high rate of criminal recidivism – subsequent offenses by people convicted of crimes | |||||
The death penalty has limited value as a general deterrent | |||||
Prisons do little to reshape attitudes or behavior in the long run | |||||
E. COMMUNITY BASED CORRECTIONS ATTEMPTS TO KEEP CONVICTED CRIMINALS OUT OF PRISON BY HOUSING THEM IN HALF-WAY HOUSES OR SIMPLY HAVING THEM DO COMMUNITY SERVICE | |||||
One alternative to the traditional prison is community based corrections, correctional programs operating w/in society at large rather than behind prison walls | |||||
There are several types of community based correction | |||||
a. Probation is a policy of permitting a convicted offender to remain in the community under conditions imposed by a court, including regular supervision | |||||
b. Shock probation is a policy by which a judge orders a convicted offender to prison for a short time & then suspends the remainder of the sentence in favor of probation | |||||
c. Parole is a policy of releasing inmates from prison to serve the remainder of their sentences under supervision in the local community | |||||
A CRITICAL REVIEW OF COMMUNITY BASED CORRECTIONS IS THAT THIS ONLY WORKS W/ SOME TYPES OF CRIMINALS | |||||
Evaluations of probation & parole are mixed | |||||
The sobering truth is that the criminal justice system cannot eliminate crime |
The End
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