Explanations of crime and deviance

As sociologists, we try to explain why people commit criminal or deviant acts.

There are a range of explanations presented:

● Inadequate socialisation
● Peer groups/ subcultures
● Strain theory
● Status frustration
● Labelling
● Relative deprivation

Inadequate Socialisation:

- There are accepted norms and values in society that most people are
socialised into following.

- We are taught these norms and values through ‘primary and

secondary socialisation.

- However, some young people are ‘inadequately socialised’ within the

family - or have learned criminal norms and values through role
models outside of the family.

- This view is favoured by FUNCTIONALISTS and the NEW RIGHT.

ALBERT COHEN:

- Albert Cohen explained crime and deviance through a person’s

association with their peer groups and influence of subcultures.

- These groups and subcultures are likely to develop norms and values
that go against society’s norms and values (this is what makes it a
subculture)- and their behaviour would be either criminal or deviant.

- Because people have a natural desire to fit in and be accepted by

their peers, they are likely to want to follow the norms and values of
the group- they themselves then become criminal or deviant.
 MERTON-STRAIN THEORY:

- Merton developed this theory to explain why deviant acts occur.

- He claims that social order is maintained through everyone agreeing

on social goals (success/material items) and the means of achieving
them (work).

- However, in an unequal society not everyone has the same

opportunity to achieve their goals by the approved means (work).

- Therefore, there is a strain between their want to achieve their goals,

and their lack of means- which can lead to crime.

- He claims that there are a few adaptations to this strain:

CONFORMITY:

GOALS MEANS

✅ accept goals ✅accept means

Merton calls this Conformity. People who want to achieve the goals of a
society and have opportunities to do so. Merton thinks they make up a large
number of people.

INNOVATION:

GOALS MEANS

✅ accept goals ❌reject means

Merton calls this Innovation. People who want to achieve the goals of a
society, But turn to illegitimate means to do so.
Who might be most likely to be in this group?
- CRIMINALS.
 RITUALISM:

GOALS MEANS

❌reject goals ✅accept means

Merton calls this Ritualism. People who have given up on achieving the goals,
but believe it’s through their own fault as they had the means to do so. So
they carry on with their lives in dead-end jobs.

- Teachers who have given up on students/Office workers who have

abandoned hope of promotion (non-criminals)

RETREATISM:

GOALS MEANS

❌reject goals ❌reject means

Merton calls this Retreatism. People who reject both goals and means. For
example?

- Drug addicts/ Tramps/ Homeless

REBELLION:

GOALS MEANS

❌✅ ❌✅
Merton calls this rebellion. People who form their own goals and means to
create a new society. Revolutionaries and radicals.
- Martin Luther King/ Rosa Parks/ Emily Davison/ Gretta Thunberg

Activity work:

⬇️⬇️⬇️
GROUP GOALS MEANS

Conformity A successful banker

Innovation -A drug dealer

-A person cheating in
exams
- shoplifter

Ritualism An indifferent job

centre worker

Retreatism - A drug addict

rebellion A monk living in a

monastery

A.K. COHEN (1955) - STATUS FRUSTRATION

- Differing to Merton's strain theory, Cohen tried to explain non-material

(money) crimes associated with Juveniles.

- Vandalism
- Graffiti
- Antisocial Behaviour

- He argued that w/c bys hold the same success criteria as wider
society (monetary success)
 - However, as a consequence of educational underachievement,
they are denied employment opportunities and cannot achieve
their goals.

- Cohen believes that because these boys feel denied status in

mainstream society, they experience status frustration.

- They are likely to join delinquent subcultures which provide them with
the status they crave. These subcultures go against the m/c values of
society.

● So when we fail in society’s values, they try to succeed within

subcultures trying to rise in the hierarchy, which they have more
chance of succeeding in.

● This element of revenge against society explains why some

young offenders turn to crime.

STATUS FRUSTRATION:
● People who don't accept who they are
● People who try to fit in delinquent behaviour
● People who deny status
● Gain their status by doing crime

BECKER- LABELLING

- A label is a tag attached to a group or individual

- Labelling a person a criminal, can have serious consequences
- If the label of ‘criminal’ is successfully applied, it tends to stick and
people see the person by this label. (MASTER STATUS)- think a murder
or paedophile.
- People then treat this person according to their label and nothing
else- this then leads to a SFP
- The person may take on the role of their criminal label, and as such,
may take on a deviant career, as there is no other option.