Why Crime Happens

1. Why Crime Happens Sociological Theories of Crime

2. Before We Get Started… • What do you see? • An elderly woman? • A young woman?

3. How about another? • How many months have 30 days? • 11 (all of them except February!)

4. Let’s Get Down to Business! • You’ve learned about… • Psychological Theories of Crime • Classical Theories of Crime, and • Biological Theories of Crime • Let’s add one more! • Sociological Theories!

5. What do Sociologists Believe? • Sociologists emphasize that human beings live in social groups and that those groups and the social structure they create influence behavior.

6. How does this relate to Crime? • Most sociological theories of crime assume that it is the person’s environment that impacts a person’s criminal behavior, NOT there physiological makeup. • People are NOT born to be criminals!

7. What are we going to learn about? • The Theory of the Chicago School • Strain Theory • Social Control Theory • Labeling Theory • Conflict Theory

8. Theory of the Chicago School • Developed by a group of sociologists in the 1920’s that were living in the Chicago area • They wanted to find out if there was a relationship between a neighborhood’s crime rate and the characteristics of that neighborhood

9. Their Findings… • Neighborhoods with high crime rates also had social disorganization • Controls of criminal behavior are absent • Approved by community (parents/neighbors) • Numerous opportunities • Little encouragement, training, or opportunity for employment

10. Examples in Lincoln? • Poverty? • Illiteracy? • Lack of education? • Unemployment? • Illegitimacy? • Where does crime occur in Lincoln?

11. Strain Theory • Robert Merton 1938 • Contradiction in the U.S • Cultural goals • Social structure

12. Cultural goals • What are socially acceptable goals? • Wealth • Status • Political power • Any others?

13. Social Structure • What are the socially acceptable ways of attaining cultural goals? • Education • Hard work • Investment

14. It’s all about the Benjamins! • Merton’s Strain Theory emphasizes monetary success as the primary cultural goal • Opportunities are not equally distributed in society • Causes some people to turn to illegitimate means to reach these goals

15. So how do people adapt? • Five ways • Conformist • Accept the goals and ways of achievement • Innovator • Accept the goals but reject how to get there

16. How do people adapt? 3. Ritualists • Reject goals but accept means 4. Retreatists • Reject both the goals and means 5. Rebels • Want to replace the existing goals and means with their own system

18. So which one is the criminal? • Conformist? • Innovator? • Retreatist? • Ritualist? • Rebel?

19. It is the INNOVATOR • These individuals use illegal means to gain socially acceptable goals • Money • Power • Success

21. Social Control Theory • Instead of asking why crime happens, Social Control Theory asks Why Doesn’t Crime Happen? • What do you think? Why do people conform?

22. Who is responsible for this Theory? • The lead sociologist for Social Control Theory is Travis Hirschi • Causes of Delinquency 1969 • Crime happens when juveniles, YOU, are not “properly” socialized • Socialization happens through a strong bond to society

23. How does Socialization happen? • Attachment to others • Examples? • Commitment to conventional lines of action • Examples? • Involvement in conventional activities • Examples? • Belief in the moral order and law

24. What are the types of Control? • Direct Control • Efforts to directly control behavior • Setting rules • Monitoring behavior • Punishment for rule violations • Reinforcement for conventional behavior

25. Types of Control… • Stake in Conformity • What might be lost by engaging in delinquent behavior? • Those with a lot to lose are less likely to be delinquent • 2 Functions • Emotional attachment • Investment in activities

26. What do you think? • Based on what you’ve learned so far, what sociological theory of crime do you agree with? • Chicago School Theory? • Strain Theory? • Social Control Theory? • WHY???

27. Types of Control… • Internal Control • The ability to restrain yourself from participating in delinquent behavior

28. Labeling Theory • When you hear the word “Label,” what comes to mind? • How would you label yourself?

29. What is Labeling Theory? • It focuses on the reaction to delinquency or criminal behavior • Official reaction: Law enforcement, judicial penalties • Informal reaction: parents, friends, teachers

30. What do these theorists argue? • People who are labeled as delinquent or criminal are often seen as being “bad” or “evil.” • This view leads other people to reject them and treat them in a harsh manner • “Harsh/rejecting” response increases the probability of further criminal behavior

31. Here’s what they ask • Why are some acts defined as criminal or delinquent? • How do other’s react to criminal behavior? • What impact does the reaction to delinquency have on further delinquency? • Why are some offenders more likely to experience the harsh/rejecting reaction than others? • Are some offenders more likely to respond to the harsh/rejecting reaction?

32. Why are some acts defined as criminal? • Societal rules? • Laws? • Expectations? • Cultural norms?

33. Other’s reaction to delinquency • Harsh/rejecting reaction • First labeled as “bad” or “evil” • This leads others to treat you harshly or reject you • Failure to respond • Never find out • Delinquency is ignored or mildly punished • Condemn the action but accept the individual • Condemn the sin but love the sinner

34. Why does harsh/rejecting reaction lead to more delinquency? • Reduces control • Reduces direct control • Reduces stake in conformity • Internal control may be weakened • Increases strain • Difficult to achieve goals • Loss of positive stimuli and increase in negative • Increase level of irritability

35. Why does harsh/rejecting reaction lead to more delinquency? • Increases social learning of delinquency • Creates a delinquent self-concept • Charles Cooley: Cooley’s Looking Glass Self • We perceive ourselves as other’s perceive us • People’s reaction to us shape our identity • Develop self feeling based on these reactions • Positive and negative reactions

36. What determines the H/R reaction? • Most important factor is whether the criminal behavior that is engaged in becomes known to other’s, especially frequent and/or serious crimes • Socio-economic status • Individuals that associate with delinquent others • What about gender?

37. So what do you think?

38. Conflict Theory • Focuses on the conflict in society between rich and poor, management and labor, whites and minorities • Assumes that society is based primarily on conflict between competing interest groups and that criminal law and the criminal justice system are used to control subordinate groups. • Crime is caused by relative powerlessness

39. Four primary assumptions of Conflict Theory • Competition • We all compete for scarce resources • Money, leisure, partners, etc. • Structural Inequality • Inequalities in power and reward are everywhere! It’s automatically built in • If you benefit, you try to keep it

40. Four primary assumptions of Conflict Theory • Revolution • Change occurs as a result of conflict between social class’s competing interests • It’s fast • War • It is a unifier, it brings the societies involved together • Can also end whole societies

41. So how does this apply to Crime? • Criminal Justice system and the law are viewed as working for the upper class • i.e. the social elites, the rich, those in power - the bourgeoise • The “system” is aimed at imposing standards of morality and good behavior • Who determines what is moral or good?

42. So Why is Crime Committed? • The lower class, the poor, or the proletariat commit crime to even the playing field. • It’s done out of necessity • Want or need to “improve their lot in life.” • Way to gain money and power

43. Let’s tie it all together… • Look through your notes • What do the following have in common? • Chicago School theory • Strain Theory • Social Control Theory • Labeling Theory • Conflict Theory