Theories of Crime Unit 3 Part 1

THEORIES OF CRIME UNIT 3 SOCIAL STRUCTURE THEORIES CONTENTS 1) Social disorganization theories 2) Strain theory 3) Cultural deviance theory INTRODUCTION Social Structure theories • Rejects individualist explanations • Behaviors defined as criminal behavior are simply those that deviate from the norms acceptable to the consensus of opinion in society • Weak and powerless are defined as criminal and targeted by the rich and powerful in an inherently unequal and unfair society • Crime is a socially constructed entity and poses a real threat to the continuance of that society and thus needs to be controlled in some way • The sociological variant of the predestined actor model involves the ‘scientific’ measurement of indicators of ‘social disorganization’ – such as rates of crime, drunkenness and suicide – in specified urban areas. • Proponents recommend that once the whereabouts of existing and potential ‘trouble spots’ are identified, these must be treated, controlled or prevented, if serious social disorder is to be avoided INTRODUCTION Social Structure theories • Social structure theories link crimes to social structures • Social structures or social institutions include family, religious, educational, economic and political institutions. These are the five major social institutions • Social structure theories are macro theories • Macro theories focus on the analysis of social systems/ institutions/ structures, such as the family, educational, religious institution, economic, and political institutions • Also, macro theories focus on individuals and their relationships. • For example, the relationship between adult children and their parents, or the effect of negative attitudes on older people • In addition, macro theories analyses social structure, social processes and social problems, and their interrelationships INTRODUCTION Social Structure theories • Crime is mainly a problem that people in the lower socio-economic class engage in • The root causes of crime is in the structural defects created by poverty, unemployment, poor education and racism – These social problems create socially deprived/ disadvantaged groups who are noted as being responsible for the crime rates • Structure theorists are concerned with macro-level sociological analysis, and not a micro-level analysis • Social structure theorists seek to identify the defects/ shortcomings in the society and correct them INTRODUCTION Structure theories are divided into two groups, viz: • Social disorganization theory (or ecological theory) • Strain theory (or anomie theory) Social Disorganization Theory/ Ecological theory • Emile Durkheim was the founding father of academic sociology in France and a major social theorist working at the turn of the twentieth century • People are seen to commit criminal acts not because it is in their material interests to do so, but because there is no strong moral authority influencing them to do otherwise • Crime is influenced by the structural and cultural characteristics of a neighborhood or community • When a community experiences high levels of poverty, residential mobility, ethnic diversity, and a lack of social cohesion and informal social control, it becomes socially disorganized • This disorganization disrupts the ability of the community to effectively regulate and control behavior, leading to higher rates of crime and deviance • Crime is not solely a result of individual characteristics but is shaped by the social and physical context in which individuals live • Social disorganization and social ecology theories provide valuable frameworks for understanding the influence of neighborhood characteristics and community dynamics on crime rates. Social Disorganization Theory/ Ecological theory • Social disorganization theory is concerned with crime and disorder within neighborhoods • Social organization – this is said to occur when societally agreed norms and expectations guide people’s behavior • Social organization is important because it helps to regulate human behaviour SOCIAL DISORGANISATION • This is defined as the failure of a societal structure to achieve the common goals of its inhabitants and maintain effective social control • The concept of social disorganization hinges on three variables – poverty, residential mobility, and racial heterogeneity • The consequences of social disorganization are: 1. A breakdown of informal social control in families and communities 2. A weakness in the ability of a community to protect itself from crime Strain Theory/ Anomie Theory Crime is a result of the strain on and in social structure/ institutions ASSUMPTIONS OF STRAIN THEORY • Disorganized urban slums are responsible for crime • Crime is perpetuated by the lower class due to the shortcomings that they experience from the social structures • Strain, which is experienced from distorted aspirations, unrealistic objectives and materialism influence crime • Frustration and anger, which results from the inability to legally meet socially approved means of attaining social and financial success results in crime Similarities between Social Disorganization theory and Anomie theory • • • • • Poverty and economic inequality influence crime Disorder and disorganization are a product of the institutional structure of the society Uncertainty and confusion precipitates instability, which in turn, generates crime Structure theories seek to explain the high level of crime in poor communities Instability is seen mainly in minority groups, the lower socio-economic class and “drop outs”, and these are all defects of the social structure