25 th February Social control: the sequel!  Before last term we looked at the meanings of the terms informal and formal social control. You all should have read your social control booklet! AQA spec: ‘Candidates should examine the different theories of crime, social order and social control’

Approaches to Understanding Social Control  Functionalists- see the criminal justice system as operating to look after interests of society as a whole. Without this control= anomie. A key component of social control is punishment, it allows us to see how far society goes to maintain social control.  Durkheim- societies can only exist if members share common values and a collective consciousness. A legal system is then put in place to create boundaries.

Durkheim argued that the type of formal system of control reflects the type of society Mechanic societies Retribution (less complex societies) Organic ‘Restitutive law’ (more complex societies) Savage penalties are imposed on the offender in order to reinforce the norms of society. It will also be public and physical in nature so public hangings, branding and mutilation As societies develop punishment shifts from public punishment to imprisonment The aim of punishing someone is to let them make amends for their actions

Marxists argue that the CJS operates to benefit the ruling class, law and police are both agents of the ruling class. Rusche and Kircheimer (1939) agree that law reflects ruling class and go further stating punishment also reflects their interests. Capitalism has allowed prisons to serve useful proposes, training workers in disciplines of long working hours poor conditions Hall and Chambliss (1976) also argue that the CJS operates solely to for the benefit of the ruling class. The CJS- police judiciary and prisons is based on controlling the working classes ensuring that opposition to capitalism is squashed (They argue slavery was an early form of punishment because of the need for labour. Today capitalist societies have prisons to train workers to cope with the monotony of long meaningless hours of work) Reiman (2006) argues that the law itself is based upon outlawing certain acts performed by the working class, yet possibly ignoring the more harmful acts of the ruling class

Late modern perspectives  Late modern writers offer more complex analyses of the criminal justice system and the forms of social control. Their interests focus more on the changing forms of social control over time. The two well known of writers are: Foucault and Stan Cohen!

Foucault  Put the issue of social control at the centre of his writings, society is a battleground of competing interests. The key to gaining power is to have control over knowledge and the methods of achieving this. Those who succeed in having their definition of knowledge accepted gain power and in turn will use this to enforce their view of the world. The CJS play an important part in enforcing these rules.

Changes in Social Control  Stan Cohen (1985) suggested key themes in the changing nature of the formal control in western societies.  Penetration- previously laws were made and haphazardly enforced by whatever authority was around at the time, society now seeks law to be penetrated throughout society, there is more conformity and control right through to the media and schools and even private companies.  Size and Density- people in control or have means of control is much larger then previously. This then leads them to process larger numbers of crime.  Identity and visibility- crime use to be public, now subtle forms of control CCTV, door staff at night clubs. Again drawing on the notion of a surveillance society.

Functionalist Marxist Persepctives Late modern perspectives A fair assessment? Why?

Examine the role of formal and informal social control in controlling behaviour (12 marks) Social control!

Question help! 12 marks!  Start of by giving a brief definition of each type of social control (noting that social control is exercised both for criminal non-criminal behaviour…. Give examples!)  You should examine some of the social institutions that exercise control (i.e education, family, police)  You need to consider a range of sociological approaches to social control such as Functionalism, Marxism and late-modern approaches (i.e Foucault and Cohen!)

Feeley and Simon- Actuarialism Suggest governments look for risk factors and then focus their energies on their energies on the group(s) identified as most likely to commit crime  The stress of social control has changed form controlling deviants behaviour to controlling potentially deviant people  Therefore agencies work out who is the greatest risk from committing deviance and act against them.  They extend Cohen's point on privatisation and argue that there is large amounts of surveillance which help profit companies.

The Police

Approaches to policing Consensus Conflict  Scranton (’85) Imposing m.c values on w.c and ethnic-minority communities Higher patrol rates in these areas Impose law which reflects the bourgeoisie interests  The consensual approach: Close relationship between local area and police Represent the interests of majority Police come from community and reflect its interests Individuals are caught as a result of complaints from community

Police Discretion  Reiner (1992) has suggested three ways of categorising police discretion 1. Individualistic- police has their own discretion, specific concerns and interests and applies it to the law accordingly. Gorman (1982) found that racist police officers were a lot harsher to ethnic minorities.

 2. Cultural-  police officers are white and male.  Have a very specific occupational culture  According to Skolnick this has three main components.  I). Suspiciousness- as part of their training they are taught to discriminate between ‘decent’ and deviant people.  II). Internal solidarity and social isolation- spend a large amount of time with their peers, isolated form the public. They also rely on each other rather than others in order for support.  III).Conservatism- must abide by the law those who want to join hardly ever have apolitical strong attitude.

 Structural-  this view comes from a Marxist approach, the very definition of law is biased in favour of the powerful, police officers definition of crime derives from their role as agents of control in a capitalist society. Morgan found that 55% of prisoners were unemployed, 30% were in manual 60% under 25 and 87% male. 12% African despite only 3% of society are from this background!  THINK AGE, CLASS, ETHNICITY! 5y-Jw