1. Sociological Theories of Crime
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 Innovator
Accept the goals and ways of achievement
Innovator
Accept the goals but reject how to get there

16. How do people adapt? 3. Ritualists 4. Retreatists 5. Rebels
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
Involvement in conventional activities
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 2 Functions
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