Crime and Deviance exam questions
Crime questions – Qu. 1 & 2 – both worth 21 marks.You should spend 30 minutes on each question and each should have a traditional essay structure (include an introduction and a conclusion, at least two sides of the argument, two or more theories, relevant studies and as much evaluation as you can cram in!). You also need to show ‘conceptual confidence’ – this just means that you should make it clear to the examiner that you know and understand the important concepts, e.g. anomie, relative deprivation.Make sure you make reference to the item – both essay questions will have their own item. You can often use the information in the item as a springboard ...view middle of the document...
The Macpherson Report after death of Stephen Lawrence. Canteen culture. * Sentencing – ethnic minority offenders given longer sentences, even when severity of crime and previous convictions taken into account. * Left realism – Lea and Young – Ethnic differences in the crime rates reflect real differences in the levels of offending. Relative deprivation, subculture and marginalisation lead to higher offending rates among ethnic minority groups. Acknowledge that the police often act in racist ways but this cannot fully explain the stats. * Neo-Marxism – the statistics do not reflect reality, they are the outcome of a process of social construction that stereotypes ethnic minorities as inherently more criminal. Gilroy (1982) and Hall (1979) * Could also include Bourgois and reference to the exclusion of ethnic minority groups leading to them setting up alternative economies. * Statistical artefact approach – the higher rates are simply a result of a younger ethnic minority population who are more likely to live in the inner city and other deprived areas. |
Assess sociological views of the relationship between crime and the mass media. | * Explain that the news media gives a distorted picture of crime: over-represent violent and sexual crime, portray criminals and victims as older and more middle class than they actually are, exaggerate police success, exaggerate the risk of victimisation. Cohen and Young – the news is manufactured. Notion of news values. * Media as a cause of crime – horror films (Childs Play and James Bulger killing), violent video games, concerns over lyrics in rap, imitation (copycat crimes), etc. Effects of TV on children. * Fear of crime – media creates unrealistic fear of crime – Gerbner et al, Schlesinger & Tumber. * Moral panics – probably the most substantial part of the essay. Cohen – Folk Devils and Moral Panics – make reference to the mods and rockers example of trouble in British seaside towns in the 60s between the two groups. Know and understand the elements of a moral panic and be able to give modern examples. * Evaluate – modern audiences are much more sophisticated and are able to question what they see, hear and read. Much less susceptible to moral panics, etc. McRobbie and Thornton – moral panics are now so common that they have very little impact. * Could also make reference to new forms of crime – global cyber crime – news types of media have led to new crimes – Cyber trespass, Cyber-deception and theft, Cyber-pornography. |
Assess the usefulness of subcultural theories in explaining subcultural crime and deviance in society today. | This is a relatively straightforward question, which I would probably approach chronologically, making sure that you point out how each theory is still relevant or useful in today’s society and how each theory has grown out of those that came before it. Make sure you point out the subtle differences between the theories as this is where...
