Crime and Deviance (4/14)

1. Crime and Deviance (4/14) Two functional approaches Merton and sources of structural strain Hirschi, Braithwaite and social control theory Two Conflict approaches Chambliss and labeling theory Uggen, Western and power-control theory

2. Crime and deviance • Functionalist accounts: • Crimes are defined to maintain values and order • Crimes are committed due to anomie. • Maintaining social order is negative feedback • E.g. Merton, social control theory, Braithwaite. • Conflict accounts: • Crimes are defined by the powers that be • They are largely driven by inequality • Thus the courts and police function as part of a system of positive feedback and the Matthew P.

3. Merton and Structural Strain • Defines structural strain as a discrepancy between social values of equal opportunity to achieve material success and the availability of legitimate opportunities. • Argues it generates a variety of different kinds of anomie. • Suggests that modern societies have to live up to ideals of equal opportunity; we don’t.

4. Structural strain and “forced divison of labor” • The argument that modern values have to be oriented to equal opportunity was the argument that was made by Durkheim about organic solidarity • The argument that when opportunities and education are a function of social class, that creates inherited privilege (undermining organic solidarity) was the argument about the “forced Division of labor”

5. Some questions: • How equal are opportunities? • How equal do people believe they are? • How could they be made more equal? • Would that affect the crime rate?

6. An example of a synthetic Functional approach: Braithwaite Residential mobility Male Age 15-25 Low Communitarianism Urbanization Low Interdependency unmarried Legitimate opportunities structurally blocked unemployed Criminal subculture Low aspirations Shame Reintegration or stigma Illegitimate opportunities Participation in criminal subculture Low crime rates High crime rates

7. The Durkheimain Core of Braithwaite Low Communitarianism Low Interdependency Egoism: a lack of ties to families and other solidary groups Anome: a lack of normative regulation High suicide High crime rates

8. The Egoistic Suicide model: Social Control Theory Male Age 15-25 Lack of ties unmarried unemployed Low aspirations Hirschi argues that it is the failure of most people to engage in crime that needs to be explained, and the explanation is (family) ties High crime rates

9. The Anomie theory in Braithwaite Residential mobility Anomie: lack of norms Urbanization Legitimate opportunities structurally blocked Criminal subculture Illegitimate opportunities Participation in criminal subculture High crime rates

10. Labeling theory in Braithwaite Anomie Egoism Legitimate opportunities structurally blocked Criminal subculture Shame and stigma Illegitimate opportunities Participation in criminal subculture High crime rates

11. Braithwaite’s distictive ideas • Reintegrative shame is the main characteristic of Japanese criminal justice system. • It allows you to get the best of both worlds. • Both are probably wrong. • Both correctly involve balancing opposed dynamics.

12. Labeling theory • Creation of secondary deviance as a result of lables • E.g. Chambliss: the Saints and the Roughnecks • It is hard enough to stay on the rails when there are rewards; • When the teachers, judges, cops and storeowners think you are a jerk, it is harder.

13. The appearance • Not only were there some sources of deviance from disadvantage, • But the structures of social control made it worse • By acting in a stigmatizing fashion. • This created a consolidated mind set, and restricted opportunities for success.

14. The reality • Chambliss argued: In fact the whole thing was smoke and mirrors. • Mostly, the “saints” did serious deviance • but did not get caught; • When they were, “I did not mean to and I will never do it again” worked. • And if it didn’t their parents could protect them from being labeled.

15. Labeling theory and power • Where did the labels come from • Chambliss argued that the saints committed more and more serious crimes • The structure of power and their demeanor allowed them not to get labeled • Teachers, judges, cops and storeowners are human, and they are influenced by social class.

16. The role of the criminal justice system in life chances • A not very important part of Monopoly is the Get Out of Jail Free card. • But it can be important if you lack it. • Does class give a get out of Jail Free card Power and resources Access to power and resources

17. Examples • B. Western: “Incarceration, Wage Mobility and Inequality” ASR 67: 526-47 (2002) • There is an elaborate literature on the effect of poverty on crime and incarceration; • There is another literature on ways that not having a lawyer in the US is a handicap. • There is also a powerful effect of incarceration on life chances (i.e. on poverty and inequality)

18. The Objectivity of the structure of enforcement • Power is the ability to set the rules • It both stems from and leads to access to other kinds of resources. Power and resources Ability to make and enforce the rules

19. Examples • Uggen in ASR the high levels of incarceration of the black population insures Republican dominance, which leads to greater incarceration rates for the black population • More generally incarceration is always an aspect of the structure of privilege.