To what extent is social class the best explanation of crime?
Cambridge
O level and GCSE
2021
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To What Extent is Social Class the Best Explanation of Crime?
Arguments for Social Class as an Explanation
Official Crime Statistics - Crime rates higher among working/under classes
Socialisation - Lower classes socialised into different values (e.g., immediate gratification)
Merton's Strain Theory - Western societies promote American Dream but not all can achieve it - Lower classes may turn to crime to fulfill desires
Relative Deprivation - Lower classes may steal goods enjoyed by higher classes
Marxism - Lower-class actions criminalised and law enforced selectively - Makes it appear that lower social class contributes to crime
Cohen's Status Frustration - Lower classes experience low status - Turn to crime to improve status
Cicourel's 'Typical Delinquent' - Law enforcement stereotypes the typical criminal as working class - Increases probability of arrest and conviction
Education - Lower classes have lower education levels - Limits job prospects, making crime more attractive
White-Collar/Corporate Crime - Shows links between crime and higher social classes
Arguments against Social Class as an Explanation
Age - Young people commit more crime than other age groups
Gender - Males commit more crime than females
Ethnicity - Certain ethnic groups commit more crimes than others
Validity of Official Crime Statistics - OCS may not provide an accurate picture of crime
Dark Figure of Crime - Many crimes go unreported
Class and Middle-Class Crimes - Is social class the best explanation for crimes like fraud (often committed by middle class)?
Expressive Crimes - Hard to align social class with explanations for crimes like murder and assault
Feminism - Criminal justice system seen as patriarchal - Gender, not class, is the best explanation for crime
To What Extent is Social Class the Best Explanation of Crime?
The relationship between social class and crime has been a long-standing debate within sociology. While official statistics suggest a strong correlation between lower social class and criminal behaviour, sociologists argue about the extent to which social class is the most significant factor. This essay will explore various arguments surrounding this complex issue, considering both supporting and opposing viewpoints.
Arguments Supporting Social Class as a Key Factor
Numerous sociological theories highlight the influence of social class on criminal behaviour. Official crime statistics often reveal a disproportionate number of crimes committed by individuals from working or underclass backgrounds. This observation forms the basis for various explanations.
Socialisation plays a crucial role in shaping an individual's values and behaviours. Theorists like Miller argue that the lower classes may be socialised into a culture that emphasises focal concerns such as toughness, excitement, and immediate gratification, potentially leading them towards criminal activities. Furthermore, Merton's strain theory posits that the pressure to achieve the "American Dream" – often unattainable for lower social classes – creates a strain that can lead individuals to crime as a means to achieve desired goals.
Relative deprivation, a concept closely linked to strain theory, suggests that individuals who perceive themselves as disadvantaged compared to their more affluent counterparts may resort to crime to acquire what they lack. This feeling of deprivation is often amplified by the conspicuous consumption of higher social classes.
Marxist perspectives argue that the capitalist system inherently disadvantages the working class. The law itself, according to this view, is a tool used by the ruling class to criminalise the actions of the lower classes while protecting their interests. This selective enforcement further strengthens the perceived link between lower social class and crime.
Other theories like Cohen's status frustration and Cicourel's "typical delinquent" further emphasize the role of social class. Cohen argues that lower-class youth, lacking legitimate avenues to achieve status, may turn to delinquent subcultures to gain recognition. Similarly, Cicourel’s study highlighted the biased labelling within law enforcement that targets individuals fitting the stereotype of a "typical delinquent," often associated with working-class backgrounds.
Furthermore, limited access to education and subsequent restricted job prospects for lower social classes can push individuals towards crime as a more attractive and potentially lucrative alternative within an "illegitimate opportunity structure."
Arguments Challenging Social Class as the Primary Explanation
While social class appears significant, focusing solely on it risks overlooking other crucial factors. Age, for instance, plays a major role, with young people consistently committing a disproportionate amount of crime. Similarly, gender is a crucial factor, with males significantly more likely to engage in criminal activities. Sociologists exploring masculinity argue that societal expectations of men contribute to this disparity.
The influence of ethnicity on crime rates is another complex issue. Statistics often show variations in crime rates among different ethnic groups. While some argue this reflects socioeconomic disparities, others suggest cultural factors play a role, demanding a nuanced understanding beyond simple class analysis.
Critics also question the validity of relying solely on official crime statistics. These statistics, they argue, represent only a fraction of actual crime (the dark figure of crime) and are subject to biases in reporting and recording.
Furthermore, explaining certain crimes solely through social class proves challenging. White-collar and corporate crimes demonstrate a clear link between criminality and higher social classes, often driven by greed and power rather than deprivation. Similarly, expressive crimes like murder and assault are difficult to explain solely through a social class lens.
Feminist perspectives offer another critique. They argue that the patriarchal nature of the criminal justice system, evidenced by low conviction rates for crimes against women, underscores gender as the primary issue in understanding crime rather than social class.
Conclusion
While social class undeniably plays a role in influencing criminal behaviour, attributing it as the sole or primary explanation presents an incomplete picture. The interplay of various factors, including age, gender, ethnicity, and individual motivations, contributes to the complex phenomenon of crime. A comprehensive understanding necessitates considering these factors in conjunction with social class, acknowledging their combined influence on individuals' choices and behaviours.
Sources:
- Sociology textbooks (e.g., Giddens, Haralambos and Holborn) - Merton, R. K. (1938). Social structure and anomie. American Sociological Review, 3(5), 672-682. - Miller, W. B. (1958). Lower class culture as a generating milieu of gang delinquency. Journal of Social Issues, 14(3), 5-19. - Cohen, A. K. (1955). Delinquent boys: The culture of the gang. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.
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To what extent is social class the best explanation of crime?
Arguments for:
- Official crime statistics show that most crimes are committed by members of the working/under class, therefore social class must be an explanation for why crime is committed.
Socialisation – the lower classes may have been socialised into a different set of values than the higher classes e.g. immediate gratification – this may lead them into crime (Miller focal concerns).
Merton’s strain theory – Western societies socialise individuals to believe in the American Dream but in reality these levels of success are not available to everyone and are harder to achieve for the lower social classes, who may then turn to crime in order to gain the things they desire.
Relative deprivation – members of the lower classes may be more likely to steal goods that they see the higher classes enjoying but that they cannot afford legitimately, thus leading to crime.
Marxism – some actions of the lower classes are criminalised and the law is selectively enforced so that the powerful are less likely to have their actions defined as criminal. This makes it seem as though being from a lower social class is part of the explanation for crime.
Cohen status frustration – the lower social classes are likely to have a low status in society and thus may turn to crime in order to improve this through illegitimate means e.g. gangs.
Cicourel ‘typical delinquent’ – his study showed that the law enforcement agencies have a stereotype of who the typical criminal is and that being working class is part of this – this means those in the working class are more likely to be stopped and searched and arrested than other classes.
Education – the lower classes are less likely to have a good education which then impedes upon their job prospects, perhaps making crime an attractive ‘career choice’ where rewards can be high (illegitimate opportunity structure).
White-collar/corporate crime – these types of crime demonstrate links between crime and the higher social classes through the workplace.
- Any other reasonable response.
Arguments against:
- Age – young people commit a lot more crime than other age groups, therefore maybe it is age that is the best explanation.
- Gender – males commit a lot more crime than females, therefore maybe it is gender (masculinity) that is the best explanation.
- Ethnicity – some ethnic groups commit more crimes than others, therefore perhaps it is ethnicity that is the best explanation.
OCS validity – sociologists recognise that the official crime statistics do not give us a true picture of crime therefore the assumption that crime is committed largely by the lower classes (based on OCS data) could be misplaced.
Dark figure of crime – a significant number of crimes never feature in the OCS and therefore any trends in criminality (e.g. that crime is committed mainly by the lower class) should be treated with caution.
Is the criminal’s social class position really the best explanation for middle class crimes such as fraud or is it more to do with greed?
Expressive crimes – it is difficult to align social class with sensible explanations for expressive crimes such as murder and assault.
Feminism – feminists believe that the criminal justice system is patriarchal and that men are the problem when it comes to crime – low rates of conviction for sexual assault, rape, domestic violence against women etc; this all leads them to believe that the best explanation for crime is not class based, but gender.
- Any other reasonable response.