Social Process Theory: Understanding Crime and Social Cohesion, Slides of Criminology

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Social Process Theory

SOC 112

Chapter 7

1. Institutions of Socialization - crime from 2 perspectives - structure / process a. Structure - characteristics of community - poverty / educational level / divorce / belief in laws / single-parents / local culture (1) Can look at : - region / city / neighborhood

• attitudes on the street c. Family relations
• major determinant of behavior
• parental efficacy d. Educational process
• linked to criminality
• children who fail / more likely to offend
• dropping out / in decline
• 10% left without diploma

(1) Homogeneous

• same race / kind
• same in structure / quality
• similar / identical (a) Primitive societies
  • less crime
  • isolated
  • self-reliant / self-sufficient
  • sameness / uniformity
  • social solidarity

• no longer identical circumstances
  • called “ organic society ” (1) People are different
    • no longer homogeneous (2) Different societies in competition
    • education / power / wealth
    • happiness / well being (3) Will achieve / whatever way works best

2. Social cohesiveness - one of society’s most important elements - belongingness a. Place in social structure - determines behavior (1) Socialization - family / school / peer group - determines behavior

c. Strain theory / Anomie

• state of normlessness in society
• lawlessness
• Greek: “ without norms ” (1) “A standard, model, or pattern for a group; esp., a) such a standard of achievement as represented by the median or average achievement of a large group b) a standard of conduct that should or must be followed c) a

way of behaving typical of a certain group” (2) Decreased homogeneity

• causes this state of normlessness
• provides setting conducive to crime
• other anti-social acts (a) Because of change
  • scientific / technological / societal
  • norms: lost their meaning

• inner-city slums
  • without society’s norms
  • developed “local” norms (b) Lawlessness v. law
• higher rates of crime
• society laws do not apply
• police: outsiders / don’t live here
• invaders / oppressors (3) Kip Kinkel: “I had no other choice”

• applied homogeneity / anomie (a) School / family
• outcast / loner
• no homogeneity
• not accepted / no friends
• parents: demanding (b) Rules do not apply
• made own rules / no norms
• against those who oppress

• worth striving for
  • immediate / future
  • reach a goal / new goal takes place (2) Means
• how obtained b. Society defines both
• socially approved = norms
• lawful ways = legal goals

c. Crime occurs when: (1) People focus on goals (money?)

• to exclusion of means
• drugs / gambling / prostitution (2) Approved means of obtaining
• not equally available to all (3) Social Structure Theory
• socioeconomic disadvantage

(b) Conformists: accept society goals

• may not achieve them
• means society approves of (2) Innovation
• accept goals = reject means
• design own means (a) Accept college / cheat (b) Have money / steal

(c) No parental attentions

• no encouragement / future
• scrawl name: cars / walls
• achieve some recognition (d) Not restricted to lower class
• stock manipulation
• defective products
• tax evasion (3) Ritualism