Unit 2- GCSE Sociology: Crime & Deviance

Intro to Crime & Deviance

Crime: A criminal act that breaks the laws of societyDeviant: A deviant act is behaviour that breaks a norm or value of societySocial setting: The time, place, culture and social situation

When is an act deviant?* Many sociologists argue that   deviance is socially defined* Whether an act is classed as deviant or not is dependant on the particular social setting

The change of deviancy

Deviancy has changed due to the constant shift in social setting. What has been considered before as 'deviant' may no longer break the norms or values of the current social environment. For instance, smoking was a trend of the 1920s, refuted for its  supposed health benefits which are now deemed false. Now, due to scientific knowledge, smoking is not encouraged.

Laws

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Examples of laws (present and past):* The banning of euthanasia in most countries, such as Australia* The change in laws over suicide in the UK* Alcohol is illegal in most Middle Eastern countries, like Kuwait

Caption: : Where do laws come from?

Social Control

Where does social control take place?* Work/School* Home* Media* Law enforcement/Authorities* Religion* Family/Peers*Outside

Informal social control: Continual reminders about the correct behaviour, by agencies like the family or friends. And people often tailor their behaviour to suit freinds and family. An example of this would be be being told off for eating with your mouth open. There are also informal rewards like praise.

Formal social control: This is the use of laws and formal punishment to establish order and control behaviour. An arrest could be an example of this. There are also formal rewards, for instance a work promotion. 

Some agencies of social control can be more effective than the rest as they may cater towards a certain group of people. For example, schools apply social control on their students through appraisal and sanctions, thus, adults will not be affected: but the media caters to everyone in some way, influencing us to think in a specific way. 

Exam question (4 marks)

How do formal agents of social control keep order in British society?Formal agents of social control keep order in British society by enforcing laws and rules. This can be seen with the previous suicide law (now outdated) to reduce the rate of suicide. With these laws come formal sanctions to prevent crime due to consequences: like theft in Saudi Arabia results in the offender's hands being cut off. The judiciary often impose punishments. On the other hand, formal rewards may be given to people who display exemplary behaviour. The rewards may come in the form of a higher title, like being knighted. 

What is the judiciary?

The judiciary is a collection of all the legal institutions that collaborate to reach a verdict for when laws are broken. The judiciary take a case after the police have investigated and compiled evidence. The crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decide to pursue a prosecution and whether enough evidence has been collected.

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Who detects crime?

*  The victim may not be aware that a crime has occurred, it goes undetected- like fraud* The victim may detect the crime themselves- noticing a stolen wallet or missing purse* Members of the public or police may uncover the crime- like finding a body in the river