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AQA A Level
sociology
Topic companion
Crime & Deviance
www.tutor2u.net/sociology
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Page 2 AQA A Level Sociology topic companion: crime & Deviance
Contents
Topic
Functionalist explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control 4
Marxist explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control 14
Interactionist explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control 19
Realist explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control 23
The social distribution of crime and deviance by ethnicity 28
The social distribution of crime and deviance by gender 34
The social distribution of crime and deviance by social class 38
Globalisation and crime in contemporary society 42
The media and crime 45
Green crime 48
Human rights and state crime 51
Victims 55
Crime control and the role of the Criminal Justice System 58
Prevention, surveillance and punishment 61
Revision Checklist 67
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AQA A Level Sociology topic companion: crime & Deviance Page 3
AQA A LEVEL SOCIOLOGY TOPIC COMPANION:
CRIME & DEVIANCE
This A Level Course Companion has been designed specifically to support teaching and learning, using a
systematic approach closely based on the AQA specification. The Crime and Deviance companion takes
each point on the specification and breaks it down into sections. Each section makes a clear link to the
specification, provides a checklist of what needs to be known and then explains key content, using both
classic and some more contemporary studies and examples.
The sections are:
Functionalist explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control
Marxist explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control
Interactionist explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control
Realist explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control
The social distribution of crime and deviance by ethnicity
The social distribution of crime and deviance by gender
The social distribution of crime and deviance by social class
Globalisation and crime in contemporary society
The media and crime
Green crime
Human rights and state crime
Victims
Crime control and the role of the Criminal Justice System
Prevention, surveillance and punishment
Each section includes regular evaluation of theories, studies or perspectives. The evaluations are written in
the explicit and developed way that students need to try to emulate in the exam. Each section concludes
with a list of possible exam questions along with expert examiner hints. While potential questions are
endless (especially in relation to specific wording and items), all the types of questions that could be asked
are included, providing the opportunity to write about all the core content.
It is important to remember that in sociology you are encouraged to apply themes, knowledge and analysis
across topic areas, including between different substantive topics. When attempting questions from one
section, you should always be aware that you can and should use information from other sections. Two key
features of this companion help to facilitate this synoptic approach. These are:
"making the link": where a connection between content in this module and that of another (usually
from the first year) is explicitly explored.
"links to core themes": where AQA's core themes of socialisation, culture and identity, social
differentiation and power and stratification are applied to each area of the specification
The language is designed to be reader‐friendly, yet packed with key terminology, and in the sort of
academic style that A Level students need to develop in order to excel in their exams.
Copyright
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Page 4 AQA A Level Sociology topic companion: crime & Deviance
FUNCTIONALIST EXPLANATIONS OF CRIME, DEVIANCE, SOCIAL
ORDER AND CONTROL
Specification: sociological explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Outline, explain, analyse and evaluate the following sociological theories:
Emile Durkheim on deviance and anomie
Robert Merton's Strain Theory
Travis Hirschi and Bonds of Attachment
As well as some functionalist subcultural theories, such as:
Albert Cohen
Cloward and Ohlin
Walter Miller
Outline, analyse and evaluate the key features of functionalist explanations of crime, deviance, social
order and social control, including key concepts:
Consensus
Deviance
Anomie
Subculture
Emile Durkheim on Deviance
Durkheim is often seen as the founding father of functionalist sociology, and his ideas about deviance must
be understood in the context of his views about society as a whole. He had an organic analogy of society;
he perceived it as akin to a human body: the various organs (institutions) had to function correctly for the
whole to be in good health. Although excessive deviance could be symptomatic of an unhealthy or
dysfunctional society, perhaps surprisingly, Durkheim argued that deviance itself was functional, normal
and inevitable.
Durkheim suggested that deviance had the following functions:
Boundary maintenance
Social change
Durkheim argued that in a functioning society there is a value consensus (a shared set of norms and
values) into which, thanks to various social institutions, the vast majority in a society have been socialised.
One of the ways in which this consensus is reinforced is through the policing of the margins: the formal and
informal sanctions used to either reward those
who conform or punish those who deviate.
Indeed, our shared disapproval of deviant
behaviour strengthens our social solidarity.
Durkheim argues that even in a "society of saints"
there would still be deviance. In other words, as
deviance describes any behaviour that goes
against the norms, values and expectations of a
society, all societies have deviance, even though
the sorts of behaviour considered deviant might
vary from society to society.
Deviance also facilitates social change. If people
never deviated from a society's norms and values
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aqa-a-level-sociology-crime-deviance-topic-companion-guide.pdf
(aqa-a-level-sociology-crime-deviance-topic-companion-guide- 2026.) 1
AQA A Level
sociology
Topic companion
Crime & Deviance
www.tutor2u.net/sociology
Page 1 3/7/2026 3/7/2026, 1:11:50 AM
Downloaded by Payooner Five ()
, lOMoARcPSD|64174688
aqa-a-level-sociology-crime-deviance-topic-companion-guide.pdf
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Page 2 AQA A Level Sociology topic companion: crime & Deviance
Contents
Topic
Functionalist explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control 4
Marxist explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control 14
Interactionist explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control 19
Realist explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control 23
The social distribution of crime and deviance by ethnicity 28
The social distribution of crime and deviance by gender 34
The social distribution of crime and deviance by social class 38
Globalisation and crime in contemporary society 42
The media and crime 45
Green crime 48
Human rights and state crime 51
Victims 55
Crime control and the role of the Criminal Justice System 58
Prevention, surveillance and punishment 61
Revision Checklist 67
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AQA A Level Sociology topic companion: crime & Deviance Page 3
AQA A LEVEL SOCIOLOGY TOPIC COMPANION:
CRIME & DEVIANCE
This A Level Course Companion has been designed specifically to support teaching and learning, using a
systematic approach closely based on the AQA specification. The Crime and Deviance companion takes
each point on the specification and breaks it down into sections. Each section makes a clear link to the
specification, provides a checklist of what needs to be known and then explains key content, using both
classic and some more contemporary studies and examples.
The sections are:
Functionalist explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control
Marxist explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control
Interactionist explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control
Realist explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control
The social distribution of crime and deviance by ethnicity
The social distribution of crime and deviance by gender
The social distribution of crime and deviance by social class
Globalisation and crime in contemporary society
The media and crime
Green crime
Human rights and state crime
Victims
Crime control and the role of the Criminal Justice System
Prevention, surveillance and punishment
Each section includes regular evaluation of theories, studies or perspectives. The evaluations are written in
the explicit and developed way that students need to try to emulate in the exam. Each section concludes
with a list of possible exam questions along with expert examiner hints. While potential questions are
endless (especially in relation to specific wording and items), all the types of questions that could be asked
are included, providing the opportunity to write about all the core content.
It is important to remember that in sociology you are encouraged to apply themes, knowledge and analysis
across topic areas, including between different substantive topics. When attempting questions from one
section, you should always be aware that you can and should use information from other sections. Two key
features of this companion help to facilitate this synoptic approach. These are:
"making the link": where a connection between content in this module and that of another (usually
from the first year) is explicitly explored.
"links to core themes": where AQA's core themes of socialisation, culture and identity, social
differentiation and power and stratification are applied to each area of the specification
The language is designed to be reader‐friendly, yet packed with key terminology, and in the sort of
academic style that A Level students need to develop in order to excel in their exams.
Copyright
Page 3tutor2u Limited / School Network License / Photocopying Permitted
3/7/2026 www.tutor2u.net/psychology
3/7/2026, 1:11:50 AM
Downloaded by Payooner Five ()
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Page 4 AQA A Level Sociology topic companion: crime & Deviance
FUNCTIONALIST EXPLANATIONS OF CRIME, DEVIANCE, SOCIAL
ORDER AND CONTROL
Specification: sociological explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Outline, explain, analyse and evaluate the following sociological theories:
Emile Durkheim on deviance and anomie
Robert Merton's Strain Theory
Travis Hirschi and Bonds of Attachment
As well as some functionalist subcultural theories, such as:
Albert Cohen
Cloward and Ohlin
Walter Miller
Outline, analyse and evaluate the key features of functionalist explanations of crime, deviance, social
order and social control, including key concepts:
Consensus
Deviance
Anomie
Subculture
Emile Durkheim on Deviance
Durkheim is often seen as the founding father of functionalist sociology, and his ideas about deviance must
be understood in the context of his views about society as a whole. He had an organic analogy of society;
he perceived it as akin to a human body: the various organs (institutions) had to function correctly for the
whole to be in good health. Although excessive deviance could be symptomatic of an unhealthy or
dysfunctional society, perhaps surprisingly, Durkheim argued that deviance itself was functional, normal
and inevitable.
Durkheim suggested that deviance had the following functions:
Boundary maintenance
Social change
Durkheim argued that in a functioning society there is a value consensus (a shared set of norms and
values) into which, thanks to various social institutions, the vast majority in a society have been socialised.
One of the ways in which this consensus is reinforced is through the policing of the margins: the formal and
informal sanctions used to either reward those
who conform or punish those who deviate.
Indeed, our shared disapproval of deviant
behaviour strengthens our social solidarity.
Durkheim argues that even in a "society of saints"
there would still be deviance. In other words, as
deviance describes any behaviour that goes
against the norms, values and expectations of a
society, all societies have deviance, even though
the sorts of behaviour considered deviant might
vary from society to society.
Deviance also facilitates social change. If people
never deviated from a society's norms and values
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