AQA A-Level Sociology - Paper 3 - Crime and Deviance - Full Topic with questions and
well elaborated answers
Durkheim - correct answer-Crime is universal and ineviatble
Durkheim (2) - correct answer-The right amount of crime is beneficial for society because it
leads to boundary maintenance and social change.
Davis - correct answer-Crime is a safety valve which allows minor crimes and deviant acts
through in order to avoid bigger problems e.g. prostitution stops the institution of marriage
from failing
Cohen - correct answer-Crime creates jobs and therefore boosts employment and
improves the economy
Cohen (2) - correct answer-Crime works as an early warning mechanism showing that
society or institutions within it are going wrong.
Merton - correct answer-Everyone starts with value consensus, crime and deviance occurs
when individuals cannot achieve the success goal of society in the normal way. There is a
'strain' between the goal of society and peoples ability to achieve it.
Cohen (Subcultural) - correct answer-Working-class boys in school cannot achieve and
therefore suffer status frustration and reject mainstream values by joining a subculture.
What society condemns, the subculture accepts e.g. graffiti. They gain status through
these subcultures.
Cloward and Ohlin - correct answer-The population turnover affects the type of subculture
formed.
Low - Criminal
Medium - Conflict
High - Retreatist
Maltza - correct answer-Male delinquents are committed to the norms and values of
society most of the time but drift into criminal subcultures.
Murray - correct answer-The underclass is an example of a criminal subculture.
Becker - correct answer-No act is criminal or deviant in itself. It only becomes criminal or
deviant when moral entrepreneurs label it. This is known as the social construction of
crime.
Cicourel - correct answer-Police Typification
, Lemert - correct answer-Primary Deviance - Not publicly labelled
Secondary Deviance - Publicly labelled
Cohen (4) - correct answer-Mods and rockers (Deviance Amplification)
Braithwaite - correct answer-Disintegration shaming - Labeling the act & individual
Reintegrative Shaming - Labeling the act only
Gordon - correct answer-Capitalism is criminogenic
Chambliss - correct answer-The majority of UK laws are property laws. This serves to keep
the P from the B's property
Snider - correct answer-Legislation regulating large companies is limited in capitalist
societies
Reiman - correct answer-The rich get richer and the poor get prison
Althusser - correct answer-Laws and the media are part of the ideological state apparatus.
The working class are portrayed negatively and therefore put into a state of paranoia.
Taylor, Walton and Young - correct answer-Criminals are not in a state of false class
consciousness and instead kn ow what they are doing. Crime is a meaningful action and a
conscious choice by the actor e.g. Robin Hood.
Lea and Young (1) - correct answer-Relative deprivation + Marginalisation = Subculture
Lea and Young (2) - correct answer-Bulimic Society
Lea and young (3) - correct answer-Social and community crime prevention (Perry Pre-
school)
Lea and Young (4) - correct answer-Square of crime...
- Police
- Public
- Offender
- Victim
Wilson and Hernstein - correct answer-Come people are born with personality traits such
as aggressiveness and risk taking which are likely to lead to crime.
Clarke - correct answer-Rational Choice Theory
well elaborated answers
Durkheim - correct answer-Crime is universal and ineviatble
Durkheim (2) - correct answer-The right amount of crime is beneficial for society because it
leads to boundary maintenance and social change.
Davis - correct answer-Crime is a safety valve which allows minor crimes and deviant acts
through in order to avoid bigger problems e.g. prostitution stops the institution of marriage
from failing
Cohen - correct answer-Crime creates jobs and therefore boosts employment and
improves the economy
Cohen (2) - correct answer-Crime works as an early warning mechanism showing that
society or institutions within it are going wrong.
Merton - correct answer-Everyone starts with value consensus, crime and deviance occurs
when individuals cannot achieve the success goal of society in the normal way. There is a
'strain' between the goal of society and peoples ability to achieve it.
Cohen (Subcultural) - correct answer-Working-class boys in school cannot achieve and
therefore suffer status frustration and reject mainstream values by joining a subculture.
What society condemns, the subculture accepts e.g. graffiti. They gain status through
these subcultures.
Cloward and Ohlin - correct answer-The population turnover affects the type of subculture
formed.
Low - Criminal
Medium - Conflict
High - Retreatist
Maltza - correct answer-Male delinquents are committed to the norms and values of
society most of the time but drift into criminal subcultures.
Murray - correct answer-The underclass is an example of a criminal subculture.
Becker - correct answer-No act is criminal or deviant in itself. It only becomes criminal or
deviant when moral entrepreneurs label it. This is known as the social construction of
crime.
Cicourel - correct answer-Police Typification
, Lemert - correct answer-Primary Deviance - Not publicly labelled
Secondary Deviance - Publicly labelled
Cohen (4) - correct answer-Mods and rockers (Deviance Amplification)
Braithwaite - correct answer-Disintegration shaming - Labeling the act & individual
Reintegrative Shaming - Labeling the act only
Gordon - correct answer-Capitalism is criminogenic
Chambliss - correct answer-The majority of UK laws are property laws. This serves to keep
the P from the B's property
Snider - correct answer-Legislation regulating large companies is limited in capitalist
societies
Reiman - correct answer-The rich get richer and the poor get prison
Althusser - correct answer-Laws and the media are part of the ideological state apparatus.
The working class are portrayed negatively and therefore put into a state of paranoia.
Taylor, Walton and Young - correct answer-Criminals are not in a state of false class
consciousness and instead kn ow what they are doing. Crime is a meaningful action and a
conscious choice by the actor e.g. Robin Hood.
Lea and Young (1) - correct answer-Relative deprivation + Marginalisation = Subculture
Lea and Young (2) - correct answer-Bulimic Society
Lea and young (3) - correct answer-Social and community crime prevention (Perry Pre-
school)
Lea and Young (4) - correct answer-Square of crime...
- Police
- Public
- Offender
- Victim
Wilson and Hernstein - correct answer-Come people are born with personality traits such
as aggressiveness and risk taking which are likely to lead to crime.
Clarke - correct answer-Rational Choice Theory
