Brief Summary
This video provides an overview of various perspectives on crime and deviance, including functionalist, Marxist, and interactionist theories, with a focus on the Caribbean context. It explores key concepts such as social order, value consensus, strain theory, social disorganization, labeling theory, differential association, and control theory. The video also features Jamaican social anthropologist Dr. Herbert Gale's work on structural violence.
- Functionalist perspective views deviance as having functional significance in society.
- Strain theory suggests that deviance arises from the gap between socially accepted goals and the means to achieve them.
- Marxist perspective sees crime as an inevitable outcome of capitalism and its inequalities.
- Interactionist perspective focuses on how people interpret and socially construct the world around them, particularly how criminality develops through social interactions and labeling.
- Control theory posits that social control is affected by the strength of social bonds, and deviance results from a feeling of disconnection from society.
- Dr. Herbert Gale's work emphasizes the role of structural violence in perpetuating harm and suffering among marginalized groups in Jamaica.
Functionalist Perspective on Crime and Deviance
The functionalist perspective, particularly through the work of Emile Durkheim, views deviance as a behavior that disrupts social consensus but also holds functional significance. Durkheim argued that as society becomes more complex, it becomes less effective at controlling people, leading to deviance. Deviance contributes to social order by reinforcing societal norms through media reports and punishments, which educate the public and reaffirm society's rules. It can also challenge existing views and offer new patterns of behavior, leading to positive social changes, such as labor rights and freedom.
Strain Theory and Deviance
Robert Merton's strain theory expands on functionalist ideas by suggesting that deviance is an inherent part of a functioning society. Merton argued that the real problem is not social change but the social structure that holds out the same goals to all members without providing equal means to achieve them. He identified five ways people respond to this gap: conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion. Innovation involves using illegitimate means to achieve goals, while ritualism involves lowering goals to attainable levels. Retreatism rejects both socially acceptable goals and means, and rebellion involves replacing society's goals and means with one's own.
Social Disorganization Theory
Developed by researchers at the University of Chicago in the 1920s and 1930s, social disorganization theory asserts that crime is most likely to occur in communities with weak social ties and the absence of social control. Individuals growing up in poor neighborhoods with high crime rates are more likely to become criminals. Research into this theory has influenced public policy, with studies showing that children from disadvantaged communities attending preschool programs teaching basic social skills are less likely to engage in criminal activity.
Marxist Perspective on Crime and Deviance
The Marxist perspective, rooted in conflict theory, views social and economic factors as the causes of crime and deviance. Unlike functionalists, Marxists do not see these factors as positive functions of society but as evidence of inequality in a system. They argue that crime is an inevitable outcome of capitalism, with disparities in wealth and income leading to poverty and homelessness, making criminal activity a rational response. Capitalism encourages values such as greed and materialism, conducive to all classes committing crime.
Labeling Theory and Social Interaction
Labeling theory, under the interactionist perspective, focuses on how people interpret and socially construct the world around them. Howard Becker argued that an act is only deviant when an audience sees it as such, and labels can define people, overshadowing other aspects of their identity. The labeling process involves public labeling, encouragement of further deviance due to the implications of the label, and the completion of a deviant career by joining organized deviant groups.
Differential Association Theory
Postulated by Edwin Sutherland in 1937, differential association theory suggests that individuals learn deviant behavior from those close to them who provide opportunities for deviance. Learning about crime includes learning the techniques of committing crime and the motivation and attitudes towards crime. A longitudinal study identified parental criminal behavior as the strongest predictor of antisocial and criminal behavior in children.
Control Theory of Crime and Deviance
Travis Hirschi's control theory states that social control is directly affected by the strength of social bonds, and deviance results from a feeling of disconnection from society. Hirschi identified four types of bonds: attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. Attachment measures connections to others, commitment refers to investments in the community, involvement pertains to participation in socially legitimate activities, and belief is an agreement on common values.
Amplification Theory and Subculture of Delinquency Theory
Stanley Cohen's amplification theory argues that the mass media plays a key role in constructing criminal statistics through moral panics and folk devils. The media labels and stereotypes powerless groups, sensationalizing stories about them, which amplifies deviance. Albert Cohen's subculture of delinquency theory posits that delinquent behavior is prevalent among lower-class youth who are judged by middle-class standards and experience frustration, leading them to develop a subculture that rejects mainstream values.
Dr. Herbert Gale and Structural Violence
Dr. Herbert Gale, a Jamaican social anthropologist, focuses on violence, especially youth violence, in Jamaica and the Caribbean. His work emphasizes the interconnectedness of social factors such as poverty, inequality, and lack of opportunity with high levels of crime and violence. Gale's theory on crime and deviance in Jamaica underscores the importance of understanding the complex interplay of social, economic, and cultural factors in shaping criminal behavior and advocates for holistic approaches to violence prevention that address underlying structural inequalities.
