The Aspects of Crime and Deviance
The aspects of crime and deviance are a significant issue affecting the whole spectrum of society throughout the world. As such, the definition of deviance and crime comes down to the various norms and values that community holds. In the same line, the standards within a society refer to the different expectations they have to adhere to concerning their behaviors. The idea behind values is those aspects of that members of the community follow.
The Element of Crime
The element of the crime is typically a particular issue in that it breaks the existing laws set down in society. As such, the fundamental thinking is that if a person commits crimes then it is due to them breaking the law and punitive measures follow these actions. The various examples of crime that people can face punishment for include murder, burglary, and corruption. The mode of punishing these criminals involves sentencing using a court of law.
The Concept of Crime
The concept of crime derives is a relative one. The reason for this postulation is that the manner in which society perceives and views crime differs from person to person. In the same line, actions considered criminal in one community or group may not suffice as criminal in another. In the same way, different societies also differ in the method used to punish people who commit crimes of differing specificities (Broom and Selznick, 1963).
The Psychological Approach to Crime
When making a determination of the concept of crime in society, one has to consider the psychological approach with regards to crime critically. Also, there have been some physiological methods used to explain crime by establishing a link between crime and biology. The main idea behind this thinking of biology is that criminals possessed specific physical features with examples such as big jaws, excess body hair, and broad foreheads. However, with the debunking of this theory, it became apparent that it could not explain how people with similar characteristics did not commit a crime. On the other hand, the psychological approach suggests that a person’s tendency to commit a crime can be explained using their mental state by investigating cognitive processes such as personality.
The Concept of Deviance
On the other hand, deviance refers to the behaviors of a person which does not conform to the various norms held in a particular society (Haralambos " Holborn, 2008). The concept of deviance is an expansion of crime, and it can also not be a matter of criminality. In the same thinking, deviant behavior can also suffice as a positive trait and rewarded accordingly. A case in point is the example of soldiers fighting for the freedom and safety of their country. Deviant behavior can also be a negative one with the example of a person who commits murder. Such an act goes against the established norms in a society which attracts severe punitive measures.
The View of Social Constructionists
The view of social constructionists is that the element that is classified as crime depends on the entity defining it. The thinking here is that there exist no absolute objective definitions since they all carry some form of value and subjective to various degrees (Henry 2009, p.1). When observed from the perspective of crime, it defines crime as a categorization of behavior set up by persons who wield influence and ability to formulate laws that classify some behaviors as illegal and render the persons going against them subject to
The Case in Western Societies
The case in Western societies is set up in such a way that both the courts and legislative organs with the backing of the state agencies possess the power and authority to describe crime and give out sentence. The kinds of behaviors considered as criminal are a reflection of their values and interests and the whole range of societal norms within their societies or the most vocal sections of it.
The Degree of Acceptability in Public
The degree to which the values and norms in the public considered acceptable are a representation of the whole community becomes a point of contention. The reason for this is that the various actions that count as a crime in various societies vary in degree and content with only a few exceptions. However, there is also the fact that most societies exhibit the same cultures. One can see this by observing most in-group members where it becomes almost universal that no culture exists that accepts the vice of lying meaning most value honesty and stealing which implies that most consider property worth some value.
The Social Structure Theory of Crime
The social structure theory of crime asserts that those considered disadvantaged in society are the primary reason for the various committing of crimes. According to the arguments which inform this concept, those in the lower cadres of society and neighborhoods force of strain, frustration, and disorder lead to the creation of crime. The consensus amongst the mainstream theories is the fact that the established social structures have the sole aim of regulating and socializing individuals to adhere to the social norms with the effect of rewarding acceptable behaviors and penalizing those who go against them (Criminal Justice). On the other hand, critical social theorists emphasize that aspects related to the social, economic, and political power raise barriers which eventually impedes, limits, and shapes the different possibilities for persons in particular contexts. The categorization of these limitations falls into class, gender, race, and sexual orientation.
The Concept of Social Structure Theories
The concept of social structure theories traces their roots to Emile Durkheim. According to this sociologist, he argued that crime had a social element to it as opposed to the psychological phenomenon. As such, it is a product of some social order in the framework of society. In the same way, a community which does not have norms shared will not function correctly. As such, the normal functioning of societies derives their basis from a form of collective conscience which plays a vital role in keeping and holding together all the diverse members living in a community. It also enables persons to share a worldview and value system that details the contents of social behaviors that fit as acceptable or unacceptable (Baron 2004, p.35).
The Social Action Theorist's Perspective
According to the social construction theory, societies which exist in small scales such as those involved heavily with horticulture or agriculture and have characteristics of low-level social differentiation and marginal division of labor, have the most significant and durable aspect of a collective conscience. In this regard, it is these societies which have the lowest incidence of crime.
The Political Perspective on Crime
According to the concept of social action theorist, they argue for the fact that the behavior and actions of people in society are not the results of their social background. Instead, this theory draws its basis for its postulation in the fact that individuals engaging in active interactions are the element responsible for shaping the personal identity of the person and extends the same to the broader society. As such, for one to comprehend the actions of human beings, then there is need to explore the motives of an individual for taking a specific action.
The Social Control Theory
The premise behind social action theory as devised by Marx Weber is that the dominant institutions in society are the bureaucratic organizations. As such, Weber is of the opinion that these same bureaucratic institutions comprise of person who initiates rational social actions with the sole aim of bringing to fruition the set goals of the organization. As such, this theory consists of the social control theory.
The Right Realism and Left Realism Perspectives
The political perspective on crime draws its view from the Left and Right realism concepts. The concept of Right Realism came to prominence during the 1980s which could be as a result of the social and societal tension that existed during the 1960s. The reason for this unrest was as a result of the disillusionment concerning Britain’s legitimacy. As such, Right Realism core characteristic has to do with the fact that it rejects particular aspects of inquiry since that is the same criteria it used for its inception. The decline of the idealist criminology of the leftists says the rise of Right Realism.
On the other hand, the concept of Left Realism came about in the mid-1980s due to the rise of left idealism as interventions aimed at policy formulation focused primarily on the reality of crime for those who fell victim to it. It arose due to a reaction to the existing traditional law and way of doing politics and held contrasting views of those supporting Right Realism (Treadwell 2006, p.60).
As such, the view according to Right Realists is that crime is not a product of social construction but a real aspect with the fear that crime engenders being a reasonable one. It is a group that utilizes crime statistics with the example of the British Crime Survey with the aim of forming analyses to emphasize that crime is a societal issue and not a media make up. On the other hand, Left Realists also agree with the rightist on the definition of crime and accept the realness of crime in society and its seriousness. However, they take the opinion that statistics considered official from the British Crime Survey do not display a realistic depiction of crime. As such, the basis of their argument is that most crimes committed go unreported, so they heavily rely on surveys of victims. In this case, the use of these surveys will give a result on a broader scale that is the actual case.
References
Baron, S.W., 2004. General strain, street youth and crime: A test of Agnew's revised theory. Criminology, 42(2), pp.457-484.
Broom, L. and Selznick, P., 1963. Sociology: A text with adapted readings.
Criminal Justice. Social Structure Theories and School Violence, viewed 22 June 2018, < http://criminal-justice.iresearchnet.com/crime/school-violence/social-structure- theories-and- school-violence/>
Haralambos, M., Holborn, M. and Herald, R., 2008. Sociology and Perspectives. Hammer Smith: Harper Collins Limited, 7thedition.
Henry, S., 2009. Social construction of crime. 21st Century criminology: A reference handbook, pp.296-305.
Treadwell, J., 2012. Criminology: the essentials. Sage.
