SYLLABUS 9699 - CRIME AND DEVIANCE

In this unit candidates will build upon their understanding of norms and values, of conformity and deviation, and further consider issues of power, control and ideology. Particular emphasis is given to exploring the social construction of reality as manifested in evidence and ideas about the composition of official crime statistics, the activities of the law enforcement agencies, and the notions of deviancy amplification, moral panics, labelling, and self-fulfilling prophecy.

1. The Social Construction of Crime and Deviance
- Definitions of crime and deviance; the relativity of crime and deviance.
- Societal reaction to crime and deviance, including the role of the mass media; labelling, stigma, stereotyping, moral panics and self-fulfilling prophecy.
- The relationship between deviance, power and social control.

2. Measurement and Patterns of Crime
- The strengths and limitations of official crime statistics.
- Self-report and victim surveys.
- Different explanations of the social distribution of crime by age, social class, ethnicity, gender and locality.

3. Theories of Crime and Deviance
- Comparisons between biological, psychological and sociological theories of crime and deviance.
- Positivist and functionalist theories, including explanations in terms of anomie, social disorganisation and delinquent sub-cultures.
- Interactionist approaches, including labelling and deviancy amplification.
- Marxist criminology; left realism and new right theories; feminist perspectives.

Crime and Deviance in Our Society
Deviant behaviour refers to actions that transgress commonly held norms. What is regarded as deviant can shift from time to time and place to place; "normal" behaviour in one cultural setting may be labelled "deviant" in another.
Sanctions, formal or informal, are applied by society to reinforce social norms. Laws are norms defined and enforced by governments; crimes are acts that are not permitted