Theories of Crime and Deviance

    OCR
    GCSE

    This component requires critical analysis of the sociological explanations for crime and deviance, moving beyond biological or psychological determinism to structural and interactionist perspectives. Candidates must evaluate the utility of Functionalist, Marxist, Interactionist, Realist (Left and Right), and Post-modernist theories in explaining the social distribution of crime by class, gender, and ethnicity. Central to this study is the distinction between 'crime' (legal definition) and 'deviance' (social definition), the mechanisms of formal and informal social control, and the methodological validity of Official Statistics (OS), Victim Surveys, and Self-Report Studies. Mastery involves synthesizing theoretical debates to assess the extent to which crime is a social construction versus a structural reality.

    0
    Objectives
    4
    Exam Tips
    3
    Pitfalls
    3
    Key Terms
    4
    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Award marks for explicit use of sociological terminology (e.g., anomie, master status, criminogenic capitalism) rather than lay descriptions.
    • Credit responses that apply theories to specific social groups (e.g., explaining why working-class males are overrepresented in statistics using Cohen's status frustration).
    • Differentiation requires contrasting theoretical perspectives; top-band answers must set theories in debate (e.g., Interactionism criticising Functionalism's reliance on official statistics).
    • Evaluation must assess the validity of theories, not just list them (e.g., acknowledging that Marxism fails to explain non-utilitarian crime).

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Award marks for explicit use of sociological terminology (e.g., anomie, master status, criminogenic capitalism) rather than lay descriptions.
    • Credit responses that apply theories to specific social groups (e.g., explaining why working-class males are overrepresented in statistics using Cohen's status frustration).
    • Differentiation requires contrasting theoretical perspectives; top-band answers must set theories in debate (e.g., Interactionism criticising Functionalism's reliance on official statistics).
    • Evaluation must assess the validity of theories, not just list them (e.g., acknowledging that Marxism fails to explain non-utilitarian crime).

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡In 12 and 24-mark questions, ensure every paragraph follows the PEEL structure: Point, Evidence (Sociologist/Study), Explanation, Link back to question.
    • 💡When using source material (Section A), explicitly quote data trends to support theoretical points (e.g., 'The rise in theft shown in Source A supports Merton's concept of Innovation').
    • 💡Allocate strict timing: 1 minute per mark. Do not over-write for the low-tariff (1-4 mark) questions at the expense of the essay.
    • 💡For 'Evaluate' questions, the conclusion is critical; it must provide a definitive judgement on the 'view' presented in the question, weighted by the evidence discussed.

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Conflating 'crime' (legal violation) with 'deviance' (norm violation) without distinction.
    • Presenting psychological or biological explanations (e.g., 'mental illness') instead of sociological structural causes.
    • Confusing Merton's 'Strain Theory' with Cohen's 'Status Frustration'—failing to identify the collective nature of subcultural response in Cohen's work.

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    Identify
    Describe
    Explain
    Discuss
    Evaluate
    To what extent

    Ready to test yourself?

    Practice questions tailored to this topic