Crime and deviance

Definitions

Crime breaks the law; deviance breaks social norms. Both are socially constructed and vary across cultures and time.

Theories

• Functionalist: Durkheim (crime is normal and functional – boundary maintenance); Merton's strain theory (gap between cultural goals and legitimate means: conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion); subcultural theories (Cohen, Cloward and Ohlin).
• Marxist: laws reflect ruling-class interests; white-collar and corporate crime are under-policed.
• Interactionist: labelling theory (Becker, Lemert – primary and secondary deviance; deviant careers); moral panics (Cohen).
• Realist approaches: left realism (relative deprivation, marginalisation) and right realism (rational choice, broken windows).
• Feminist: gender and crime; victimisation of women.

Patterns of crime

Age, gender, class, location; problems with official statistics (dark figure of crime, under-reporting). Victim surveys and self-report studies.

Crime in Zimbabwe

Examples studied: corruption, illegal gold panning (makorokoza), drug and substance abuse among youth, gender-based violence, cybercrime and mobile-money fraud.

Control and punishment

Formal (police, courts, prisons) and informal social control (family, community, religion); restorative justice and traditional courts.

Check yourself

1. What is the "dark figure" of crime?
2. Name Merton's five adaptations to strain.
3. Distinguish between primary and secondary deviance.