Deck 14: D: Crime,law,and Regulation

Question 1

Compare and contrast the functionalist and conflict approaches to crime,focusing particularly on the motivations for engaging in crime and deviance.

Answer 1

Answers will vary by student but should show good knowledge of the two perspectives and how they compare.
Functionalism: Durkheim-anomie;Merton-strain theory;Cloward and Ohlin-illegitimate opportunity theory
Conflict Theory: criminogenic environments;Marx;Mosher and Hagan

Question 2

Develop an essay that critically examines the ways in which a recent media representation participated in the creation of a "moral panic."

Answer 2

Responses will vary depending on the example selected.In all cases,students should move between application and comprehension.

Question 3

Develop an essay wherein you review Merton's five adaptations and discuss which one (or more)of these adaptations you are currently employing in order to meet your social goals.

Answer 3

Answers will vary by student,but should include knowledge of the five adaptations of conformity,innovation,ritualism,retreatism,rebellion,as well as personal application of the concepts.

Question 4

Discuss the three historical sociological approaches to the law in terms of its definition and function in society.

Question 5

The textbook makes it clear that crime and deviance are socially constructed and relative.Explain what these terms mean in the context of crime and deviance in Canada and give examples as support.

Question 6

How are social institutions and organizations implicated in processes that create and maintain moral regulation?

Question 7

Discuss the prevalence of racial profiling in Canada,and then analyze this practice from the perspective of the consensus,conflict,and critical race theory approaches.

Question 8

Develop an essay in which you compare and contrast two different theoretical approaches to crime or law,as they apply to a "story" that is presently in the news.Based on your analysis,discuss which of the two approaches offers a stronger account and provide the basis for your answer.

Question 9

Compare and contrast classical criminology,biological perspectives,and sociological approaches to crime.

Question 10

Discuss the four basic beliefs on which classical criminology is based,as well as the main critiques for this view of crime.