Soci 304 1nd Edition Lecture 1Outline of Last Lecture 1. n/aOutline of Current Lecture A. Crime and the mediaB. Crime as legal categoryC. Sociological Definitions of Crime D. 7 approaches + pyramid approachCurrent LectureA. What are some of the typical images routinely conveyed about crime in the mass media? News leads to crime stories. We tend to think there is a lot of violent crime but there is not. We only think this because the media talks about violent crime more often than other crimes. This doesn’t help us get the bigger picture about crime.Amount of CrimeTypes of Crime: ViolenceThere is actually more property crime than there is violent time.- In whose interests? The news media’s wants to report the most interesting crime; therefore, they show a lot of violent crime. Politicians and police officials are also interested in types of crime and crime rates.The bottom line is that: Perceptions of crime is shaped by media- Crime myths: False beliefs about crime. This leads to stereotypes about crime.  EX: blacks 50% more likely to do drugs (false), in reality whites are more likely to beinvolved in drug crime.Media contributes to crime myths:o Select people to be interviewed: they use broad base samples to collect interviews instead of narrowing it downThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.o Use value-laden language o Presenting data that are misleading (numbers vs. rates): We don’t have a sense of the number of people in the area. EX: crime rates in Cstat vs. Houston are different sizes therefore it’s hard to compare crime rates. o Emphasizing violent crime: once again an HUGE emphasizes on violent crimeo Failing to provide the social and/or historical contextStructural correlates: concern the social and physical characteristics of locations in which people live.  How people fit into social structure Who has the most or who has the least resources Gender, population size, ethnicity The larger the population the more fear of crime. Structural criminology: (Hagan 1994) emphasizes role of communities and influence of social location (race and ethnicity, gender, social class, and age– elements of social structure) Major distinction: o Consensus vs. Conflict Approaches Consensus: Durkheimo Agreement in opinion on social norms of behavioro When crime occurs, this constitutes a norm violation, and punishment ofthe behavior is necessary to ensure social stability (maintains social order).o Societies agree the murder is a crimeo When crime occurs it violates hard. Punishments maintains social ordero The division of labor is what holds society together Conflict Approaches: Marx and Engelso Disagreement on norms of society reflecting position in social structure based on inequality in wealth and power.o Crime definitions are more problematic; why do some acts become defined as illegal, while others are not. o There is a disagreement in crime. Crime is a social construction. o Some things may or may not be considered a crime.o The more power a person has, the more you can have your voice of whatis a crime.  The History of crime as a Concept Debate among criminologists about the proper definition of crime can be traced to a 1933 report by Michael & Adler.  “The most precise and least ambiguous definition of crime is that which defines it as behavior which is prohibited by the criminal code. It follows that a criminal is a person who has behaved in some way prohibited by the criminal law.” Tappan followed Michael & Adler’s argument and claimed that crime is an intentional violation of the criminal law, committed without defense or excuse, and penalized by the state as a felony or misdemeanor. Crime is a legalistic category of behaviorB. Legal Category:  Legalistic definition of crime holds that a crime must be forbidden by criminal law. Criminal law must provide punishment for a crime Formal purpose of law is to protect members of the public from the wrongdoing of others Criminal law is distinguished from civil law Criminal law and Civil law are different.  Felonies are a serious crime offense. In prison for at least a year and punishable by death Misdemeanors are less serious crimes. In jail for less than a year or fine.  3 Components to define crime1. To constitute a crime, the behavior must be prohibited by law.- Criminal law categorizes crime in two ways:- Mala en se: “acts that evil in themselves” (consensus)- Acts that are “universally” considered evil- Mala prohibita: “acts that are prohibited” ( conflict approach)- List changes over time, they are acts prohibited by statute2. To constitute a crime, the behavior must be a voluntary act or omission- Omission: failing to file a tax return with the IRS3. Culpability for a crime depends on a defendant’s mental state (criminal intent or mens rea , the guilty mind).- When is a crime not a crime? Defenses:- Justification: duress (self-defense), necessity, duty- Entrapment (one lacks criminal responsibility)- Insanity (no mens rea)Key elements: Crime—mens rea- is based on the assumption that crime is engaged in by individuals who are capable of exercising free will. Sociological perspectives suggest that the actions of individuals are, in varying degrees, influenced by their position in society. Law is a social phenomenon created by members of society under certain historical conditions. Law has not always existed; it emerged with the transition from stateless societies to state societies.Criminalization: process by which law is selectively applied to social behavioro The enactment of legislation that outlaws certain types of behavioro Surveillance and policing of that behavioro If detected, the punishment of that behavioro The legal prospective is one prospective. There are other ways to measure crime.C. Sociological Definitions of Crime1. Crime as a violation of conduct norms (Sellin)- Definition moves beyond the realm of the law- Basic units of criminological research should be conduct norms- Based on conduct norms, there are right and wrong ways of acting.2. Crime as Social Harm - Analogous social injury (Michalowski 1985): applies to “legally permissible acts orsets of conditions whose consequences are similar to those of illegal acts.”3. Crime as a violation