The Relationship Between Social Class & Crime (AQA GCSE Sociology)

Official statistics on social class & crime

• Official statistics show a relationship between people's criminal involvement and their social characteristics, such as

  • social class

  • gender

  • ethnicity

  • age

• There are many more males, young people, black people, and poorly educated people in prison compared to the general population (Maguire, 2007)

• There is evidence that working-class people are over-represented in the prison population, showing a link between social class and crime

• According to the Trust for London (2023):

  • 40% more crimes were recorded in the most income-deprived areas in 2023, compared to the least income-deprived 10%

  • Violence, robbery and sexual offences are 2.1 times more prevalent in the most income-deprived areas compared to the least income-deprived

• The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) (2021) reports that just by living in a more deprived area, you're over 40% more likely to experience crime

Explanations for the link between social class & crime

• Sociologists are interested in finding out how social class is linked to criminal and deviant behaviour

Merton's anomie theory

• From a functionalist perspective, Merton's anomie theory explains crime in the USA

  • Everyone strives for the 'American Dream' of becoming rich and successful but this isn't a realistic goal for many people due to their background

• Crime is a result of unequal opportunities for working-class people, so it may be the only route to success

Working-class subcultures

• Cohen's (1955) subcultural theory explains deviant or criminal behaviour among working-class boys

  • Working-class boys experience status frustration as they fail to meet middle-class expectations at school

  • They respond by joining gangs because being part of a delinquent subculture allows the boys to gain status

Bias in the criminal justice system (CJS)

• The bias of CJS, including the police and courts, is one reason for the link between crime and social class

• Marxists argue that certain crimes, like street crime, and particular groups, like the working class, ethnic minorities and young people, are targeted by the agencies of social control

• The official statistics, however, under-report crimes like corporate fraud committed by powerful groups

White-collar & corporate crime

White-collar crime

• White-collar crime is crime committed by people in high-status positions (such as lawyers, accountants and business managers)

  • Examples of these crimes include tax evasion and fraud (such as false expense claims)

• White-collar crime can be difficult to detect as the crimes are conducted in the workplace rather than on the streets

  • E.g. fraud is frequently undetected as there is no obvious victim and the police are not often called

• Much white-collar crime is likely to be undiscovered, unreported and unrecorded in official statistics

  • It is an example of an invisible crime

Corporate crime

• Crimes, committed by directors of a company, to increase profits or gain an advantage in their markets, are known as corporate crimes

• Corporate crimes cover a range of offences, such as

  • selling inappropriate goods to customers

  • offences against the environment, e.g. air or water pollution

  • insider trading, e.g. selling shares before the financial loss is made public

  • tax evasion by a company, e.g. fraudulently filing incorrect tax returns

  • health and safety violations, e.g. providing unsafe working conditions

• Governments do not prioritise keeping track of corporate crime statistics

• It is challenging to prosecute such crimes because corporations can afford skilled lawyers to defend their positions