Paper 3: Crime and deviance with theory and methods

Outline two reasons why women may be treated more leniently by the criminal justice system.

Outline three reasons why official crime statistics may underestimate the extent of crime.

Read Item A (item written for this paper). Item A: Globalisation has created new opportunities for crime, including cybercrime, people trafficking and environmental crime that crosses national borders. These crimes are often hard to police because they involve many countries and powerful organisations. Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why globalised crime is difficult to control.

Read Item B (item written for this paper). Item B: Some sociologists argue that crime is caused by blocked opportunities and inequality, which lead some groups to turn to deviant ways of achieving success. Others argue that crime is created by the reactions of agencies of social control, which label some groups as deviant. Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate the usefulness of labelling theory in understanding crime and deviance.

Outline and explain two reasons why some sociologists argue that sociology cannot be a science.

Read Item C (item written for this paper). Item C: Some sociologists see society as a structure that shapes individuals' behaviour. Others focus on how individuals create society through their everyday interactions. Applying material from Item C and your knowledge, evaluate the view that society is best understood through structural approaches.