Neutralization
Claiming that the victim "had it coming" is an example of this neutralization technique
What is denial of the victim?
This quote from Thief (1981), where James Caan's character expresses frustration about losing time and turning to crime to make up for it, most closely aligns with which theory from the Positivist approach?
What is blocked opportunity theory?
Classical theory emphasizes these two things.
What is free will and rational choice?
This era, spanning from 1920 to 1933, created a booming opportunity for organized crime through illegal alcohol sales.
What is Prohibition?
Unlike random crimes, this type of crime is structured, often pursued as a long-term career.
What is organized crime?
This neutralization technique involves saying something like "But it's not really hurting anyone".
What is denial of injury?
In The Sopranos, Christopher Moltisanti becomes a made man. Name the key value emphasized in this ceremony.
What is loyalty to the family/ Appeal to higher loyalties?
The three subcultures proposed in Blocked Opportunity Theory.
What is criminal, conflict, and retreatist.
This 1890 event involving the murder of a police superintendent sparked a wave of anti-Italian sentiment in New Orleans.
What is the murder of David Hennessy?
This global process enabled criminal groups to expand through easier movement of people, money, and technology.
What is globalization?
The neutralization technique at play when a mobster justifies his actions by saying something like "I didn't make the rules, I just play the game".
What is denial of responsibility?
The clip of Sonny telling his father he's been working the craps games and collecting tips falls into this subculture of Blocked Opportunity Theory.
What is the criminal subculture?
“Crime doesn’t happen because people are born bad, but because of the social and economic systems that influence their choices and access to resources.”
What is positivism/ positivist theory?
This 1957 meeting of suspected mobsters in upstate New York helped confirm the existence of a national crime syndicate.
What is the Apalachin Incident?
These are often used by modern organized crime groups to conceal illegal activity while appearing lawful.
What are legitimate businesses or fronts?
The two sociologists who originally proposed the five techniques of neutralization in 1957.
Who are Sykes and Matza?
The blimp scene in Scarface reflects the realization of this key motivator in both strain theory and blocked opportunity theory.
What is the American Dream?
The state creates illegal markets, and organized crime fills the void, thriving in places where the law doesn’t regulate.
What is structural theory?
This member of the Genovese family testified before Congress in 1963, exposing the structure of La Cosa Nostra.
Who is Joseph Valachi?
These two major criminal operations are among the many handled by transnational organized crime groups.
What are drug trafficking and human trafficking?
The two neutralization techniques at play in the Goodfellas clip.
What are denial of responsibility and appeal to higher loyalties?
The topic of our presentation.
What is organized crime?
This theory under the Classical approach emphasizes reducing opportunities for crime through strategies like increased surveillance and target hardening, rather than relying solely on harsher punishments.
What is situational crime prevention?
This 1967 federal report described organized crime as hierarchical and driven by profit, and called for permanent commissions.
What is the Task Force Report?
This enforcement issue, where agencies work in silos, makes it harder to investigate and prosecute organized crime.
What is fragmented law enforcement?