2. Functioalist Contributions To Crime And Deviance Flashcards
What are Durkheim’s views on crime and deviance for society?
- Crime and deviance as inevitable
- Crime as beneficial for society
- Crime and deviance as inevitable
-Inevitable as not everyone can be equally committed to the value consensus.
-Even if the crime rate of a strict nation was zero there would still be deviance.
How is crime beneficial for society? (6)
-Boundary maintenance
-Social cohesion
-Social change
-Safety value,
-A warning device
-Boosts employment and the economy
Crime as beneficial: Boundary maintenance
Punishment reaffirms society’s values, showing what is not acceptable eg arrest for murder
Crime as beneficial: Social cohesion
People unite to condemn particular horrific crimes such as child abuse & terrorism
Crime as beneficial: Social change
-All social change begins with some form of deviance.
-Functional rebels help to alter the collective conscience and laws
-Change healthy for society so deviance is functional
Crime as beneficial: Acts as a safety valve
Deviancy releases stress in society e.g mass violent protests are an outlet for peoples anger and discontent
Crime as beneficial: Acts as a warning device
Crime & deviance show society is not working properly e.g drug addictions showing the underlying problems that need solving.
Crime as beneficial: Boosts employment and the economy
Creates jobs for police officers and other criminal justice system workers
Anomie and crime
-The balance of crime has to be correct
-Too much crime leads to anomie
What is Hirschi’s control theory
The theory that looks at why most people do not commit crime
Hirschi’s Control theory
-Everyone can be tempted into crime
-There are 4 social bonds that encourage social control
What are Hirschi’s 4 social bonds?
Belief, Attachment, Involvement and Commitment
Hirschi’s 4 bonds: Belief
People share moral beliefs about human rights and obeying the law.
Hirschi’s 4 bonds: Attachment
People are attached to family, friends etc interested in their opinions, need & wishes.
Hirschi’s 4 bonds: Involvement
People are busy with sports, activities etc so have no time for crime
Hirschi’s 4 bonds: Commitment
People prefer conformity rather than risking things e.g family
What happens when Hirschi’s bonds are frail or broken?
People are more likely to turn to crime as their is less incentive and self-control.
Merton’s Strain theory
-People have shared goals such as those associated with the ‘American Dram’
-In an unequal society not everyone has means to reach these things
-Introduced idea of dysfunction
-Difficulties in life can lead to strain and anomie which occur due to cultural and structural factors
Merton’s cultural factors
Emphasis on achieving success goals, these goals are emphasised but not legitimate means of achieving them
Merton’s Structural factors
Society’s unequal opportunity structure, meritocracy assumes everyone has the opportunity to achieve the goals. Many cannot attain success leading to strain.
What are Merton’s 5 modes of strain
- Conformity
2 Ritualism - Innovation
- Retreatism
- Rebellion
Merton’s modes of strain: Conformity
Achieving goals through legitimate means, conforming to norms
Merton’s modes of strain: Ritualism
Giving up on goals but continue to go through the motions of life.
Merton’s modes of strain: Innovation
Realising they can’t achieve goals legitimately so innovate to achieve them.
Merton’s modes of strain: Retreatism
Giving up on goals, reject means to achieve them, retreat form society.
Merton’s modes of strain: Rebellion
Rejecting means of achieving so rebel against society.
What’s good about Merton’s modes of strain?
-Lower class crime rates are higher, indicates more strain & barriers to legitimate means
-Most crime is property crime, material wealth is clearly important to people
-Merton’s work very influential
What’s not good about Merton’s modes of strain?
-Assumes most people agree on society’s goals and means of achieving
-Focuses only on individual responses not social patterns of crime.
