2. Functioalist Contributions To Crime And Deviance

Question 1

What are Durkheim’s views on crime and deviance for society?

Answer 1

1. Crime and deviance as inevitable
2. Crime as beneficial for society

Question 2

1. Crime and deviance as inevitable

Answer 2

-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.

Question 3

How is crime beneficial for society? (6)

Answer 3

-Boundary maintenance
-Social cohesion
-Social change
-Safety value,
-A warning device
-Boosts employment and the economy

Question 4

Crime as beneficial: Boundary maintenance

Answer 4

Punishment reaffirms society’s values, showing what is not acceptable eg arrest for murder

Question 5

Crime as beneficial: Social cohesion

Answer 5

People unite to condemn particular horrific crimes such as child abuse & terrorism

Question 6

Crime as beneficial: Social change

Answer 6

-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

Question 7

Crime as beneficial: Acts as a safety valve

Answer 7

Deviancy releases stress in society e.g mass violent protests are an outlet for peoples anger and discontent

Question 8

Crime as beneficial: Acts as a warning device

Answer 8

Crime & deviance show society is not working properly e.g drug addictions showing the underlying problems that need solving.

Question 9

Crime as beneficial: Boosts employment and the economy

Answer 9

Creates jobs for police officers and other criminal justice system workers

Question 10

Anomie and crime

Answer 10

-The balance of crime has to be correct
-Too much crime leads to anomie

Question 11

What is Hirschi’s control theory

Answer 11

The theory that looks at why most people do not commit crime

Question 12

Hirschi’s Control theory

Answer 12

-Everyone can be tempted into crime
-There are 4 social bonds that encourage social control

Question 13

What are Hirschi’s 4 social bonds?

Answer 13

Belief, Attachment, Involvement and Commitment

Question 14

Hirschi’s 4 bonds: Belief

Answer 14

People share moral beliefs about human rights and obeying the law.

Question 15

Hirschi’s 4 bonds: Attachment

Answer 15

People are attached to family, friends etc interested in their opinions, need & wishes.

Question 16

Hirschi’s 4 bonds: Involvement

Answer 16

People are busy with sports, activities etc so have no time for crime

Question 17

Hirschi’s 4 bonds: Commitment

Answer 17

People prefer conformity rather than risking things e.g family

Question 18

What happens when Hirschi’s bonds are frail or broken?

Answer 18

People are more likely to turn to crime as their is less incentive and self-control.

Question 19

Merton’s Strain theory

Answer 19

-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

Question 20

Merton’s cultural factors

Answer 20

Emphasis on achieving success goals, these goals are emphasised but not legitimate means of achieving them

Question 21

Merton’s Structural factors

Answer 21

Society’s unequal opportunity structure, meritocracy assumes everyone has the opportunity to achieve the goals. Many cannot attain success leading to strain.

Question 22

What are Merton’s 5 modes of strain

Answer 22

1. Conformity
   2 Ritualism
2. Innovation
3. Retreatism
4. Rebellion

Question 23

Merton’s modes of strain: Conformity

Answer 23

Achieving goals through legitimate means, conforming to norms

Question 24

Merton’s modes of strain: Ritualism

Answer 24

Giving up on goals but continue to go through the motions of life.

Question 25

Merton’s modes of strain: Innovation

Answer 25

Realising they can’t achieve goals legitimately so innovate to achieve them.

Question 26

Merton’s modes of strain: Retreatism

Answer 26

Giving up on goals, reject means to achieve them, retreat form society.

Question 27

Merton’s modes of strain: Rebellion

Answer 27

Rejecting means of achieving so rebel against society.

Question 28

What’s good about Merton’s modes of strain?

Answer 28

-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

Question 29

What’s not good about Merton’s modes of strain?

Answer 29

-Assumes most people agree on society’s goals and means of achieving
-Focuses only on individual responses not social patterns of crime.