2.2: Los Medios de Comunicacion

Question 1

inevitable, universal, socialised,

Durkheim: general view

Answer 1

Functionalists view crime as inevitable and universal. Durkheim sees crime as a natural part of a healthy society.
- In every society, there are some inadequately socialised people , so are prone to deviance

• In modern society, there is a highly specialised division of labour and a diversity of subcultures. This leads to an individuals becoming increasingly different from one another, Durkheim calls this “anomie” (normlessness)

Question 2

Durkheim: 2 functions of crime

Answer 2

1.) Boundary Maintenance:
- Crime produces a reaction from society, uniting its members against the deviant reinforcing their commitment to the value consensus
- Punishment helps by reaffirming our shared rules and solidarity. For example, courtrooms show a ritual, where the offender is publicly stigmatised, reminding everyone of what is right and wrong in society

2.) Adaption & change
- All change started as deviance
- In order for change to occur, individuals with new ideas must challenge existing ideas, which will at first appear deviance
(Eg. Jesus & The Suffragettes)

Question 3

Cohen

Answer 3

Deviance acts as a warning light showing that an institution is malfunctions (eg. high truancy rates shows that something is wrong at school)

Question 4

Davis & Moore

Answer 4

Prostitution acts as a safety valve for men’s sexual desires without threatening the nuclear family

Question 5

Criticisms of Durkheim

Answer 5

• He only considers the positive impact of crime on society, not the harm inflicted on individuals

Question 6

Merton: Strain Theory