C&D T1: Functionalism, Strain Theory and Subcultural Theory

Question 1

What are the two key mechanisms that enable us to achieve social solidarity

Answer 1

1. Socialisation - instils a shared culture into its
   members. This ensures individuals internalise the same norms and values.
2. SOCIAL CONTROL – mechanisms include rewards for conforming and punishment for deviance. These help to ensure that individuals behave in the way society
   expects.

Question 2

Anomie

Answer 2

Social breakdown - lack of purpose or ideals
DURKEIM sees this as social suicide

Question 3

Two reasons why crime is inevitable

Answer 3

A. Not everyone is equally socialised
B. In complex modern societies there is diversity - groups develop their own subcultures with distinctive norms and values

Question 4

Durkheim’s positive functions for society

Answer 4

1. Boundary Maintenance - crime produces a reaction from society. Durkheim uses punishment to explain this - its not about stopping behaviour but instead the purpose is to reaffirm social solidarity and reinforce shared rules
2. Adaptation and change - for Durkheim all acts of change starts with an act of deviance. Individuals with new ideas must not be stifled by the weight of social control, there must be scope for them to challenge and change existing norms

Question 5

Benefits of prostitution and pornography

Answer 5

Davis - prostitution acts as a safety valve for the release of men’s frustrations without threatening the nuclear family
Polsky - porn safely channels a variety of sexual desires away from alternatives such as adultery

Question 6

Merton’s Strain Theory

Answer 6

People engage in deviant behaviour when they are unable to achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means

Question 7

What two elements are in Merton’s theory?

Answer 7

Structural factors - society’s unequal structure
Cultural factors - strong emphasis on success goals and the weaker emphasis on legitimate means to achieve them

Question 8

What two things does Merton say is the result of strain?

Answer 8

• the goals that a culture encourages individuals to achieve
• what the institutional structure of society allows them to achieve legitimately

Question 9

The American dream

Answer 9

success for one and all - goals that can be achieved through self discipline, study, educational qualifications and hard work

This ideology tells Americans that their society is meritocratic - there are opportunities for all

Question 10

What is the reality of the American Dream?

Answer 10

Many disadvantaged groups are denied opportunities legitimately
due to poverty, inadequate schools and discrimination in the job market

This creates the pressure to turn to illegitimate means such as crime and
deviance - ‘the strain to anomie’

Question 11

Deviant adaptations to strain

Answer 11

There are five types of adaptation which depend upon whether an individual accepts, rejects or replaces approved cultural goals and the legitimate means of achieving them.

Question 12

Innovation

Answer 12

Individuals accept the goal of money success but use ‘new’ illegitimate means Eg. theft/freud. Those at the lower end of the class structure are under the greatest pressure to innovate

Question 12

Conformity

Answer 12

individuals accept culturally approved goals and strive to achieve them legitimately. Most likely within the middle classes who have good opportunities to achieve. This is the typical response of most americans

Question 13

Ritualism

Answer 13

Give up on trying to achieve goals but have internalised means and follow the rules. Typically lower middle class office workers

Question 14

Retreatism

Answer 14

Reject both goals and legitimate means and become dropouts. Merton includes; vagrants, dropouts, tramps and drug addicts

Question 15

Rebellion

Answer 15

Reject society’s goals and means but replace them with new ones in order to bring about revolutionary change and create a new society

Question 16

Subcultural strain theories

Answer 16

See deviance as the product of a delinquent subculture with different values from those of mainstream society. Subcultures provide an alternative opportunity structure for those who are denied chance to achieve by legitimate means – mainly the working class.

Subcultural strain theories both criticise MERTON’S theory and build on it.

Question 17

Albert Cohen and Status Frustration

Answer 17

Cohen agrees with Merton - deviance is largely a wc phenomenon

Question 18

How did Cohen criticise Merton? (two)

Answer 18

1. Merton sees deviance as an individual response to strain ignoring that a lot of deviance is committed by groups, especially amongst the young
2. Merton focuses on utilitarian crime committed for material gain and ignores assault, vandalism (non-utilitarian) where there is no economic motivation

Question 19

What is status frustration?

Answer 19

a sense of personal failure and inadequacy

Question 20

Alternative status hierarchy

Answer 20

• Subcultures values are based on spite, malice, hostility and contempt for those outside it
• It inverts the values of mainstream society
• What society values the delinquent subculture hate and vice/ versa
• Offers the boys an alternative status hierarchy where they can achieve
• Create their own illegitimate opportunity structures where they can win status from their peers through their delinquent actions.

Question 21

Illegitimate opportunity structures

Answer 21

crime identified by Merton and Cohen arises due to a lack of LEGITIMATE OPPORTUNITIES some will arise as a result of unequal access to the ILLEGITIMATE OPPORTUNITY
STRUCTURES.

Question 22

Cloward and Ohlin 3 subcultures

Answer 22

criminal, conflict, retreatist

Question 23

C&O Criminal Subculture

Answer 23

Provide youths with an apprenticeship for a career in utilitarian crime.
Only happens in communities with a long standing criminal culture.
Young associate with adult criminals who select those with the right aptitude and abilities and provide training and opportunities up the criminal careers ladder

Question 24

C&O Conflict Subculture

Answer 24

Where there’s high population turnover and high levels of social disorganisation this prevents stable professional criminal networks developing.
Its absence means only illegitimate opportunities available are within loosely organised gangs.
Violence provides a release from frustration of blocked opportunity as well as an alternative source of status (this is closest to COHEN’S theory).

Question 25

C&O Retreatist Subculture

Answer 25

In any neighbourhood not everyone who wants to become a professional criminal succeeds just as noteveryone gets a good job.
These double failures turn to retreatist subcultures based on illegal drug use.

Question 26

SOUTH and the drug trade

Answer 26

SOUTH argues that CLOWARD AND OHLIN draw the boundaries too sharply between the different types of subcultures.
a mixture of
“disorganised” crime as in the CONFLICT SUBCULTURE alongside more professional “mafia” style CRIMINAL SUBCULTURES. So rather than fitting neatly into a subculture as suggested by CLOWARD AND OHLIN this type of crime will cross a number of the subcultures they identified.

Question 27

2 Key elements of Subcultural strain theory

Answer 27

1. Subcultural values are distinct from those held by the majority of the population.
2. Delinquents are forced into deviant actions by the forces of these subcultures – DETERMINISM.

Much of the research conducted into subcultures has in fact revealed that most delinquent behaviour is simply the behaviour of ordinary people.

Question 28

Matza and the concept of drift

Answer 28

youths end up in “no mans land” - they lack control over their own lives and seek to gain some control

Question 29

Institutional Anomie theory

Answer 29

They make the point that the obsession with
individual monetary success” pushes people towards crime.