Cd 2 functionalists perspective

Question 1

Positive functions of crime
Theorists

Answer 1

Durkheim

Clinard and Cohen

Davis and Polsky

Question 2

Evaluation of positive functions of crime

Answer 2

. Marxists say that it ignores the fact that the rulling class is the one to decide what is and what is not deviant and criminal
. Durkheim ignores the impact of crime on the victim, too focused on society as a whole
. Does not quantify the benefit of crime to society
. Crime can lead to social isolation for both victim and criminal

Question 3

Evaluation of strain theory
. Exaggerates ———- of ——–success.
. ————– the amount of crimes achieved by those who have ———the American dream or societal goals.
. Does not ——- — groups respond in that way.
. Does not explain …-………… crime.

Answer 3

Evaluation of strain theory
. Exaggerates importance of monetary success
. Underestimates the amount of crimes achieved by those who have achieved the American dream or societal goals
. Does not explain why groups respond in that way
. Does not explain non-utilitarian crime

Question 4

Sub-cultural theories
Theory and theorist

Answer 4

Status frustration - Cohen
Illegitimate Opportunity Structures - Cloward and Ohlin
Focal concerns - Miller

Question 5

Status frustration sub-culture and evaluation

Answer 5

Cohen - young people get frustrated by their inability to achieve social goals which lead to status frustration so turn to crime to achieve status.

Evaluation
Willis –W/C boys do not share the same ideas of status as M/C boys.
Ignores female delinquency
Only discusses youth crime.

Question 6

Illegitimate Opportunity Structures sub-culture evaluation

Answer 6

Evaluation
Assumes the official statistics on crime are accurate.
Over exaggeration of the criminal opportunities available to the young.

Question 7

Miller’s Focal Concerns theory and evaluation

Answer 7

Miller working class have a different set of values or focal concerns to the rest of society, such as hyper masculinity, which can lead to criminal behaviour appearing normal.

Evaluation
Not all W/C are criminals
Matza –Sub culture membership is often short lived.

Question 8

Control Theory - overview, acronym, evaluation

Answer 8

Hirschi - Bond theory
Strong bonds with society stops people from committing crime
BICA
Belief, Involvement, Commitment, Attachment

Evaluation
Assumes all people are naturally bad and it is society that keeps people good.
Doesn’t explain why the bonds are weak or strong, or how they become so.
You can have strong bonds but still be deviant –sexuality

Question 9

Durkheim’s positive functions of crime

Answer 9

Boundary Maintenance, social cohesion and adaptation and change.

Question 10

Whose is ‘warning sign’ theory of the positive functions of crime?

Answer 10

Clinard and Cohen

Question 11

Types of strain with Merton’s strain theory
Goals + Means =
Goals =
Means =
New goals + New means =
No goals + No means =

Answer 11

Goals + Means = Conformity
Goals = Innovation
Means = Ritualism
New goals + New means = Rebellion
No goals + No means = Retreatism

Question 12

Whose is the ‘focal concern’ theory?

Where it states that those of the working class have different values to those of the working which puts criminal behaviour as normal behaviour

Answer 12

Miller

Question 13

3 main sub cultural theories, name of theorist and theory

Answer 13

Cohen: Status frustration
Cloward and Ohlin: Illegitimate Opportunity Structures
Miller: Focal Concerns