Crime And Deviance - Functionalism, Crime and Deviance Flashcards
What are some main points on functionalist theory?
Society is based on value consensus
Social institutions, agents of socialisation & control create social solidarity & tells people how to behave
What are 5 key words for functionalist theory?
Meritocracy
Social solidarity
Value consensus
Organic analogy
Collective consciousness
What is the nature of society according to functionalism?
Society is based on value consensus
Society is fair & meritocratic -> everyone has the chance to be socially mobile (everyone wants high life chances)
What does Durkheim say about the nature of society & how this relates to crime?
He highlights the fact that in a class-based society, some people achieve more than others which is useful so all of societies roles get filled up (role allocation)
Therefore, crime will always occur because meritocracy creates inequality & differences between individuals
Why does crime occur in the first place, according to functionalists?
When people experience barriers to their life chances due to inequality they turn to anomie. To gain the things that they cant in the socially acceptable way, they turn to crime & deviance. They both break down social solidarity & weaken value consensus which is the atrophy of society’s norms & values.
What is anomie & atrophy?
Anomie -> normlessness
Atrophy -> erosion
SOCIOLOGIST: What approach does Durkheim take to crime?
The normative approach
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Durkheim say about crime?
It is functional-inevitable-normal (FIN)
In what ways is crime functional for society?
Reinforces value consensus & social solidarity
Allows adaptation & change in society
Acts as a safety valve
Acts as a warning light
Creates jobs
How does crime reinforce value consensus & social solidarity?
People’s behaviour is governed by positive & negative sanctions & when people commit crimes, they’re punished. This reminds people of what is right & wrong and how people should behave in society
SOCIOLOGIST: How can crime create adaptation & change, according to Durkheim?
He argues all change starts with deviant acts, & for change to occur, people with new ideas have to challenge existing norms & values which appears as deviance at first. If this is suppressed, society is unable to make necessary & adaptive changes and will eventually stagnate.
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Kingsley Davis say about crime as a safety valve?
Argues that prostitution acts as a safety valve for men to release their sexual frustrations without harming the monogamous nuclear family
What is a problem with Kingsley Davies’ argument?
Prostitution in fact does harm the nuclear family, as well as, the view portrays men in a stereotypical light
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Ned Polsky say about crime as a safety valve?
Pornography safely channels a variety of sexual desires away from acts that harm the family e.g. adultery
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Cohen say about crime as a warning light?
Deviance indicates an institution is failing e.g. high truancy rates indicate problems with the education system