Crime and Deviance - Functionalism: Durkheim Flashcards
What are Durkheim’s 3 key ideas about crime and deviance?
- Some crime is neccessary
- Crime has positive functions
- Too much crime is bad for society
Why does Durkheim believe that some crime is necessary?
- Not all of society’s members can be equally committed to the same value consensus as different individuals are exposed to different situations and circumstances.
- Even in a ‘society of saints’ where society was full of perfect individuals, deviance would still exist. The general standards would be so high that even the slightest flaw would be a serious offence.
- All social change begins with some form of deviance.
What are the 3 positive functions of crime?
- Social regulation
- Social integration
- Social change
What is social regulation?
This is reaffirming the boundaries of acceptable behaviour.
For example, each time the police arrest an individual. they make it clear to society that this action is unacceptable. Along with this, media helps with this as crimes are reported in newspapers and so on.
What is social integration?
This strengthens social cohesion.
For example, when a really serious crime is committed the whole of society join together and share the same outrage which creates a sense of belonging an therefore strengthens society as a whole.
What is social change?
Criminals are constantly testing the boundaries of what is acceptable behaviour. When the majority of society do not agree with a certain law, legal reform is necessary. In this way, criminals help to reflect the wishes of the population and to bring about social change.
Evaluation - How does Durkheim talk about crime in general terms?
Durkheim talks about crime in very general terms. He says that crime is ‘necessary’ and also functional yet he fails to distinguish between the different types of crime. Some crimes are so harmful that they are always dysfunctional and never functional.
Evaluation - What would Marxists and Feminists say?
Durkheim is suggesting that the criminal justice system benefits society by punishing criminals and reinforces what is acceptable behaviour. However, Marxists and Feminists says that not all criminals are punished equally and therefore crime and punishment benefit only the powerful and not the powerless.
Evaluation - What would Interactionists suggest?
Interactionists would suggest that whether or not crime is functional cannot be determined objectively; it must depend on the individual’s relationship to crime.
Evaluation - What would Postmodernists argue?
Functionalists assume that society has universal norms and values that are reinforced by crimes being punished. However, Postmodernists say that society is so diverse these days that there is no such thing as ‘normal’.
