Crime and Deviance- Functionalist Theories of Crime Flashcards
How does crime and deviance reinforce the consensus of values, norms and behaviours?
People can join together in outrage- boundary maintainance
What did Durkheim say about deviance?
Deviance allows for social change to occur
When does crime become dysfunctional?
When it is too high and threatens social order, or too low and there’s no social change
How did Cohen identify crime as a safety valve?
It is a way of releasing tension without threatening social stability
How did Cohen identify crime as a warning device?
It allows society to identify and deal with emerging problems
What did Merton conclude from his American study?
The vast majority of individuals share the same goals but don’t have equal access to the means of achieving these goals
What is strain theory?
When an individual is unable to achieve society’s cultural goals due to factors beyond their control, it causes a strain which leads to deviant behaviour
What did Sutherland argue?
Deviance is learned from observing other deviant behaviours (differential association theory)
What do subcultural theories say?
Cultural values of some groups actually encourage deviance
What did Cloward and Ohlin believe?
There was a legitimate opportunity structure and an illegitimate opportunity structure
What is a criminal subculture?
Young people have been taught by adult career criminals
What is a conflict subculture?
Young people organise themselves into gangs
What is a retreatist subculture?
Young people have failed in both the legitimate and illegitimate opportunity structures
