Crime as Normal in Modern Societies

Question 1

What is Mechanical Societies by Emile Durkheim

Answer 1

• each social group in society is isolated from all other social groups
• individuals all live under identical circumstances, do identical work, identical values
• little division of labour
• uniformity; everyone is similar; little or no specialization
• oriented towards repressing deviation from the norms of the time

Question 2

What is Organic Societies by Emile Durkheim

Answer 2

• interdependent (two or more things dependent on each other)
• highly organized division of labour
• diversity of the functions of the parts of society
• low regulates interactions in the different parts of society

Question 3

What are the types of social solidarity?

Answer 3

Mechanical Societies

Organic Societies

Question 4

What is social solidarity?

Answer 4

• correlates with the type of society

- social solidarity is maintained in more complex societies through the interdependence of its component parts

Question 5

What does laws enforce in mechanical societies?

Answer 5

-enforces uniformity of members

Question 6

What is the goal of mechanical societies?

Answer 6

repression deviance through repressive sanctions

Question 7

What is the goal of organic societies?

Answer 7

law aims at restitution (restoration) among particular individuals or groups in society (fragmented, interdependent society)

Question 8

Who said crime is functional for society?

Answer 8

Emile Durkheim

Question 9

In which type of social solidarity is crime normal?

Answer 9

In mechanical societies

Question 10

How is crime functional for society?

Answer 10

• acts simultaneously to promote and reinforce the collective conscience
• most important in modern societies
• its blend of both organic and mechanical societies

Question 11

Society of Saints

Answer 11

• society without crime

- notion by Emile Durkheim