Crime & Deviance Flashcards
Dark figure of crime
Crimes that are not recorded or reported
Functionalist theory of crime
- Structural - people are forced into crime by society
- Consensus - crime/deviance contribute to creating agreement in society
- Macro - crime/deviance as a whole
- Crime statistics are accurate and social facts
Why do Functionalists believe crime/deviance is a positive for society?
- The collective conscience is reinforced when someone is punished for their behaviour as it reminds us that it’s not acceptable
- Media reminds everyone not to break the boundaries of acceptable behaviour
- Law reflects society’s beliefs at the time
Criticism for why Functionalists believe crime/deviance is a positive for society?
Marxists believe the ruling class create the law
Feminists believe men create the law
How could the law change according to Functionalists?
if criminals perform a constant test of the boundaries or if the public express a dissatisfaction with a law then it will change e.g homosexuality
Criticism of Functionalists view of how laws don’t change
The public have expressed a dissatisfaction in USA with gun crime but guns are still legal to buy
How do certain crimes create social solidarity according to Functionalists?
Bind people together to share the same beliefs/values e.g 9/11, Manchester Bombing
Criticism of how certain crimes create social solidarity according to Functionalists?
Crimes don’t always bind people together e.g hate crimes, islamophobia Manchester Bombing
Durkheim’s reasoning why too much crime is harmful for society
When the law/rules of society are not in place it stops the collective conscience and creates anomie (normlessness) which is harmful for society e.g London riots
Merton’s Theory of Anomie (Strain Theory)
Anomie = strain between goals/means