Crime & Deviance

Question 1

does functionalists believe society can exist without crime?

Answer 1

No

Question 2

what are the 2 reasons do functionalists believe cause crime?

Answer 2

1. inadequate socialisation
2. inequality

Question 3

what are examples of crimes committed because of inadequate socialisation?

Answer 3

racism
physical abuse
domestic abuse

Question 4

what are examples of crimes committed because of inequality?

Answer 4

theft
burglary
robbery

Question 5

what is a safety valve?

Answer 5

Durkheim believes crime can release the stresses in society e.g. mass riots in an outlet for expression and avoids more serious acts on crime

Question 6

what is a warning device?

Answer 6

Durkheim believes crime like high rates of suicide and drug addiction can warn society of greater underlying social problems that need solving before more serious threats develop

Question 7

criticise the functionalist belief of 2 reasons causing crime

Answer 7

many people in higher society are drug addicts meaning that they were adequately socialised and don’t suffer from inequality but still commit crime.
doesn’t explain non-utilitarian crime

Question 8

evaluate functionalists beliefs on the positives of crime

Answer 8

• states crime is good but are rape and murder good?
• contridaction to crime free society because boundary maintenance reiterates the differences between right and wrong
• inadequate socialisation —> son of producer or director was notorious incel and streamed himself killing 10 women
• there are other ways to enforce boundaries such as teaching rights and wrongs and you don’t have to see crime to know it’s wrong
• crime isn’t the only thing to enable change e.g. voting
• doesn’t specify how much crime is bad
• prostitution and pornography encourage breakdowns of nuclear family
• police argue they don’t create or maintain crime because they have professionalism

Question 9

what are other crimes that have positive functions?

Answer 9

• prostitution
• pornography

Question 10

what positive function does prostitution have?

Answer 10

Davis (1937) believes it allows men to express sexual frustration without threatening the nuclear family

Question 11

what positive function does pornography have?

Answer 11

Polsky (1967) thinks society has found an even better way of providing this positive function of expressing sexual frustration via pornography

Question 12

what did Erikson (1966) believe police were designed to do?

Answer 12

police are designed to create and maintain crime because of its positive functions.
Example - festivals drugs are very popular but people aren’t reprimanded strictly for taking drugs within a music festival
Example - universities ‘sowing wild oats’ drinking excessively and lots of sexual relationships

Question 13

What is Merton’s strain theory?

Answer 13

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