Crime & Deviance- Functionalist theories Flashcards
Durkheim’s theory on crime
Crime is inevitable, universal, relative, functional. Crime free society is impossible as it is necessary to maintain our collective conscience which distinguishes between what is acceptable and what isn’t.
Functions of crime according to Durkheim
Reaffirms boundaries through degradation e.g going to court which maintains social cohesion as the community comes together.
Changing values leads to change in laws therefore social progress
Crime is a safety valve- harmless expression of frustration and dissatisfaction e/g through prostitution.
Acts as a warning device to show that society is malfunctioning, times aren’t being controlled crime rates rocket.
Durkheim evaluation
First to analyse crime and deviance and point out its postive functions. Had a huge breakthrough in understanding deviance as intergral to society.
Fails to explain the cause of crime and why certain groups are more likely to commit crime. Fails to see the negatives of crime.
Merton’s Strain theory
Redefines Durkheim’s concept of anomie to mean a reaction to situations where mainstream goals are impossible to achieve legitimately. A strain between one’s ambitions and ability to achieve occurs and they can’t achieve the American Dream legitimately, they turn to crime.
Responses to pressure to achieve the American Dream
Conformity- try to succeed legitimately
Innovation- breaking law for monetary gain
Ritualism- giving up on the dream
Retreatism- criminal response to giving up e.g alcoholism.
Rebellion- criminal response replacing AD e.g terrorism.
Merton evaluation
Explains w/c and utilitarian crime. Shows how values differ across cultures where money is highly valued in the US making crime a prominent issue.
Takes OCS at face value, doesn’t explain why some w/c don’t break the law. Focuses on individuals not groups. Assumes there are shared values, doesn’t explain non utilitarian crimes.
A Cohen- Subcultural theory (Status frustration)
Delinquency is likely among w/c boys who fail in education, the system promotes m/c values which causes them to experience status frustration as they feel their dreams are blocked. To achieve status they form subcultures leading to crime. The subcultures offer an illegitimate opportunity structure where status can be achieved.
Nightingale
Studied black gangs in Philadephia and found that status was achieved through acquiring latest consumer goods. Society excludes them so they turn to crime to gain status among themselves.
A Cohen evaluation
Explains non utilitarian crimes, adds to Merton explaining that the response to the pressure to succeed can be a group response.
Assumes there is a value consensus (shared norms/values) and ignores female crime.
Cloward and Ohlin- Subcultural theory
Different subcultures react to failure to succeed differently depening on access to illegitimat opportunity structure. May not even have illegitimate means to succeed such as connections in the criminal world.
Types of subcultures
Criminal- stable w/c areas, status gained through gang memberships.
Conflict- areas with high population turnover, no established criminal subculture.
Retreatist- double failures, focused on drugs/alcohol.
Miller- subcultural theory + evaluation
w/c have their own subculture separate from the mainstream, their different values causes trouble. Focal concerns (FATSET)- fatalism, autonomy, toughness, smartness, excitement, trouble.
+E- Focal concerns could also be m/c values. Not all w/c people are criminal, if they had a distinct criminal subculture they would all be criminal.
Matza- criticism of Functionalists + evaluation
There aren’t subcultures with different values, there are mainstream values and subterranean (deviant) values shared by all. Deviant values come out occasionally where most people drift in and out of delinquency and their deviance is justified by techniques of neutralisation consisting of denying injury, victim, responsibility, condemnation of condemners and appealing to higher loyalties. +E- answers critics of subcultural theories. Does not account for organised crime e.g gangs.
