Crime - Theories on Crime - 4.1 (Functionalism & Strain Theories) Flashcards
Define Deviance
Actions going against norms and values of a society
Define Crime
Behaviour breaking law of a society
Define Social Control
How our behaviour is controlled by society to conform to norms & values e.g. government, police, media
Define Social Construction
Norms & values are created by society e.g. crime shaped by culture/historical period
General Functionalist view on Crime & Deviance
> See society based on value consensus, disrupted by Crime
> But crime inevitable & natural & sometimes good for society.
Two Reasons for Inevitability of Crime (Durkheim)
> Not all socialised with same values, leading to differences & thus crime
> Anomie common in modernity
> Crime due to diversity and the creation of subcultures with different norms from mainstream society
Two Positive Functions of Crime (Durkheim)
> Boundary Maintenance
Adaptation and Change
> Adaptation & Change
Boundary Maintenance (Durkheim)
> Crimes unites members to reject deviance, reinforces value consensus & collective conscience
> Society’s rejection of deviance is distinctive from law breaking, we understand behaviours are wrong & shouldn’t be repeated
> Boundary maintenance is good versus evil
Example of Boundary Maintenance
e. g. public reaction to Manchester attacks
e. g. public reaction to murder of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes by his father and step-mother
Adaptation & Change (Durkheim)
> All changes begin with deviance, and a need for people to challenge values
> Without deviance there is no change.
> If new ideas are rejected, society stagnates, unable to make the necessary changes.
Examples of Adaptation & Change
Votes for women - violent and criminal acts by Suffragettes
Rosa Parks - Civil Rights Movement
Cohen view on Crime
Warning signal, something in society is not working properly to policymakers/leaders.
e.g. certain aspect of law needs reform
Erikson view on Crime
> Institutions e.g. police actually ensure crime occurs
> e.g. festivals & carnivals rules are relaxed (public drunkeness, drug use) & they turn a blind eye to deviant behaviour.
> So we can let off steam and don’t do darker crimes
> Also eases transition from childhood to adulthood, through sanctioned rule-breaking.
Davis view on Prostitution
Safety valve for men’s sexual frustration, not threatening monogamous nuclear family as it’s one off.
Polsky view on Pornography
Safe channel for sexual desires, not threatening monogamous nuclear family as adultery would.
General Criticisms of Durkheim’s view
> Doesn’t say how much crime there should be
> Causes fear & isolation in individuals e.g. rape so not functional and positive for society
> Crime is functional for society but not for the victims
> Crime doesn’t always create social solidarity, it can divide people
Why does Merton believe people engage in deviant behaviour?
> Unable to achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means.
> Strain between the goals, society encourage us to achieve & what society allows us to achieve (means).
Two Factors for Engagement in Deviance (Merton)
> Structural; societies unequal opportunity structure
> Cultural: emphasis on success & less emphasis on how to achieve it legitimately.
Merton & American Dream as Flawed
> Values success, expected to be pursue legitimately
> Belief in meritocracy, but in reality poverty & discrimination block opportunities.
> This leads to stress & pressure to resort to illegitimate means.
> Due to emphasis on success at all costs - anomie
Merton’s 5 Responses to Strain
> Conformity > Innovation > Ritualism > Retreatism > Rebellion
Conformity - Merton
Accept goals & try to achieve them legitimately e.g. middle class people
Innovation - Merton
Accept goals & but try achieve them illegally e.g. theft, drug dealing - working class
Ritualism (Merton)
Give up on goals & simply plod on trying to achieve knowing they never will. e.g. people on minimum wage
Retreatism (Merton)
Rejects goals & legitimate means & drop out of society e.g. alcohol & drug abusers
