Durkheim's explanation for crime Flashcards
what is anomie? (D)
lack of usual social or ethical standards in an individual or group, a social condition that occurs when a society’s previously common norms or values disappear or disintegrate, typically causes people to feel a lack of belonging and that they are a disconnected from their society.
less integrated - less individualistic
How might modernity have caused crime? (D)
durkeim sees crime as a problem in modern society, in pre ind. crime was rarer due to powerful institutions
Is crime inevitable? (D)
Durkheim suggested that crime was inevitable in society and a certain amount is necessary for society to function, when there is little crime society becomes stagnant and die off as they do not adapt, however too much crime is a sign of anomie, a state where there is confusion on what is acceptable behaviour
- not every member can be equally committed to the value consensus due to being socialized differently.
- Durkheim also imagined a society of saints populated by perfect individuals - deviance would still exist as standards would be so high that a minor slip would be a serious offence, i.e. being impolite
- all social change begins with some form of deviance i.e. suffragettes
what were Durkheims 3 positive functions of crime in society?
boundary maintenance
social cohesion
adaptation and change
Boundary maintenance
he states that crime and deviance acts to remind people of what is and is not acceptable, this is done by the publication and reporting of criminal behaviour that reminds people what isn’t acceptable and the consequences of such behaviour.
This creates social solidarity, strengthens collective values.
i.e. the london riots, summer riots
additionally, those were later prosecuted and named and shamed, this served to remind people this is not okay.
Social Cohesion
Crime creates social cohesion by naming and shaming those who commit crimes, both large and small, it can bring society together in mutual grief as well as condemnation of the perpetrator. This can be exemplified by the murder of Jo Cox in 2016 and the Manchester Bombing, in both cases the public was united in its grief for those killed and the condemnation of the extremists
Adaption and change
Durkheim saw crime as a way to promote change in society, deviant behaviour indicates that a social change is needed, i.e. the Suffragettes
Safety Valve
Davis adds to Durkheim’s idea by stating that minor criminal behaviour can act as a safety valve preventing greater or more deviant behaviour from occurring. Davis doesn’t mean that society allow the low-level criminal behaviour but that individuals may commit these low level deviant and criminal acts as a release for their urges and preventing them from committing more severe crimes and facing the consequences of them.
i.e. porn prevents more serious offences such as rape
Warning signs
Clinard and Cohen also added to Durkheims theory by suggesting that criminal and deviant behaviour acts as a warning sign that there is dysfunction in society that needs to be addressed, this is different to adaptation and change where people commit a specific crime to achieve specific change, the warning sign is more generalised.
i.e. increase in teen pregnancy could indicate a change in the education system
positive functions of crime evaluation points
ignores the victim- as a macro approach, functionalists look at the impact of crime in society they completely ignore the impact of the crime on the individual > not likely to be a positive experience
how much is beneficial? did not quantify how much crime is beneficial and how much is too much
isolation- crime does not always lead to social solidarity, it can lead to ostracization for both the victim and criminal
