Functionalism Flashcards
What are Durkheim’s 3 key ideas about crime and deviance?
Crime is inevitable and necessary.
Crime has multiple positive functions for society.
Too much crime is bad for society.
According to Durkheim, why is crime inevitable?
It’s present in all societies.
Critique why crime is inevitable, according to postmodernists?
In modern societies people aren’t as connected to collective sentiments because of variations in individual lives, impossible for one true collective as everyone’s experiences are different.
According to Durkheim, what would happen if we had a crimeless society?
‘Society of saints’. Filled with perfect behaviour, causing general expectations in society to be so high that slipping would be deemed an offence.
According to Durkheim, why is crime and deviance necessary?
All social change begins with forms of deviance.
E.g., suffragettes committed crimes but it gave women the vote.
Critiques of crime and deviance being necessary.
Doesn’t explain why certain people are more likely to commit crimes than others.
interested in relationships between deviance and societal order, then criminal motivations.
Ignore power. Accepted that, some groups more power than others.
What are the 6 functions of crime and deviance?
Marks acceptable behaviour.
Publicity functions.
Reflect wishes of population, legitimises social change.
Bonds strengthened.
Deviance provides safety valve.
Acts as warning device to indicate aspect society malfunctioning.
Describe marking the extremities of acceptable behvaiour.
Marking the line of what behaviour is acceptable in society.
Durkheim.
Arrests make it clear to the rest of society that; the particular action is unacceptable.
Describe the publicity function.
To second the boundaries about what behaviour is acceptable publicity and drama needs to be generated.
E.g., celebrating Guy Fawkes condemns what he did but celebrate and publicise it to set boundaries.
What does Erikson say about the publicity function.
Drama in courts, which condemns a person’s actions in a public arena.
Media produces dramatic accounts of crime.
Courts and media are broadcasting the boundaries of acceptable behaviour, so pp doesn’t breach law or society.
Describe the function that crime helps reflect the wishes of the population and legitimises social change.
Criminals test the boundaries of permitted actions.
PP can say how they feel about this- sympathy, anger etc.
Criminals perform service in helping to reflect the law to the wishes of the pop, legitimising social change.
Describe the function that bonds are strengthened.
Feelings of mutual fear- bonds between them are strengthened.
E.g., Madeline McCann- we all know and talk about her, bonded over a missing child.
Manchester attack.
Describe why deviance provides a safety valve.
Social order protected by acts of deviance.
E.g., Cohen- prostitution performs safety valve function without threatening the institution of the family.
Provides stress release from family pressure without undermining family stability.
Describe how crime acts as a warning device to indicate that an aspect of society is malfunctioning.
Cohen- certain deviant acts are a warning device indicate that aspect of society malfunctioning. Draw attention to problem and lead measures to solve it.
E.g., everyone stopped showing up to school, issue with institution (school shootings).
According to Durkheim, what happens if there is too much crime?
Anomie- respect rights and needs of others regarded as unimportant, only look after own interests, results in collapse of harmony.
