Functionalism Flashcards
What is the functionalist perspective on crime and deviance ?
- Crime is inevitable and caused by anomie which is caused by poor socialisation and inequality
- can have positive functions for society
What does Functionalist Merton Identify ?
Strain theory
What is Functionalist Merton’s ‘Strain theory’ ?
- The relationship between the ‘’means’ of achieving and the ‘goals’ of achievement
Merton argues those without that face ‘barriers’ that prevent them from achieving the ‘goals’ fall into 1 of 5 categories :
- Conformists - those who have invested in the American Dream / conform to the norms and values of society by working towards education / employment
- Innovators - Those that support the goals of society - e.g. earning money - but may use criminal means of achieving them
- Ritualist’s - Those who do not aspire to society’s goals but accept the means of achieving them - e.g. going to work to ‘do the job’ but might not want career success like promotions
- Retreatists - Those who reject society’s goals and may be seen as ‘Social dropouts’ - e.g. alcoholics’ / drug addicts
- Rebels - Those who create alternative goals to those prescribed by society and may seek a counterculture - e.g. Terrorists
What barriers can people face that may cause them to feel ‘The strain’ - Mertons ‘strain theory’
. Poor education
. Poor socialisation
. Facing inequality
. Material deprivation
. Zero sum society
. Lack of cultural / social / economic capital
What does Functionalist Durkheim Identify ?
The effect of crime
What is Functionalist Durkheim’s ‘effect of crime’ theory?
Effect of crime :
. He argues crime can be :
- Positive - social change
- Negative - Social disruption
What does Functionalist Durkheim argue crime is ?
He argues crime is :
. Inevitable
. Universal
. Relative
. Functional
What does Functionalist Cohen Identify ?
‘Status frustration’
What is Functionalist Cohens theory of ‘status frustration’?
Status frustration
Cohen focuses on W/C boys in school who fail to succeed in M/C environments and form delinquent subcultures that go against M/C norms and values
- W/C find the legitimate system harder and get frustrated - causing them to fall into subcultures
How does Functionalist Cohens theory of ‘Status frustration’ explain non-utilitarian crime ?
W/C youths use non-utilitarian crimes - like vandalism. joyriding and loitering - to deal with their status frustration by having an outlet alongside allowing them to climb the illegitimate opportunist structure by gaining status within their delinquent subcultures.
What 3 subculture did Functionalists Cloward and Ohlin identify that people fell into as a result of ‘Status frustration’
. Criminal subculture - where career criminals can socialist youths into their own criminal career that might result in material success
. Conflict subculture - Gangs organised by young people themselves - often based on claiming territory from other gangs - ‘Turf-wars’
. Retreatist subculture - Those who are unable to access either legitimate or illegitimate opportunity structures might dropout altogether but might do so as a group rather than individually - e.g. these groups may abuse drugs
What does Functionalist Davis Identify ?
‘Safety value crimes’
What are Davis’s ‘Saftey value crimes’ ?
the idea of a small amount of crime acts as a ‘safety value’ that prevents an ‘Overflow of crime
An example of this is - prostitution - as it allows men to relieve sexual tension that in turn may prevent future problems - like reducing rape stats and reducing cases of DV
What does Functionalist Hirschi Identify ?
‘Bonds of attachment’ theory
What is Functionalist Hirschi’s theory of ‘Bonds of attachment’ ?
Hirschi is interested in why people Don’t commit crime and their ‘Bonds of attachment’ theory suggests a person can predict the ‘typical delinquent’
- They argue that criminal activity occurs when and individuals attachment to society is weakened - e.g. unemployment + single
- A person that is more more integrated a person is into society - e.g. marriage and employment - the less likely they are to deviate from societies norms and values
What does Functionalists Cloward and Ohlin Identify ?
The ‘legitimate and illegitimate opportunist structure’
What is Functionalists Cloward and Ohlins theory of The legitimate and illegitimate opportunist strucutre’ ?
Cloward and Ohlin argue that :
. Not everyone can have a ‘legitimate life’ - e.g. qualifications, employment, promotions, meritocratic rewards and a happily ever after life
. But instead some face ‘barriers’and as such develop an ‘illegitimate life’ - e.g. laddish subculture, financial gain through deviance, promotions in a gang ect
- People retreat into the illegitimate opportunist structure because they feel the strain of the legitimate opportunist structure
What is the Evaluation of Functionalists Cloward and Ohlin
. Not 3 distinct subcultures
- most criminal gangs would have elements of two or more of these subcultures rather than only conforming to one
. Don’t explain female crime
- They fail to explain why girls, who are denied access to these structures, do not react in the same ways that boys do
. They don’t tackle the root causes of why people are denied legitimate opportunities
- They do not question why, in a meritocratic society, W/C youths are generally denied access to the legitimate opportunity structures.
What does Functionalist Matza identify ?
Theory of ‘Subterranean values and drift’
What is Functionalist Matza’s theory of ‘Subterranean values and drift’ ?
Matza argues that :
- Criminality is not reserved to just one group -but rather we all have some delinquent ways ( Subterranean values) and drift into delinquency and drift out of it.
- Matza suggests proof for these ‘Subterranean values’ comes from the fact people seek to ‘Neutralise’ their deviant acts - as such people seek ways to justify their behaviour or question their responsibility through a number of ‘Techniques of neutralisation’
What are Functionalist Matza’s ‘Techniques of neutralisation’?
. Denial of responsibility - “It wasn’t me / it wasn’t my fault”
. Denial of injury - “It didn’t hurt / they have insurance”
. Denial of the victim - “You deserved it / what did you expect”
. Condemnation of the condemners - “You’re just as bad”
. Appeal to higher loyalties - “i had to help my family / friends”
What is the Evaluation of Functionalists Matza
. **‘Techniques of naturalisation’ are excuses **
- They could simply be used in an attempt to avoid censure or punishment, rather than ‘drift’ back into mainstream values.
. **Some of these ‘Techniques of neutralisation’ may be deviant values **
- the belief that victims are partly responsible for their victimhood, or that higher loyalties justify crimes might well be examples of the deviant norms and values of a criminal subculture
