Functionalism

Question 1

Merton’s Strain Theory

Answer 1

• Crime and Deviance occur because of a strain between people wanting to achieve the goals of society (money and success) but being unable to
• Don’t have the legitimate means (hard work, self-discipline and talent, making society appear meritocratic) to achieve the goals of society. WC lack qualifications or lack money, experience a strain to anomie (gap between the goal and the means to achieve it).
• Innovators -> accept the goals of society but cannot use legitimate means (turn to utilitarian crimes - fraud, stealing).

AO3: Does not explain group crimes related to violence/non-utilitarian crimes (no monetary gain) or crimes committed by wealthy people e.g. fraud

Question 2

Subcultures Theory: Cohen

Answer 2

People who fail to achieve the goals of society come together to form deviant subcultures. Young WC males experience status frustration -> feel frustrated that they cannot legitimately achieve the goals of society because they lack qualifications. Form deviant subcultures with their own deviant goals and values that they can achieve to gain status and respect from their peers.

AO2 - Moped crime in London -> steal phones from unsuspecting pedestrians, stealing more phones helps to raise status, higher position in gang

AO3 - anti-school subcultures form, gain status by messing around, truanting etc. and they leave without qualifications, forming deviant subcultures
Does not explain why different subcultures commit different types of crimes

Question 3

Miller

Answer 3

Argues the WC have developed their own subcultures with their own focal concerns - things they value (toughness, excitement).

Crime and Deviance occur as a result of them demonstrating their focal concerns - getting into bar/street fights to demonstrate toughness

Question 4

Cloward and Ohlin

Answer 4

Types of deviant subcultures people join is down to locality:

• Criminal subcultures -> found in inner-city areas with established organised crime networks, criminal role models for young people who learn how to be successful criminals (utilitarian crimes)
• Conflict subcultures -> found in inner-city, deprived, council estate areas with high population turnover, youth more likely to join violent, unstable gangs and fight over territory, gain respect by committing non-utilitarian crimes against rival gangs -> stabbing ‘scoreboard’
• Retreatist subcultures -> no organised criminal networks (in the countryside), people who cannot achieve society’s goals legitimately or illegitimately so join together and turn their back on society (drugs)

AO3 - Miller, subcultures created to express their own focal concerns through crime and deviance (fights to demonstrate toughness)

Question 5

Durkheim: 3 Positive Functions

Answer 5

1) Boundary Maintenance:
Public observe those who break the law being arrested and taken to prison (public punishment), reinforces the shared values of society and the boundary between right and wrong, acts as a deterrent as people do not want to be punished or arrested.

2) Adaptation and Change:
Crimes and Deviance can lead to the creation of new laws, Martyn’s Law after the Manchester Arena attack states that bags over a certain size are not allowed to be brought into concert or venues to prevent similar instances from happening again, act as a warning sign of problems in society that need to be changed (potential for norms and values to be challenged so society has the ability to change and develop) .

3) Social Solidarity:
Society can pull together to condemn the actions of a horrible crime (unite in their shared outrage), strangers grieved together after the Manchester Arena attack, which strengthened social solidarity - people felt like they belonged

AO3 - Can lead to the opposite of social solidarity, people become more isolated after the attack (refuse to go to concerts in fear of another attack happening).
Doesn’t specify how much crime there has to be for it to be functional and beneficial for society.