Functionalism Flashcards
How do Functionalists see society?
A stable system based upon value consensus - shared values, norms and beliefs.
What does Durkheim believe about crime and deviance?
It has a positive effect on society and crime is inevitable and universal and serves a purpose.
What are the 2 reasons for why people commit crime?
1) not everyone is effectively socialised
2) diversity of lifestyles
How are the rules presented in modern societies?
They are weaker now as individuals will have social and cultural diversity which weakens their collective conscience and shared culture.
What are the 4 factors for why crime is good for society?
1) boundary maintenance
2) adaptation and change
3) safety valve
4) warning light
In boundary maintenance what does crime produce?
A positive reaction form society as it unites people together - the punishment reaffirms society’s shared values.
What 2 examples is there for boundary maintenance?
1) 2011 UK riots as people came together to clean up the streets
2) James Burger killers who are the 2 kids who killed the 5 year old.
What evaluation is there for boundary maintenance?
Ignores how crime and deviance will affect individuals.
What does Durkheim say in adaptation and change?
That all changes will start with an act of deviance and society needs to adapt to these new ideas and cannot be stifled by social control.
What 3 examples is there for adaptation and change?
1) Natasha’s law (2016) - a law protecting allergies so food businesses will have to include the full ingredients on the package.
2) Clare’s law - Domestic Abuse Disclosure Scheme - people could find out if their later had an abusive past.
3) Suffragettes - allowed reforms like the equal pay act.
What evaluation is there for adaptation and change?
Society requires a certain amount of deviance to function successfully
What does Davis and Polsky (1967) say in safety valve?
Davis says crime can release sexual frustration.
Polsky says pornography safely channels a variety of sexual desires away.
What 1 example is there for safety valve?
1) prostitution
What evaluation is there for safety valve?
Radical feminists will say prostitution is contributing to the patriarchy and controlling women.
What does Cohen say in warning light?
That deviance will indicate when an institution is malfunctioning and a change will need to happen in society.
What 1 example is there for warning light?
1) Truancy - high rates of truancy in schools show there is a problem with the education system.
What evaluation is there for warning light?
Marxist say a powerful group is imposing its values on the rest of society.
What is Mertons strain theory?
That people will engage in deviant behaviour when they are unable to achieve socially approved goals (American dream)
Why does crime/deviance happen?
Shows the strain between cultural goals (stuff people should achieve) and structural goals (structure of society so achieving it legitimately or illegitimately)
What is the American dream?
American society is meritocratic and that anyone who makes the effort can get ahead and achieve wealth and status.
If people are restricted by social structures what will this lead to?
A “strain to anomie”
What are the 5 adaptations to strain?
1) Conformity - legitimate means to achieve the American dream
2) Innovation - illegitimate means to achieve it
3) Ritualism - giving up on the goal e.g dead end jobs like reception or a cleaner etc
4) Retreatism - rejecting both goals and becoming a dropout
5) Rebellion - reject society’s values and create a new kind of society
What is the evaluation to strain theory?
1) Marxists say it doesn’t explain why MC commit crimes (white collar crimes)
- crimes of the street (WC crime)
- crimes of the suite (RC crime)
2) doesn’t explain why the commit all types of crime e,g murder, kidnapping and only explains money related crime.
What does cohen say about subcultural theories?
Deviance from the lower class is the “inability to achieve mainstream success goals by legitimate means such as education”.
