FUNCTIONALISM Flashcards
what is macro-functionalism?
looks at society as a whole and the different components of society.
what is a value consensus?
shared values.
what is a collective conscience?
shared beliefs about what is right and wrong.
who created the idea of a collective conscience?
Durkheim.
what is boundary maintenance?
publicity of crimes to remind the public the difference between right and wrong behaviour.
what is collective conscience?
shared ideas about what is considered to be right and wrong.
what is anomie?
a state of normlessness - norms and values no longer guide peoples behaviour.
what is adaptation and change?
crime can result in changes in the law.
what is social solidarity?
after horrific crimes, society can pull together to condemn the actions.
example of social solidarity in politics?
death of Jo Cox MP - stabbed by a man in daylight.
what is a strain to anomie?
when people have alternative means or reject social goals in response to this strain.
what means are innovators more likely to turn to?
illegitimate means.
one strength of Merton’s strain theory?
explains in which the way people respond to crime.
one weakness of Merton’s strain theory?
largely explains utilitarian crime, but not things such as assault or stabbings.
what did Merton emphasise placed a bigger emphasis on the goals of success?
American dream.
what are utilitarian crimes?
crimes that are committed for financial gain.
what are the 5 adaptations to strain?
- conformity
- innovation
- ritualism
- retreatism
- rebellion
does conformity accept goals and means?
yes and yes.
does innovation accept goals and means?
yes and no.
does ritualism accept goals and means?
no and yes.
does retreatism accept goals and means?
no and no.
does rebellion accept goals and means?
yes/no and yes/no.
what is a subculture?
a group within a culture that differs from the general consensus.
an example of a subculture?
punk rockers in the 1970’s.
which group of people did Cohen focus on?
working class boys in school who fail to succeed in middle class environments.
what were students more likely to join because of failure?
delinquent subcultures.
what two things can delinquent subcultures give you?
status and success.
where do conflict subcultures exist?
in areas of poverty and high population turnover.
where do retreats subcultures occur?
areas where there are no criminal networks to join.
2 evaluations of cloward and ohlin - 3 subcultures?
- ignore crimes of the wealthy.
- focuses on just w/c males.
two reasons why Durkheim argues crime is inevitable?
inequality and inadequate socialisation.
what is it called if there is too much crime?
anomie.
what is it called if there isn’t enough crime?
stagnation.
give one evaluation of Merton’s 5 theory of strain?
he assumes that peoples motivations for crime are individual and ignores the fact that crime often occurs in groups.
who was Cohen influenced from in his findings?
Merton.
what is young peoples cultural goal?
the desire for status and respect.
how do middle class boys gain status and respect?
through their parents and educational success.
what is the form of anomie they experience called?
status frustration.
two types of social control?
formal social control and informal social control.
what is formal social control?
any written rules which are set out eg. laws which are enforced by police.
what is informal social control?
any rules which are agreed upon but not written down.
how could we link these deviant subcultures back to education?
they begin at school - when they cannot do well in school they form anti-school subcultures.
what does Miller argue many working classes have developed?
focal concerns.
what are focal concerns?
the things they value eg. toughness and excitement.
what is an example of demonstrating focal concerns?
to demonstrate toughness, people may get involved in street fights.
what do Cloward and Ahlin argue the types of subcultures people join is down to?
locality - depends where they live.
give 3 types of deviant subcultures?
- criminal subcultures.
- conflict subcultures.
- retreatist subcultures.
what crimes do criminal subcultures commit and where usually?
utilitarian crimes in inner-city areas with established criminal networks.
what crimes do conflict subcultures commit and where usually?
fighting for territory + non-utilitarian in deprived, council areas.
what crimes do retreats subcultures commit and where usually?
give up and turn their backs on society in areas with no organised crime eg. countryside.
