Functionalism

Question 1

DURKHEIM

crime is normal, integral for society

Purpose of punishment is to reaffirm society’s shared rules to reinforce social solidarity

XDOESN’T SPECIFY HOW MUCH IS THE RIGHT AMOUNT X

Answer 1

ANOMIE

rules governing behaviour become weak

When individuals are different, shared culture is weakened resulting in deviance

e.g. anomie is a cause of suicide

Question 2

COHEN :

Deviance is a sign for social change

Answer 2

ERIKSON :

Society is arranged to promote deviance , police aim to regulate not prevent it

Question 3

DAVIS + POLSKY

Prostitution diverts sexual frustration from family

Answer 3

HIRCHI :

Social bonds prevent us from committing crime :
ATTACHMENT : Do we care about others opinions?
COMMITMENT : what do we have to loose?
INVOLVEMENT : do we have time?
BELIEF : how strong are our morals?

Question 4

PUNISHMENT :

Without , crime would reach dysfunctional levels

Answer 4

Social solidarity is reinforced through public disapproval, preventing Anomie

Question 5

MERTON - STRAIN THEORY

Deviance occurs when individuals are stopped from legitimate success

People are driven to crime if they can’t achieve legitimately (educational)

Answer 5

AMERICAN DREAM

teaches success for everyone but not equally

• emphasise on the need to succeed rather than how to

Question 6

RESPONSES TO STRAIN

CONFORMITY - continue to try to achieve legitimate success
INNOVATION - Turn to illegitimate means of success
RITUALISM - Give up trying to succeed but follow the rules
RETREATISM - reject legit + illegit success
REBELLION - Reject societal goals + replace them e.g. hippies

Answer 6

IGNORE THAT INDIVIDUALS HAVE DIFFERENT GOALS

MILLER - Don’t commit crime to succeed

Ignore crimes of the wealthy

Question 7

COHEN - status frustration

Being unable to achieve legitimate success leads to frustration so form delinquent subcultures

ALTERNATIVE STATUS HIERARCHY
Subcultures offer it to win status from peers through delinquent actions
Subcultures invert mainstream values

Answer 7

CLOWARD + OHLIN :
Different subcultures react in different ways
CRIMINAL - like a ‘criminal apprenticeship’

CONFLICT - lack organisation , violence provides release of frustration

RETREATIST - those who fail legitimately + illegitimately May turn to drug use

Question 8

LABELLING THEORY ;

Society’s reaction to the act makes it deviant

LEMERT :Master status : when someone is labelled, they’re only seen as that label e.g. people will name someone a peadophile rather than their colleague after

Answer 8

Implies that without labelling , deviance wouldn’t exist