Functionalism Flashcards
Value consensus
Shared set of norms and values
Social cohesion
Society needed values taht were stoned by all member. People identify with their society and committed to values
Anomie
Normlessness
Status frustration
Frustration by the inability to achieve status social mobility
Blocked opportunities
Awareness of blocked or limited access to legitimate educational and other opportunities
Sub culture
Group within larger culture with same beliefs and interests
Modes of adaptation
Combination of goals and means- conformity, innovation, ritual idm, retreat idm, rebellion
Ethocentric
Being centred around a culture
Acquisitive crime
For Money to be the outcome of the crime
Functionalists believe
Society is a system of inter connected parts that work together in harmony to maintain a state of balance and social equilibrium for the whole of society
Durkheim
Crime is inevitable feature of social life because individuals are exposed to different influences and circumstances
What did Durkheim suggest crimes purposes of society were
Reaffirming the boundaries Social cohesion Enabling social change Provides safety valve Acts as warning device
What does Durkheim mean by reaffirming the boundaries
Every time a person heals the law it’s teaken to court and publicity reforms the values and deters people from committing crime
Reaffirming the boundaries example
3 men protest against fracking jailed for 6 months
What does Durkheim mean by social cohesion
Horrific crimes have been committed, entire community draws together in outrage, sense of belonging and collective values strengthened
Example of social cohesion
Boris Johnson and community sweeper streets after London riots
What did Durkheim mean by enabling social change
Some deviance is necessary to allow new ideas to develop and enable society to change and progress. Behaviour used to be criminal and no longer coz change in morality
Example of social change
Suffragettes 1900’s , women broke law to get gay people legal in 1990s
What did Durkheim say by providing a safety valve
Deviance can act as a safety valve releasing stress in society
Example of providing a saflety valve
London riot happened in summer because they were hot and felt rich getting richer
What did Durkheim mean by acting as a warning device
A limited amount of crime and deviance can suggest that society is not working properly
Example of acting as a warning device
High rates of drug addiction points to underlying social problems that need solving before serious threats to social order develop
Positives of durkheims study
- Other theories based on durkheims ideas.
- Had insight to see taht crime was linked to values of societies and these values could change
- put forward the idea taht crime is functional and helped explain how society can change
Negatives of durkheims study
- outdated
- over exaggerating extent of value consensus and collective consciousness
- it is not crime that’s functional it’s the publishing of crime and punishment taht help unite society
- not beneficial for victims
- doesn’t specify how much crime is beneficial and when it becomes detrimental
- doesn’t explain why not everyone commits crime
Morton’s strain theory
Society sets their members certain goals and provide socially approved ways of achieving these goals s, saw main goals represented in ‘American dream’
What did Merton say anomie is
He recognised taht some individuals can have legitimate goals ‘American dream’ but can lack legitimate means to achieve these goals which means these people turn to illegitimate means such as crime
5 modes of adaptation
Conformity Innovation Ritualise Retreatism Rebellion
Conformity
Accept both goals and means.
Non deviant, non criminal conformist citizen who continues to adhere to both vitals and means even if a limited likelihood of success
Innovation
Accept goals not means.
Can’t achieve goals by approved means, due to factors like unemployment so turn to crime or deviance as alternative
Ritualism
Give up on achieving goals but stick to means w.g office workers who have abandoned hopes of promotion and goes through motions of work
Retreatism
Reject both goals and means. Drop outs like drug adddicts or homeless people who give up all together
Rebellion
Reject both goals and means but substitute new ones.
E.g religious fundamentalist who has decided society needs to be radically changed
Why’s mertons study useful
- clearly explains deviance as arising from structure of society
- provides reason to why people conform or deviate from value consensus
- theory outlines a number of different types of deviance that sociologists don’t recognise
- REINER believes mertons theory has practical applications today as Reiner believes strain theory is useful for explaining London riots
Why’s Mertons theory not useful
- ethnocentric
- VALUSR believes his theory places too much emphasis on fact people share similar aims
- too much emphasis on middle class crime
- focuses on individual responses and doesn’t recognise there’s a social pettern of crime and deviance affecting whole groups
- doesn’t explain why most people who face strain don’t turn to crime
- doesn’t recognise that some middle class people who appear to be conforming may be engaging in illegal activities
Cohen subcultural theory
Working class believe in goals of mainstream culture but experience of failure in education living in deprived areas and having worst chances in job market mean they ahve little opportunity to attain them by approved means.
