Functionalism

Question 1

Value consensus

Answer 1

Shared set of norms and values

Question 2

Social cohesion

Answer 2

Society needed values taht were stoned by all member. People identify with their society and committed to values

Question 3

Anomie

Answer 3

Normlessness

Question 4

Status frustration

Answer 4

Frustration by the inability to achieve status social mobility

Question 5

Blocked opportunities

Answer 5

Awareness of blocked or limited access to legitimate educational and other opportunities

Question 6

Sub culture

Answer 6

Group within larger culture with same beliefs and interests

Question 7

Modes of adaptation

Answer 7

Combination of goals and means- conformity, innovation, ritual idm, retreat idm, rebellion

Question 8

Ethocentric

Answer 8

Being centred around a culture

Question 9

Acquisitive crime

Answer 9

For Money to be the outcome of the crime

Question 10

Functionalists believe

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Durkheim

Answer 11

Crime is inevitable feature of social life because individuals are exposed to different influences and circumstances

Question 12

What did Durkheim suggest crimes purposes of society were

Answer 12

Reaffirming the boundaries
Social cohesion 
Enabling social change 
Provides safety valve
Acts as warning device

Question 13

What does Durkheim mean by reaffirming the boundaries

Answer 13

Every time a person heals the law it’s teaken to court and publicity reforms the values and deters people from committing crime

Question 14

Reaffirming the boundaries example

Answer 14

3 men protest against fracking jailed for 6 months

Question 15

What does Durkheim mean by social cohesion

Answer 15

Horrific crimes have been committed, entire community draws together in outrage, sense of belonging and collective values strengthened

Question 16

Example of social cohesion

Answer 16

Boris Johnson and community sweeper streets after London riots

Question 17

What did Durkheim mean by enabling social change

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Example of social change

Answer 18

Suffragettes 1900’s , women broke law to get gay people legal in 1990s

Question 19

What did Durkheim say by providing a safety valve

Answer 19

Deviance can act as a safety valve releasing stress in society

Question 20

Example of providing a saflety valve

Answer 20

London riot happened in summer because they were hot and felt rich getting richer

Question 21

What did Durkheim mean by acting as a warning device

Answer 21

A limited amount of crime and deviance can suggest that society is not working properly

Question 22

Example of acting as a warning device

Answer 22

High rates of drug addiction points to underlying social problems that need solving before serious threats to social order develop

Question 23

Positives of durkheims study

Answer 23

• 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

Question 24

Negatives of durkheims study

Answer 24

• 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

Question 25

Morton’s strain theory

Answer 25

Society sets their members certain goals and provide socially approved ways of achieving these goals s, saw main goals represented in ‘American dream’

Question 26

What did Merton say anomie is

Answer 26

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

Question 27

5 modes of adaptation

Answer 27

Conformity 
Innovation 
Ritualise
Retreatism
Rebellion

Question 28

Conformity

Answer 28

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

Question 29

Innovation

Answer 29

Accept goals not means.

Can’t achieve goals by approved means, due to factors like unemployment so turn to crime or deviance as alternative

Question 30

Ritualism

Answer 30

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

Question 31

Retreatism

Answer 31

Reject both goals and means. Drop outs like drug adddicts or homeless people who give up all together

Question 32

Rebellion

Answer 32

Reject both goals and means but substitute new ones.

E.g religious fundamentalist who has decided society needs to be radically changed

Question 33

Why’s mertons study useful

Answer 33

• 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

Question 34

Why’s Mertons theory not useful

Answer 34

• 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

Question 35

Cohen subcultural theory

Answer 35

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.