Functionalism And Crime Part 2 Flashcards
What did Merton develop?
Strain theory - based on how individuals respond to a value consensus
How does Merton see anomie?
As a permanent feature of society unlike Durkheim who saw it as a temporary result of social change
What does society present us with?
Cultural goals and pressures us to achieve success
- provides us with institutional means of achieving these goals
How did Merton develop the meaning of anomie?
Saw it to mean a society where there is a strain between socially acceptable goals and the means of achieving them
Summary of stain theory
Members of society are in different positions of the social structure
- different relationships with value consensus
What is the culture goal?
The American dream - materialism
- can come from bottom and end up at the top
Can everyone achieve the American dream through legitimate means?
No due to unequal class based society - those in higher classes have more opportunity to succeed
Who are the conformists?
Middle class
Who are innovation?
Criminals, working class
Who are the ritualism?
Lower middle class
Who are the retreatists?
Dropouts
Who are the rebellion?
Activists
Who accept the means and accept the goals?
Conformity
Who accept institutionalised means and reject cultural goals?
Ritualism
Who reject the means and accept the goals?
Innovation
Who reject the means and also reject the goals?
Retreatism
Who make new means and new goals?
Rebellion
Criticism of strain theory
Do we all have a consensus around means and goals?
- too much focus on individual response to anime - ignores how groups respond
- blames the socialisation of working class and promotes criminality
- fails to explain non-utilitarian crime
- doesn’t consider crime amongst successful people who don’t experience strain
Utilitarian crime
Crime with economic and material benefit (drug dealing, theft, fraud) - doesn’t explain how higher class commit crime crime
Subcultural theories
Merton - accused of not being able to explain non-utilitarian crime
What is deviance a product of?
Delinquent subcultures who have different values to mainstream society
Albert Cohen
Developed Merton’s theory
- said response to strain is collective not individual
- not all deviant behaviour is linked to achieving goals or utilitarian success
Status frustration (Cohen)
Ex boys try to emulate MC values and aspirations in school but lack the means
- leads to status frustration
- reject MC values of acceptable behaviour and join with others
Alternative status hierarchy
Deviant subcultures invert mainstream society’s values - what society condemns, the subculture praises
- subcultures provide an alternative status hierarchy - can achieve status through deviance
Criticism of COhens status frustration
No mention of female offenders
- Box: delinquents originally accepted society’s goals
Cloward and Ohlin
Agree Awh are denied success through legitimate opportunity structure
- Merton failed to consider the illegitimate opportunity structure
- not all working class respond in the same way
- unequal access to illegitimate opportunity structure
