Functionalism and Durkheim Flashcards
Societys main mechanisms
Socialisation
Social control
Socialisation
Societys main mechanisms
Instills shared culture into members so everyone has the same norms and values so they know how to act
Social control
Societys main mechanisms
Rewards positive sanctions for conforming anf punishes people with negative sanctions.
Police will reward you by not speaking to you
Crime is inevitable
Define
As everyone has been socialised differently- you’re never taught to raise a child so everyone will socialise children differently
Durkheim
Crime is an integtral part of society as not everyone is socialised the same
Boundry Maintenance
Durkheim- crime is positive
Punishmentd are not for the purpose of punishing the offender they are to re-affirm societies shared values and reinforce social stability
Public execution to see so everyone knows they shouldnt do it
Adaption and change
Durkheim- crime is positive
All change needs to start with devience, individuals with new ideas.
If new ideas are stopped by socail control then society will become stagnent
Evaluation
Durkheim- crime is positive
Just the right amount of crime is needed.
too much threatens to tear bonds too little means society will stop new ideas from forming and preventing change.
Theory shows the positives of crime not the negatives like all the others do Theories
How much crime is needed???
Other functions of crime
Davis (1937)- Prostetution acts as a saftey valve to keep the nuclear family as they can act on sexual frustration.
Polsky (1967)- Pornography safley channels sexual desires away from adultry which would pose a greater threat to society.
Choen- Crime is good, Highlights the institutions that aren’t working properly. Protesting agaisnt the police they need to change.
Evaluation
Adaption and change
This theory argues that not everything in society that is seen as bad is actually ‘bad’
Evaluation
Crime is functional
Durkheim doesn’t say how much crime is needed or why people actually commit crimes (Choen)
Type of theory
Macro Approach
Top down
Quantative- positivist
ignores free will
looks at bigger picture
