Functionalism & Crime

Question 1

What does Durkheim see crime as?

Answer 1

A healthy and inevitable part of society, as there will always be deviant people who test the boundaries

Question 2

What is ‘boundary maintenance’?

Answer 2

When people who commit criminal acts are sanctioned

Question 3

What would happen if we didn’t have boundary maintenance?

Answer 3

Petty actions could be classed as crime e.g., burping

Question 4

What would happen if we didn’t have crime?

Answer 4

We would live in a ‘society of saints’

Question 5

What is a ‘value consensus’?

Answer 5

The majority of society share the same norms and values. This is important for society to function effectively and for social order to be maintained

Question 6

What would happen if people did not know the values of society?

Answer 6

This would lead to ‘anomie’

Question 7

What is ‘anomie’?

Answer 7

This is when society is in a state of chaos where there are no agreed rules

Question 8

What is important to prevent anomie?

Answer 8

Socialisation

Question 9

What is ‘social solidarity’?

Answer 9

When all members of society feel part of a whole

Question 10

What event is an example of social solidarity?

Answer 10

9/11

Question 11

What did Durkheim say about ‘public temper’?

Answer 11

Durkheim said shared outrage over a crime or scandal will lead to be people expressing ‘public temper’ and therefore promoting social solidarity

Question 12

What is a ‘collective conscience’?

Answer 12

When all members in society share a set of values

Question 13

What does a ‘collective conscience’ do?

Answer 13

Leads a community to control itself, using sanctions to ensure that anyone who steps out of line knows it is wrong

Question 14

How is ‘collective conscience’ expressed?

Answer 14

Through a sense of shock, outrage, horror or anger

Question 15

How does crime show people boundaries?

Answer 15

By publicly punishing those who stray beyond them, as deviance must be identified and punished

Question 16

Who identifies and punishes deviance?

Answer 16

Agencies of social control

Question 17

What did Durkheim say prevents anomie?

Answer 17

A small amount of crime, as long as it’s punished

Question 18

What happens if society allows too much crime without punishment?

Answer 18

This can result in a breakdown of social order, threatening all of society, which can lead to an increase in deviant behaviour

Question 19

How can anomie occur?

Answer 19

Reasons such as a sudden change or government or major economic upheaval

Question 20

Who believes deviance can function as a ‘safety valve’?

Answer 20

Davis

Question 21

What does a ‘safety valve’ allow?

Answer 21

An individual to ‘let off steam’ to prevent worse deviance

Question 22

What did Davis study?

Answer 22

Prostitution, suggesting that the goals of sexual behaviour in men aren’t naturally social. In society the morally acceptable expression of sexuality is constricted to the family, promoting raising children. This leads to conflict for men who have sexual urges they need to satisfy, leading to promiscuity or rape

Question 23

What does Cohen believe about prostitution?

Answer 23

States that prostitution is actually providing a ‘safe’ outlet for these sexual urges in a way which is less threatening to the family

Question 24

How can Durkheim be criticised?

Answer 24

• Durkheim doesn’t explain why it happens
• He doesn’t explain why some people do it more than others
• Durkheim doesn’t explain why people are deviant in different ways
• He doesn’t consider the negative effects of deviance on individuals, such as victims of crime