Functionalism - Crime

Question 1

What is Durkheim’s theory?

Answer 1

Social Cohesion and Anomie

Question 2

What is Durkheim’s overriding view on crime?

Answer 2

It is an integral part of healthy societies and is beneficial. Crime is a function

Question 3

What are Durkheim’s 4 functions of crime?

Answer 3

1) Enables social change
2) Strengthens collective values
3) Acts as a ‘safety valve’
4) Acts as a warning device

Question 4

How does crime create social change?

Answer 4

Enables a ‘march of progress’. Deviance is necessary to allow new ideas to develop and enable society to change and progress. E.g. oil spills have created new environmental laws

Question 5

How does crime reinforce social cohesion?

Answer 5

Defines moral boundaries which reinforce society’s norms and values. Without punishment crime could become dysfunctional.
- Punishment preforms a boundary maintenance function which prevents anomie

Question 6

How does crime act as a safety valve?

Answer 6

Releases the stresses in society.

AK Cohen - prostitution provides a release from the stress of family life without undermining the family

Question 7

How does crime act as a warning device?

Answer 7

Can show society isn’t working properly, indicating something is wrong and needs solving before it becomes a serious threat to social order

Question 8

What are 4 negative evaluation points of Durkheim?

Answer 8

1) Fails to explain why some groups are more/less likely to commit deviant acts
2) Stresses value consensus but never asks what these values are or who has the power to define what is criminal or deviant (Box)
3) Does not explain why/how crime occurs
4) Is all crime functional? E.g 911

Question 9

What is a positive evaluation point of Durkheim?

Answer 9

Provided sociology with its first sociological explanation fro crime. Challenged the early biological and psychological theories.

Question 10

What is Merton’s theory?

Answer 10

Strain Theory - tries to explain why crime happens in the first place

Question 11

What are manifest and latent functions of crime?

Answer 11

Manifest = intended functions such as setting an example to other people so they do not attempt to commit crime
Latent = unintended functions such as the anomie or break down of society

Question 12

What does the Strain theory suggest?

Answer 12

That there is a strain between the goals of society (e.g. high income) and the accepted means of achieving them.
- Not everyone can achieve society’s goals through legitimate means, people respond differently to this strain e.g. through crime

Question 13

What are Merton’s 5 responses to strain?

Answer 13

1) Conformists - accept culturally defined goal and take the socially accepted means of achieving them
2) Innovators - accept the goal but do not follow societies rules
3) Ritualists - do not believe they can attain the goal but continue to try to get it through accepted pathways
4) Retreatists - reject the finical goal of wealth
5) Rebels - redefine society’s goals and create new mean of pursing their own goals

Question 14

What are 4 negative evaluation points of Merton?

Answer 14

1) Assumes there is value consensus in American society and people only deviate due to structural strain. In reality groups have different values.
2) Fails to address who makes laws and who benefits from them. Power - who decides society’s goals and the correct means of achieving them.
3) Does not explain non-utilitrain crime so assumes a materialistic culture
4) Ignores other key variables apart from social class

Question 15

What are 2 positive evaluation point of Merton?

Answer 15

1) Provides sociology with a developed functionalist theory of crime and deviance.
2) Tries to show why people commit crime and why certain groups are more likely to

Question 16

How do subcultural functionalists differ from structural?

Answer 16

• They believe that crime is dysfunctional and harms society

- Crime and deviance can be removed if subcultural values adapt to those of the mainstream, functional culture

Question 17

What is AK Cohen’s theory?

Answer 17

Structure of Delinquency

Question 18

Why does AK Cohen suggest W/C boys carry out the most crime?

Answer 18

• They want success but cannot achieve their goals due to cultural deprivation which has led to educational failure and dead-end jobs.
• Turn to delinquency to gain status among peers

Question 19

What subculture does AK Cohen describe?

Answer 19

W/C boys suffer status frustration so turn to delinquency to gain status.
- An alternate set of norms and values are adopted, such as valuing stealing, vandalism etc.
= solves problem of status frustration as they gain higher status from other members of the subculture

Question 20

How does Steven Box criticise AK Cohen?

Answer 20

Believes he was wrong to assume W/C boys originally had accepted mainstream values. Believes delinquency is a result of feeling shame, guilt and resentment at being called failures by teachers - causing them to rebel.

Question 21

What is Cloward and Ohlin’s theory and what do they try to achieve?

Answer 21

Delinquency and Opportunity - try to explain different types of W/C delinquency.

Question 22

What did C+O call achieving society’s goals through accepted means?

Answer 22

Legitimate opportunity structure

Question 23

What are the 3 subcultures C+O suggested?

Answer 23

1) Criminal = develops in areas where there are established organised crime patterns where young people are exposed to deviant values and role models - an illegitimate opportunity structure to gain money
2) Conflict = areas where there is little access to either legitimate or illegitimate opportunity structures - no IOS due to high turn over of population and low cohesion = prevents establish crime developing only gangs which vent anger + a mean to achieving prestige in the subcultures values
3) Retreatist = organised mainly around illegal drug use and occur because members are ‘double failures’ - failed though IOS + LOS.

Question 24

What is a strength and weakness of C+O?

Answer 24

S: explain W/C deviance which is not concerned with material/monetary gain
W: ignore overlap between their different types of subcultures e.g. gang members often deal drugs

Question 25

What is Miller’s theory?

Answer 25

Focal Concerns

Question 26

What does Miller believe surrounding value consensus?

Answer 26

Miller doesn’t believe in value consensus that the other theories do and suggest each class has its own set of values. W/C have their own distinctive set of values (focal concerns)

Question 27

Why do Focal concerns develop?

Answer 27

Due to the experience of low-skilled/paid labour which is boring and repetitive W/C male subcultures provide ways of copying with this life.

Question 28

What are male W/C focal concerns?

Answer 28

Toughness, smartness, excitement = engage in activities which match these concerns such as joy riding

Question 29

What is a negative evaluation point of Miller?

Answer 29

These values are just as likely to be found in a M/C rugby team. Perhaps it is not the values which are important but the characteristics of those holding them

Question 30

How does Matza disagree with subcultural theories?

Answer 30

Disagrees with the idea that people commit crime due to factors beyond their control because this assumes people have no control over their actions.
- Does not believe delinquents are different to anyone in society and suggests everyone has the potential to commit crime/be deviant

Question 31

What are ‘subterranean values’?

Answer 31

Values that are only expressed in certain situations - including things such as a liking for excitement and wanting to be tough = can lead to deviant behaviour

Question 32

What are ‘techniques of neutralisation’?

Answer 32

Used to justify behaviour:

1) Denial of responsibility
2) Denial of injury
3) Denial that the act was wrong
4) Appeal to higher loyalties

Question 33

How do people ‘drift’ in and out of deviance?

Answer 33

Delinquency isn’t permanent. It is high in the young due to them being in a period of transition where they are more susceptible to peer pressure.