Functionalism Positive C&D Functions Flashcards
Which analogy did Durkheim create for Crime and Deviance?
Organic Analogy
What does the Organic Analogy show with everything existing in society?
Everything exists for a purpose
What do Functionalists say if there is too much crime?
That there is a threat to social order
Why is too little crime bad according to Functionalists?
Norms and values are too strong and are preventing change in society
Name a nation with very strict laws
North Korea
What is the punishment for committing a crime in North Korea?
Your whole family is punished for 3 generations
What will it mean if very little crime occurs in North Korea?
They will not experience social change
Why is social change important in a society?
It helps people’s lives to be improved
What would Marxists say about Functionalists saying Crime is Healthy?
They ignore how crimes committed by the upper class can impact the working class
What type of crime in a company could impact working class people?
Corporate Crimes
Which specific Functionalist argued there was a value consensus in society?
Durkheim
What do Functionalists argue happens every time a police arrests someone?
It is law enforcement showing the rest of society that an action is unacceptable
What does the act of publicising crime do according to Functionalists?
Bring people closer together
What type of crime would not be considered healthy especially to women according to Feminists?
Domestic Violence
What would Feminists say about Functionalists saying Crime is healthy?
They ignore how crimes reinforce the patriarchy
What is the value consensus in relation to crime and deviance?
Most people in society agree what behaviours are criminal or deviant
What do the media do with crime to reaffirm boundaries?
They report on the criminal or deviant acts
Why does publicising crime bring people together according to Functionalists?
People come together to express their frustration over the crime
If people talk about their frustrations over crime, how does it reinforce boundaries?
A large scale of people are talking about how this behaviour is unacceptable
How would Interactionists criticise Functionalist views on the media role of crime and deviance?
They ignore the impact of negative labelling by the media
Why was the labelling of being deviant a negative impact for the mods and rockers?
It amplified their deviance
What happened to the mods and rockers once the media labelled them as being deviant?
They became folk devils
Who studied mods and rockers?
Cohen
What did it mean if mods and rockers were considered folk devils?
They were demonised in society
What term occurred after the media reported on the mods and rockers’ deviance?
Deviancy amplification
In what way do Functionalists see crime as a warning?
They see it as showing an underlying issue in society
Who argued crime and deviance raises awareness for problems in society?
Clinard
What needs to be done with crime to facilitate social change?
It needs to be observed why the crime took place
Which institution would have a problem if many students truanted?
The education system
What is encouraged if there is a problem in society?
That this problem is fixed
Who said people sometimes feel sympathy to people who had committed a crime?
Durkheim
What needs to occur if people feel sympathy for offenders?
Law reform
How do criminals act as a warning?
It shows that there is a problem in society
Name a recent example of a crime where people felt sympathy for the offenders
The tearing down of the Edward Colston Statue
Who was Edward Colston?
A 17th Century Slave Trader
Why did people feel sympathy towards the offenders?
The man of the statue had done socially unacceptable actions for modern British society
What did the tearing down of the statue signify?
A movement past British colonial history
What was the Edward Colston statue celebrating?
The Slave Trade
What would Right Realists say about crime as a warning?
Crime is a warning that an underclass has developed in society
Would Right Realists agree with Functionalists over crime being a warning?
Yes
Which Right Realist observed the development of an underclass in society?
Murray
When did an underclass start to develop, according to Murray?
The 1980s
Name a crime the underclass of society are likely to commit
Stealing from a shop
How does the development of an underclass show a problem in society?
It shows there are a group of people who are neglected
Who says crime acts as a safety valve?
Davis
How does crime act as a safety valve in relation to serious crimes?
It prevents more serious crimes from being committed
How does crime act as a safety valve in relation to the family?
It prevents families from being disrupted
What did Davis claim was present between men and women in a marriage?
Conflict between a mans sexual needs and society forcing sex restrictions on their partner in marriage
What does Davis believe can be functional due to his argument?
Prostitution
Why does Davis argue Prostitution is functional?
Because it provides sexual satisfaction without threatening the structure of the family
Which familial structure do Functionalists argue is essential in society?
Nuclear family
Why do Functionalists think the Nuclear Family structure is the best?
It is most efficient at teaching children norms and values
What would Feminists say the Functionalist view of crime as a safety valve enforces?
It enforces the idea that the man must have always get their way with their partner
What does Polsky argue?
Watching explicit sexual videos controls desires to prevent cheating
What would Feminists say about the Functionalist point of crime being a safety valve?
Ignores the fact that the man would be cheating on his partner by using prostitutes
