Functionalism, Strain, and subcultural theories Flashcards
Socialisation meaning
The process of learning the norms and values of society.
Primary- home
Secondary- all other institutions
Individuals behave because they learn what is right and wrong within the socialisation process.
Social Control meaning
Methods used to enforce appropriate behaviour. Punishments for bad behaviour, rewards for good behaviour. Criminal justice system is a formal social control, education and family is an informal social control.
2 Reasons crime is found in every society
- Not all individuals are socialised effectively so some will be more prone to deviate
- Diversity of lifestyles in complex modern societies, different groups develop subcultures with distinctive norms and values.
What does Durkheim say about rules governing behaviour in a modern society?
That they have become weaker and less clear cut because there is a complex, specialised division of labour which leads to people becoming increasingly different from one another, so the ‘shared culture’ is weakened, leading to anomie.
What are the 2 positive functions of crime?
1- It reaffirms boundaries to society that there are certain boundaries you should not cross, otherwise you will be punished accordingly
2- It brings about change as Durkheim believes all changes in society originate from deviant acts and it is only a result of this deviance that society is able to move forward and make the necessary adaptive changes.
What did Polsky believe?
That pornography and prostitution can ‘channel’ sexual desire away from other alternatives such as adultery which pose a threat to the family.
What did Cohen believe?
That crime acts as a warning that something is not functioning properly, for example high truancy rates would warn us that the education is not working properly.
What does Erikson argue?
That the role of the police is to sustain a certain level of crime.
Why do functionalists believe society also manage and regulate some deviance?
Because things like demonstrations and festivals may be a way of allowing young people to express themselves in a relatively controlled environment, they can let off steam.
Strengths of Functionalism
They are the first theory to look at deviance in terms of broad sociologist theory
Influence on sociology has been significant and people who have disagreed have generally fallen into dialogue with this view
Looks at how individuals are predictable and behave in predictable ways
Weaknesses of Functionalism
It does not explain why some are more likely to commit crime than others
Ignores concept of power as some people have more to define what a crime is and influence the Criminal Justice System
It fails to acknowledge it is not functional for the victim.
What does Hirschi’s claim about the bonds of attachment?
That often crime is prevented when individuals are distracted elsewhere, the less distraction the more the crime.
What are Hirschi’s 4 bonds of attachment?
Attachment- How much do we care about others, how many people are we close too? E.g., having a family
Commitment- How much do we lose if we get caught committing crimes? E.g., Jobs and businesses, reputations
Involvement- How busy are we, do we have time for crime? E.g., hobbies
Belief- How strongly do we feel we should abide by the rules of society? E.g., specific religions do not want to go to hell
Hirschi evaluation
Assumes that those who commit crime have broken away from binds tying them to mainstream values but Merton and Matza suggest criminals are committed to these values.
It does not explain why some have weaker bonds than others and why not everyone with weak bonds turn to crime.
Marxists, Feminists, and Interactionists views of crime
Marxists- argue that capitalism causes crime because inequality between working class and ruling class causes crime. Rich people are more likely to get away with crime as there is a biased justice system
Feminists- functionalists do not look at gender differences in crime. Crime reinforces patriarchy, females are usually the victims. Women are punished harder for committing crime due to double standards.
Interactionists- functionalists are wrong to take official statistics as a social fact. Official statistics are socially constructed, middle class can buy themselves out of crime.
