Functionalist and subcultures theory on Crime & Deviance Flashcards
(40 cards)
What is crime?
According to Newburn, crime is a label attached to behaviour which is prohibited by the state and has some legal penalty against it .
What does it mean if a crime is socially constructed?
This means that an act only becomes a crime when the label is attached to it , this could be determined by culture, time and societies .
What are the types of deviance identified by Plummer?
Societal deviance - acts that most members of a society regard as deviant because they share similar ideas about approved and unapproved behaviour.
Situational deviance- acts where whether or not they are seen as deviant depends on the context and location in which they take place.
Why does Durkheim believe crime occurs?
1) Organic change- society has evolved from pre-industrial society to industrial society.
2) Growth of urbanisation and industrialistion-has led to social changes from organic to mechanical solidarity.
3) Experiences of modern life have impacted social cohesion of society- has led to the development of anomie.
What are Durkheim’s main points for crime/deviance?
Crime s a part of a healthy society & performs a function for society.
Crime is inevitable, there need to be an optimal amount of crime for society to function.
Crime has positive and negative functions for society
What is Boundary maintenance?
Durkheim describes this as a positive function of crime.
- This is because it reinforces a value consensus and a collective conscience(society’s moral code).
- > As people join to condemn the wrong doers, it leads to collective agreement that the behaviour is wrong and should not be repeated.
e. g. 2011 riots->public condemnation of rioting & looting.
What is Adaptation & Change?
Durkheim describes this as a positive function of crime.
- This is because deviant behaviour can often lead to change of norms & values in society.
e. g. gay rights movement accelerated after stonewall riots, led to equality for all. & BLM protests
What are other positive functions of crime
+crime acts as a saftey valve
->reflects that issues in society need to be addressed
+Polsky & Davis- Crime and Deviance can act as a release
->prostitution and pornography can reduce tension.
What are the evaluation of Durkheim’s theory?
+Relevant to contemporary society
- It is difficult to measure the optimal amount
- some crimes are not functional/positive for the victim e.g. Dv and rape
- Durkheim believes that crime occurs only due to frustration /doesn’t look at other factors e.g. class, gender, ethnicity
What is Merton’s view on C&D?
Merton believes that crime and deviance is a product of dysfunction in society and looks at :
Strain to anomie & American dream as an explanation to why people commit crime
What is conformity?
An adaptation to strain where- individuals accept the socially accepted goal, work hard towards it, through legitimate means.
What is Innovation?
An adaptation to strain where-individuals accept the socially approved goal, however they have blocked opportunities soo turn to illegitimate means to achieve this goal.
What is Ritualism?
An adaptation to strain where-individuals accept their status and conform to society’s norms, even though they are not able to achieve the socially approved goals.
What is retreatism?
An adaptation to strain where-individuals reject the socially approved goals and reject society’s norms and drop out.
What is Rebellion?
An adaptation to strain where-individuals challenge society’s norms and reject legitimate means and have adapted alternative methods to achieve these socially approved goals.
What are the evaluations of Merton’s strain to anomie?
+ Recognises structural inequality/ the lack of opportunity available to some groups
+offers an explanation to utilitarian crimes
-doesn’t explain why non utilitarian crimes occur
-not everyone may have this socially approved goal/american dream
-an individuals strain may be dependent on something else
What are Hirshi’s main points on crime and deviance/social control ?
Hirshi argues that social control is maintained through socialisation.
-Hirshi looks at why people do not commit crime
Hirshi believes that several social bonds control people from committing crime.
What is Hirshi’s concept of attatchment?
(Bond of attachment)Attachment looks at how people have goals and activities they do to achieve these.
For example, employment , education and family life.
->These things cannot be interrupted by criminal activity.
This causes people to conform to norms/values soo they don’t lose future opportunities.
e.g. a criminal record can affect careers/ committing crime can mean a mother may be absent in her children’s lives.
What is Hirshi’s concept of Belief?
Belief is a bond of attachment- it is dependent upon socialisation into a value consensus.
An individuals belief that criminal activity is wrong, will influence them into not committing crimes.
What is Hirshi’s concept of Commitment?
Commitment is a bond of attachment- it looks at an individuals interactions with members of the community.
Those that are committed to society would not go against its wishes, as they want to protect the interests of others e.g. not committing crimes as it would shame the family.
What is Hirshi’s concept of Involvement?
Involvement is a bond of attachment - it looks at an individuals opportunity to commit crime.
Being aware of potential damage crime could cause in a community may make you not want to commit crime.
How does crime occur according to Hirshi?
Crime occurs due to
- absence of controlling factors
- opportunity of crime/lack of social bonds
- lack of integration/inadequate socialisation, which means they wont seek for good in society.
What are the evaluations of Hirshi’s theory?
+shows everyone under different circumstances have the potential to commit crime
- little explanation as to how crime is caused or the specific nature of criminal behaviour
- assumes social bonds mean the same to all individual/doesn’t explain why some choose to integrate in society.
What is Miller’s theory(subcultural) on c&d?
Miller believes that w/c norms and values are not a reaction to blocked opportunities.
He believes that the w/c have developed their own set of norms and values, through which they gain status.These are called FOCAL CONCERNS, they occur with w/c males.
