Functionalist: Durkheim

Question 1

Key concepts

Answer 1

• based on value and consensus where sharing the same culture produces social solidarity

Question 2

Achieve solidarity in society

Answer 2

• Socialisation: instills shared culture into member and ensures people internalise same norms and values
• social control: sanctions like rewards for conformity and punishment for deviance (ensures people behave)

Question 3

Inevitability of crime

Answer 3

• too much crime is disturbing but some crime are inevitable and universal

Question 4

Crime and deviance are found in all sorties due to:

Answer 4

• not everyone is equally socialised some are prone to deviance
• in modern society there is a diversity of lifestyles and values
  (Different groups develop own subcultures with own norms and values)

Question 5

Anomie - a lack of social norms “normlessness”

Answer 5

• modern societies have division labour that leads to individuals becoming increasingly different
• it weakens the shared culture and leads to higher levels of crime
• Durkheim sees anomie as a cause of suicide; breakdown of social bonds

Question 6

Durkheim’s positive functions of crime:

Answer 6

• crime produces reaction from society by uniting member in condemnation of the wrongdoer and reinforcing norms and values

Question 7

Boundary maintenance: marks extremeties of acceptable behaviour

Answer 7

• marks the extremities of acceptable behaviour; making it clear the crime is wrong

Question 8

Boundary maintenance: helps to reflect the wishes of the population and social change

Answer 8

• when a person is persecuted for a crime attention is drawn to the commission of the act.
• people also express their feelings about it and can lead to questioning accept the illegality and evil of the act

Question 9

Boundary maintenance: acts as warning that an aspect of society is malfunctioning

Answer 9

• acts as a warning device to indicate an aspect of society is malfunctioning; draw attention to the problem

Question 10

Adaptation and change:

Answer 10

• DURKHEIM: all changes starts with an act of deviance
• individuals with new ideas can’t be stopped by social control by changing existing norms and values
• if new ideas a surprised hen society will stagnate
• neither high/low level of crime is desirable; too much threatens and too little means society is repressed

Question 11

Evaluation of Durkheim’s theory: advantages

Answer 11

+ provides useful facts on how deviance can have hidden functions

Question 12

Evaluation of Durkheim’s theory: disadvantages

Answer 12

• he says society needs a certain amount of deviance to function successfully but he didn’t state how much
• not all crimes have a function in society instead it divides communities e.g. racial crimes

Question 13

Boundary maintenance: public function

Answer 13

• the boundaries must be made known to everyone

- ERIKSON: dramatic set of courtroom condemns a person’s actions in public area

Question 14

Boundary maintenance: safety valve;

Answer 14

• harmless expression of discontent so social order is protected
• POLSKY: prostitution helps wih the release of men’s sexual frustrations