FUNCTIONALIST ON CRIM 2 Flashcards
Outline the differences in traditional and modern society according to Durkheim?
In pre-industrial societies crime was rare because family and religion were powerful agencies of control. However, in modern society these agencies has been undermined by the complexities of modern society.
Define anomie
(Durkheim) a feeling felt in modern society which refers to moral confusion that weakens their commitment to shared values and rules encouraging crime and deviance
According to Durkheim, give three ways in which crime functions for society?
Acts of crime and deviance can provoke positive social change whereby aspects of the social structure or law are highlighted and seen as inadequate. For example the suffragette movement broke the law to highlight gender inequalities.
Some crimes such as terrorist attacks create public outrage which reinforce social solidarity against the offender.
Pursuit, trial and punishment of criminals reassures people that society is functioning properly whilst reminding them of acceptable social boundaries of behaviour.
Who initially proposed the strain theory
Robert Merton
Out the basis of the strain theory
Merton argues that cultural institutions such as the media give us the idea that materialistic goals are realistic. Therefore, those who are working class tend not to afford the materialistic tendencies that are glamorised by the media. Therefore, experience a strain between their goals and what they can realistically achiieve financially. This can produce anomie
Outline the four responses to anomie according to Merton
Conformity - confirming to the rules of society and making the most of what society offers them
Innovation - commitment to cultural goals remain strong. However factors such as education and unemployment means they cannot achieve their goals by approved means
ritualism - give up on goals but stick to means of earning money
Retreatism - people who reject both goals and means such as drug addicts or tramps
Rebellion - revel and seek to replaced shared goals with more radical alternatives to create a new society such as revolutionaries
Give two criticisms of Merton theory
Doesn’t explain white collar and corporate crime
His theory explains crime that results in economic gain but he doesn’t explain forms of violent and sexual crimes.
Outline Cohen’s theory is status frustration
Cohen believe that the working class youth believes in the goals of mainstream culture but their experiences and failure in education means they have little opportunity to attain these goals so experience status frustration and react to this situation by developing a particular type of values - a delinquent subculture.
Outline delinquent subculture
A reaction to and a deliberate reversal of accepted forms of behaviour. For example, stealing replaces respect for property.
What does cloward and ohlin day about Cohen’s theory?
That it does not allow for diversity of response found among working class youths, they suggest that the varied social circumstances in which working class move give rise to three subcultures.
Outline the three different working class delinquent subculture according to cloward and ohlin
Criminal subcultures are characterised by utilitarian crimes such as theft. They develop in stable working class areas and provide with an alternative means of financial gain as opposed to the legitimate job market.
Conflict subcultures emerge in socially disorganised areas where there is a lack of social cohesion. They are characterised by violence and gang warfare, can occur due to approved or illegal means of achieving goals being blocked
Retreatist subcultures emerge among those who have failed in mainstream society and in criminal cultures. Their response is a retreat into drug addiction paid for by petty theft
Evaluate cloward and ohlins research
Cloward and ohlin research gives insight into why working class delinquency May take different forms
However they exaggerate the differences between subcultures as there is an overlap between them
