Functionalist, Strain and Subcultural theories

Question 1

(Durkheim) what do functionalists say are the 2 key mechanisms to achieve solidarity

Answer 1

• socialization: instils the shared culture into society’s members so that the have the same norms + values
• social control: conformity to the status quo is rewarded, deviance is punished. this ensures inds behave the way society expects

Question 2

(Durkheim) outline the inevitability of crime

Answer 2

• while functionalists see too much crime as destabilizing society, they also see crime as inevitable + universal - every society has crime in some form

Question 3

(Durkheim) what are the 2 reasons of why crime + deviance is seen in every society

Answer 3

1) not everyone is equally + effectively socialized into the shared norms + values
2) in complex modern societies, there is diversity of lifestyle + values. diff groups develop their own subcultures with their own norms + values which deviate from the mainstream

Question 4

(Durkheim) define anomie

Answer 4

• anomie = when modern societies’ rues governing behaviour become less clear cut
• this is due to the complex + specialised division of labour which weakens the shared culture, resulting in higher levels of deviance

Question 4

(Durkheim) what are Durkheim’s 2 positive functions of crime

Answer 4

• boundary maintenance
• adaption and change

Question 5

(Durkheim) outline boundary maintenance as a positive function of crime

Answer 5

• crime produces a reaction from society - uniting its members and reinforcing shared norms + values
• D says this explains the function of punishment - to reaffirm society’s shared rules + reinforce social solidarity
• e.g. the rituals of the courtroom dramatize the crime + publicly shame the offender, thus discouraging rule breaking

Question 5

(Durkheim) what does Cohen say about boundary maintenance

Answer 5

• the media plays an important role in this ‘dramatization of evil’ in which media coverage of crime often creates ‘folk devils’

Question 6

(Durkheim) outline adaption and change as a positive function of crime

Answer 6

• D says that all change starts with deviance - inds with new ideas/ values mustn’t be suppressed by social control
• initial challenge to any way of living will be seen as deviant
• if those with new ideas are suppressed, society will stagnate and will be unable to make necessary adaptive changes

Question 7

(Durkheim) outline an example of adaption and change as a positive function of crime

Answer 7

• authorities often persecute religious visionaries who talk about a new ‘message’ or value system
• however, in the long run their values may give rise to a new culture + morality

Question 7

(Durkheim) state the repercussions of having too little or too much crime in society

Answer 7

• too much crime: threatens to tear the bonds of society apart
• too little crime: means that society is repressing + controlling its members too much, stifling individual freedom + preventing change

Question 8

(Durkheim) outline other functions of crime

Answer 8

• Davis: prostitution acts as a safety valve for the release of men’s sexual frustrations without threatening the nuclear fam
• Cohen: deviance acts as a warning that an institution isn’t functioning properly - e.g. high rates of truancy - issue with education system
• society manages + regulates rather than eliminating deviance. e.g. through demonstrations, carnivals, festivals which licence misbehaviour that is unacceptable that in other contexts is punished

Question 9

(Durkheim) what did Erikson talk about

Answer 9

• Erikson developed Durkheim’s idea that crime is inevitable and argues that if it is a positive function, then society is organised to promote deviance
• the true function of agencies like the police is to sustain a certain level of crime rather than to rid society of it

Question 10

(Durkheim) outline AO3 criticisms of Durkheim’s functionalist view of crime

Answer 10

• D doesn’t specify how much deviance is necessary for society - only that is it necessary
• just because crime performs these functions isn’t necessarily why it exists in the first place - e.g. strengthening social solidarity for example
• F ignores the negative functions crime performs - e.g. prostitution may act as a safety valve for men, but it isn’t functional for the illegally trafficked sex worker
• crime doesn’t always promote social solidarity + may have the opposite effect - leading people to become more isolated, e.g. women staying indoors to avoid attacks

Question 11

(Merton) outline Merton’s strain theory

Question 11

(Merton)

Question 12

(Merton)

Question 13

(Merton)

Question 14

(Merton)

Question 14

(Merton)

Question 15

(Merton)