functionalist, strain and subcultural theory Flashcards
How do functionalists view crime?
They see too much crime as destabilising to society, however, they view crime as inevitable and universal.
What is Durkheim’s quote about crime?
‘Crime is normal… an integral part of all healthy societies’
What are their reasons for crime being found in all societies?
Not everyone is equally effectively socialised into the shared norms and values, there is a diversity of lifestyles and values - different groups develop their own subcultures with distinctive norms and values.
What does durkheim argue that modern societies foster?
Durkheim argues that modern societies foster anomie or normlessness - the rules governing behaviour become weaker and less clear-cut.
Explain Boundary maintenance as a positive function of crime?
Boundary maintenance unites members in condemnation of the wrongdoer and reinforces their commitment to the shared norms and values. In durkheim’s view, the purpose of punishment is to reaffirm society’s shared rules and reinforce social solidarity.
Explain adaptation and change as a positive function of crime?
Individuals with new ideas and ways of living cannot be completely stifled by the weight of social control as without change, society will stagnate and be unable to make necessary adaptive change.
What is Davis’ function of crime?
Prostitution acts as a safety valve for the release of men’s sexual frustrations without threatening the monogamous nuclear family.
Give three criticisms of the functionalist theory of crime
Even though crime may have the effect of promoting social solidarity, this does not mean society actually creates crime in advance with this intention; it ignores how it might affect different groups within society; it doesn’t always promote social solidarity - for example, crime has forced women to stay indoors for fear of attack.
What do strain theories argue?
Strain theories argue that people engage in deviant behaviour when they are unable to achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means.
What two elements does Merton’s explanation combine?
Structural factors such as unequal opportunity structure and cultural factors such as the strong emphasis on success goals and the weaker emphasis on using legitimate means to achieve them.
What two things does Merton argue that strain is a result of?
The goals that a culture encourages individuals to achieve, the institutional structure of society allows them to achieve legitimately.
How does the American dream result in strain?
Americans are expected to pursue this goal by legitimate means: self-discipline, study, educational qualifications, and hard work in a career. However, many disadvantaged groups are denied opportunities to achieve legitimately. This creates a pressure to resort to illegitimate means such as crime and deviance. Merton calls this pressure to deviate the strain to anomie.
What are the five adaptations to strain?
Conformity - accepts culturally approved goals and strive to achieve them legitimately
Innovation - accepts goal of money but uses illegitimate means
Ritualism - give up on trying to achieve the goals, but have internalised legitimate means
Retreatist - rejects both goals and means and therefore become dropouts
Rebellion - rejects existing society’s goals and means but they replace them with new ones in a desire to bring about revolutionary change
Give three criticisms of strain theory
It takes official statistics at face value making it deterministic - it believes that working class achieve the most strain but not all w/c people deviate and upper class people deviate without experiencing strain; assumes there is value consensus that everyone strives for money success; only accounts for utilitarian crime.
How does Cohen criticise Merton’s explanation of deviance?
Merton’s view that deviance is an individual response to crime ignores the fact that crime is often committed by or in groups; he focuses on utilitarian crime for material gain while ignoring crimes of passion such as vandalism and assault.
What does Cohen argue that working class boys suffer from and what does it mean?
The boys suffer status frustration - they face a problem of adjustment to the low status they are given by mainstream society.
What fault does cohen share with Merton?
They both claim that working class boys start off sharing middle class success goals only ro reject these when they fail.
How do cloward and ohlin define criminal subcultures?
Arise only in neighbourhoods with a longstanding and stable criminal culture with an established hierarchy of professional adult crime.
How do cloward and ohlin define conflict subcultures?
Areas of high population turnover results in high levels of social disorganisation and prevents stable criminal network. Violence provides a release for young men’s frustration at blocked opportunities and the idea of an alternative source of status.
How do cloward and Ohlin define retreatist subcultures?
Not everyone who aspires to be a professional criminal or a gang leader succeeds. Many turn to a retreatist subculture based on illegal drug use.
Explain Messner and Rosenfield’s institutional anomie theory
Focuses on the american dream and they argue that its obsession with money success and winner takes all mentality exerts pressure towards crime by encouraging an anomic cultural environment in which people are encouraged to adopt an anything goes mentality. Schools become geared towards preparing students for the labour market at the expense of inculcating values such as respect for others.
