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Alisha's Crime Sociology Flashcards > Functionalist, strain and subcultural theories > Flashcards

Functionalist, strain and subcultural theories Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What is crime?

A

Committing an act that breaks the law

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2
Q

What is deviance?

A

Committing an act that breaks norms of society.

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3
Q

Functionalist see society based on what?

A

Valued consensus

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4
Q

What does a Valued consensus promote?

A

Social solidity ( binding individuals together, telling them what to strive for and how to conduct themselves)

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5
Q

Functionalists argue to achieve social soldarity society has 2 functions to achieve this, what are they?

A

Socialization and Social control

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6
Q

What is socialization?

A

instills a shared culture into its members to ensure they internalize same norms and values.

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7
Q

What is social control?

A

mechanisms include rewards ( positive sanctions) for conformity and punishments ( negative functions) for deviance.

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8
Q

What are the 5 functionalist contributions to understanding crime and deviance?

A

1) Crime is inevitable and universal
2) Positive functions: Boundary maintenance and adaptation and change
3) Merton’s strain theory
4) Subcultural strain theory
5) Cloward and Ohlin subcultures

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9
Q

Who is the sociologist that sees crime as an inevitable part of society?

A

Durkheim (1983)

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10
Q

Why does Durkheim believe crime is inevitable?

A

This is due to the fact that some people are not socialized adequately and will therefore not learn the correct norms and values to be an effective member of society.

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11
Q

What is another reason why crime is inevitable?

A

In complex modern societies, Different groups develop their own subculture and what the members of the subculture regard as normal, mainstream culture may see as deviant

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12
Q

What example could you use for the idea that crime is inevitable due to inadequate socialization?

A

Murray would argue that the families outside of the nuclear family structure are most likely to inadequately socialise their children.

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13
Q

Why can’t a lone parent family socialise their children properly?

A

Lone parent families may not provide the financial security or role models needed for children to be supported, as only a nuclear family can support this, meaning they cannot perform function effectively.

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14
Q

Why might children in a lone parent family result to crime?

A

As children are raised within a household without a role model or financial assistance.

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15
Q

In contemporary society what has made crime more common?

A

the fragmentation of norms means that lone parent families are now a norm which highlights how we will always have some level of crime or deviance in society.

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16
Q

What statistical evidence is there to suggest that crime is inevitable in contemporary society?

A

statistics in 2019 show men were accounted for 73% of all arrestes in the US and 80% of those arrests are violent crimes.

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17
Q

What does the statistic of ‘statistics in 2019 show men were accounted for 73% of all arrests in the US and 80% of those arrests are violent crimes.’ show?

A

This indicates males lack a male role model, who will be a presence to them allowing them to fit in societal nuclear family.

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18
Q

What is a A03 evaluation against women unable to socialise their children properly?

A

Feminists would argue against the idea that crime is caused because of mothers inadequate socialization. This is unrealistic view as mothers perform triple shift. To say women cannot socialise their children is another level of patriarchal family structure which itself may generate deviance.

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19
Q

For Durkheim what are the 2 positive functions crime performs?

A

Boundary maintenance and adaptation and change

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20
Q

What is adaptation and change?

A

Crime can help to create change in society as deviance to existing norms can change laws or behaviour.

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21
Q

What example can i use for crime having a positive function of adaptation and change?

A

Baltimore protests (2011), this erupted after the death of Freddie gray.

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22
Q

What did the death of Freddie gray promote?

A

This promoted family and society to come together and protest, which helped raise awareness and change to police brutality.

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23
Q

Why is the function of adaptation and change important here for the Baltimore protests?

A

As it challenges existing norms, first to make the norms adapt to society, ensuring no stagnation and society is not divided

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24
Q

Why might some argue (A03) that Adaptation and change is an illusion?

A

Some marginalised groups may never see amendments in law regardless of deviant behavior they might partake in.

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25
Q

What is an example to show that Adaptation and change is an illusion?

A

e.g. although Nelson Mandela fought tirelessly for change and laws were amended as a result, the deep rooted issues linked to racism and discrimination are yet not resolved in SA.

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26
Q

What does the example of Nelson Mandela show that the function of Adaptation and change not changing for powerful groups.

A

This shows that the function doesn’t change the attitudes and discrimination of the powerful groups. The change in laws is simply a front to hide under much structural and ideological issues against marginalized groups.

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27
Q

How may the laws introduced be also be in the government’s interest to hide adaptation and change?

A

They are also simply for the government to gain popularity and restrict protests for political myopia.

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28
Q

What is AO3 to suggest that the laws benefit Ruling class?

A

Marxists argue that the laws are a way of protecting ruling class, reinforcing the idea of false consciousness, as people think they are being supported, but actually results in preventing social change. ( Therefore crime isn’t positive but reinforces the needs of the powerful)

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29
Q

What is Boundary Maintenance?

A

Crime produces a reaction to society, uniting members against the wrong doer and reinforcing their commitment to the value consensus.

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30
Q

What example can you use to show Boundary maintenance ?

A

9/11 ( 2 planes went into towers) and killed thousands of people)

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31
Q

How does 9/11 support the positive function of Boundary maintenance?

A

This lead to people coming together to realise the this behavior is wrong, allowing us to punish this type of behavior of terrorism and reinforce social solidarity.

32
Q

Although 9/11 led to people coming together, what has it caused for Muslims ( women in particular today at airports)?

A

It has led today to further marginalisation of Muslims due to the negative betrayal of them. This is seen at airports today ( according to the article in september (2019) ‘Detention of Muslims at Uk ports and airports ‘ structural islamophobia’ , shows Muslim women are being forced ot take of head scaffs when stopped, though the rate of conviction is 0.007% of 420,000 incidents.

33
Q

What does this show ( the rise of Islamophobia)

A

This shows that crime doesn’t have positive functions as Durkheim suggests, it does more harm than good.

34
Q

Other sociologists have developed other functions of crime, give an example?

A

Safety value ( Davis argues that prostitution acts to release men’s sexual frustrations without threatening the nuclear family)

35
Q

What are 3 evaluations of Functionalists explanation of crime

A

Realists (of both left and right) criticise the idea that crime is both normal and functional. They point out that crime is a very real problem for victims and for society and that the sociology of crime and deviance should inform policy-makers in terms of how to prevent crime

2) How much deviance is good?
3) Crime doesn’t always promote solidarity, it can promote fear

36
Q

What does Strain mean?

A

increasing the likelihood of crime.

37
Q

What is Merton’s strain theory?

A

Merton argues that people engage in deviant behavior when they cannot achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means.

38
Q

What is an example to illustrate strain

A

for example getting angry or frustrated resulting in criminal means of getting what they want.

39
Q

For merton what is the strain between?

A 
Cultural factors ( strong emphasis on success goals and weaker emphasis on using legitimate means to achieve them) and 
Structural factors (society's unequal opportunity structure, not enough opps for everyone in society to achieve society's approved goals)
40
Q

What is an example of us straining between cultural and structural factors?

A

The american dream which emphasizes money success, Americans are expected to achieve this success through legitimate means. e.g. through education.

41
Q

Although not everyone can achieve success in the meritocratic america? WHY?

A

Although their are factors that are in the way such as poverty, emphasizing the myth of meritocracy. This results to strain as they know they cannot achieve american dream by legal means, so do it illegitimately.

42
Q

What did Merton say he could see the american society trending to?

A

This is why Mertion could see american society trending towards anomie ( normlessness) in that norms are too weak to restrain some people from using deviant means to achieve goals that culture sets them.

43
Q

What does Merton’s strain theory show?

A

That not everyone is on a level playing field, crime is working class.

44
Q

What are the 5 responses to strain?

A 
Conformisits 
Innovators 
Ritualists 
Retreatists 
Rebels
45
Q

What are Conformtists?

A

Individuals accept culturally approved goals and strive to achieve them. ( The middle class)

46
Q

What are Innovators?

A

Individuals accept the money success goal but use illegitimate means to achieve it e,g, theft. ( The working class)

47
Q

What are Ritualists?

A

Individuals who have given up on the goal, but internalised the legitmate means and follow the rules for their own sake. ( the lower middle class)

48
Q

What are Retreatism?

A

Individuals reject both goal and legitimate means, and drop out of society. ( addicts, vagrants)

49
Q

What are Rebels?

A

Individuals replace existing goals and means with new ones with aim of bringing change in society. ( poltical radicals)

50
Q

Why is Merton’s strain theory useful?

A

He explains WC crime and offcial statistics of property crime because American society values material wealth highly.

51
Q

What is 3 A03’s of Merton’s theory?

A

1) It takes Official crime statistics at face value ( no depth)
2) Too deterministic ( not all working class people deviate ( Ignores crimes of the powerful)
3) Assumes all strain money success goal

52
Q

How would Postmodernists critque Merton’s strain theory?

A

They have a problem because not everyone lives in value consensus, so we will not fit in a culturally deprived goal. This is because we are so fragmented and so we don’t fill and care for strain. Therefore, functionalist approach is outdate.

53
Q

Who is the sociologists that argue subcultural status frustration?

A

Cohen

54
Q

How are Merton and Cohen similar?

A

Cohen agrees with Merton that crime is a W/C issue ( failure to reach goals legitimately leads to crime)

55
Q

How are Merton and Cohen different?

A

Cohen believes crime is a group response, not an individual one ( it is a product of delinquent subcultures) . These subcultures off a solution to W/C to gain status, which they cannot achieve through legitimate means.

56
Q

What else doesn’t Merton not focus on which Cohen does?

A

He ignores non- utitarian crimes ( assault, vandalsim, no economic motive but focuses on Utilitarian crime theft ( for material gain) (this is a strength of his theory)

57
Q

How do Working class boys gain status frustration in Middle class education system? ( similar to Merton)

A

Working class boys want to achieve success, which is valued by mainstream culture, but due do being culturally deprived and lack skills they fail leaving them at bottom of status hierarchy.

58
Q

What do the W/c boys do due to status frustration ( which id different to Merton)?

A

Instead of turning to individual crime as Merton states, they reject norms and values and form subculture. This is an alternative way to achieve status, through placing higher value on criminal acts such as stealing, which is rejected by society.

59
Q

As these crimes committed gain respect there is no need to commit what type of crime?

A

utilitarian crime, they commit non- monetary crime e.g. vandalism ( non utilitarian crime)

60
Q

Why are subculture values different to mainstream for Cohen?

A

There is alternative status in these subcultural groups e.g. society respects property, whereas the boys gain status from vandalizing it.

61
Q

What is an A03 evaluation of A.K cohen : status frustration?

A

He assumes working class boys start off sharing middle class success goals, only to reject them when they fail. He ignores possibility that they never shared these goals.

62
Q

What is Labelling theorists say about any subcultural crime?

A

they argue that any form of subculutral crime is often due to society’s labels and streotypes.

63
Q

What is an example of labeling theorists showing crime is due to society’s labels?

A

Circourcel notes that police typifications result in greater attention towards certain groups in society, leading to more arrests and media attention. This is a form of deviance amplification showing that Crime Stastitcs may be invalid.

64
Q

Who are the sociologists that argue agaisnt Merton and Cohen about subcultures?

A

Cloward and Ohlin (1960)

65
Q

Why do Cloward and Ohlin disagree with Merton?

A

As he doesn’t recognize the importance of peers when analyzing criminality. Cloward and Ohlin identity much crime is a reflection of colelctive nature.

66
Q

How does Cloward and Ohlin disagree with Cohen?

A

not everyone adapts to a lack of legitimate opportunities by turning to Utilitarian or non- utilitarian crime ( innovation) , some resort to violence, some resort to drug use.

67
Q

What are the 3 subcultures that can result from different neighborhoods providing different illegitimate opportunities ?

A

Criminial subculture
Conflict subculture
Retreatist subculture

68
Q

What is a criminal subculture?

A

Youths gain apprenticeship in crime ( learning the ropes)

69
Q

What is an A02 contemporary example of a criminal subculture)

A

Yakuza gang, which is a highly organised gang in Japan. through family it is headed by family head who gives orders to subordinates, they are feared in society..

70
Q

What is a conflict subculture?

A

These arise in areas of high population turnover, they are disorganised, meaning no criminal organisational, groups emerge from having little opprtunites.

71
Q

What are an example of conflict subculture?

A

Chiago gangs,which is estimated to be 100,000 members and 59 gangs in chicago. Led by orders. It has led to greater violence due to leadership takedowns.

72
Q

What is a Retreatist subculture?

A

These are groups who cannot succeed in legitimate and illegitimacy ways, they are excluded in society and this may lead to retreatism in society.

73
Q

What is an example of Retreatist subculture?

A

Jamaican gully queens ( they are an LGBT group who are not seen as right, they cant get a Job, so live in dark public speaces and are excluded from society. ( they may perform sex acts for money)

74
Q

Why is Cloward and Ohlin subculture splits useful?

A

It tries to explain different typed of working class deviance in terms of different subcultures and shows people perform alternative means for financial security.

75
Q

What is an A03 evaluation of Cloward and Ohlin?

A

1) Like Cohen’s theory it is reactive one, they explain deviant subcultures as forming from a reaction to the failure to achieve mainstream success goals, this is wrongly assumed, as not everyone starts out sharing the same goals as PM theorists says.
2) Also over predict working class crime. (ignores crimes of powerful)

76
Q

What is an overall evaluation of Functionalist explanations of crime?

A

It ignores the victims throughout.

Alisha's Crime Sociology Flashcards (9 decks)

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