functionalist, strain, subcultural theories

Question 1

According to functionalists, what is needed to achieve social solidarity (cultures shared norms and values)?

Answer 1

Socialisation- instils shared cultures to its members
Social control- e.g. rewards and punishments

Question 2

What reason does Durkheim give as to why crime and deviance is found in all societies

Answer 2

Not everyone is effectively socialised into shared norms and values

Question 3

Durkheim argues that crime is both..? (2)

Answer 3

Inevitable- not everyone is equally committed to the shared norms and beliefs of a society
Necessary and beneficial- it has a positive function for society e.g. social solidarity

Question 4

According to functionalists, what are the 3 positive functions of crime?

Answer 4

Boundary Maintenance
Adaption and change
Safety value

Question 5

What does Durkehim argue about boundary maintenance?
What does this explain?

Answer 5

Crime produces a reaction from society, reinforcing commitment to shared norms and values
Explains the function of punishment=reinforce social regulation e.g. courtrooms publicly shaming and stigmatising the offender through dramatics

Question 6

What does Durkheim argue about adaption and change?

Answer 6

All change starts with an act of deviance
Individuals with new ways of living shouldn’t be suffocated by the weight of social control, they should challenge
E.g. authorities often persecute religious visionaries who oppose a new value system, but they impact the culture

Question 7

What does Davis argue about safety value?

Answer 7

Prostitution acts as a safety value for the release of mens sexual frustrations, without threatening the nuclear family

Question 8

Explain 3 criticisms of Durkheim?

Answer 8

Vague on why crime is committed- doesn’t specify why economical, podophilic, violent crimes are committed
Ignores the impact of being a victim- not a positive experience, impact friends and family, long lasting e.g. DV
Assumes society has shared norms and values- marxists and feminists have different views on why crimes are committed

Question 9

What do strain theories argue about why people engage in deviant behaviour?

Answer 9

Happens when they are unable to achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means

Question 10

Merton’s strain theory adapted Durkheim’s concepts on explaining deviance, what are 2 features of his explanation?

Answer 10

Structural factors- society’s unequal opportunity structure
Cultural factors- strong emphasis on success goals and weaker emphasis on legitimate means to achieve them

Question 11

According to Merton, deviance is the result of a strain between what 2 things?

Answer 11

Goals that a culture encourages individuals to achieve
Institutional structure of society allows them to achieve legitimately
E.g. American culture values ‘money success’ -individual material wealth and the high status that comes with it

Question 12

The American Dream is expected to be perused in legitimate means, such as..?
How is this ideology not meritocratic? What does this lead to?

Answer 12

Study, qualifications, hard work
Blocked opportunities e.g. poverty, inadequate education, discrimination>frustration>achieving dream illegitamately>crime
(*Strain is between cultural goals and position in the social structure)

Question 13

What are the 2 adaptations to Merton’s strain theory?

Answer 13

Conformity- individuals accept the culturally approved goals and strive to achieve them legitimately, most likely amongst MC with opportunities
Innovation- individuals accept the goal of money success, but use ‘new’ illegitimate means e.g. theft, likely in WC

Question 14

What are 2 critisms of Merton’s strain theory?

Answer 14

Focus’s too much on individual crime- doesn’t look into group crimes (how most crimes take pace)
Focus’s too much on economic crimes- doesn’t look at white collar or violent crimes for e.g.

Question 15

What do subcultural strain theories see deviance as the product of? (2)
What’s the difference between subcultural theories and Merton’s strain theory?

Answer 15

Delinquent subculture with different values from main stream society
Subcultures provide alternative opportunity for those with denied chance of achieving legitimately
Subcultural (Cohen, Cloward and Ohlin) criticises and builds on Merton’s

Question 16

What does Cohen argue about status frustraion?

Answer 16

WC boys face anomie (lack of moral standards) in MC dominated school system, suffering from cultural depravation>bottom of status hierarchy>status frustration>deliquency

Question 17

What does Cohen argue about the alternative status hierarchy?

Answer 17

What society condemns>subculture praises vv e.g. society condemns respect for property>boys gain status from vandilisation
Subcultures function is that they offer boys an alternative hierarchy that they can achieve

Question 18

What is a strength and weakness of Cohen’s subcultural theory?

Answer 18

It offers an explanation of non-utilitarian deviance, unlike Merton. Merton can explain non-economic delinquency e.g. vandalism
Assumes WC boys start of sharing MC success goals, only to reject these when they fail. Ignores the possibility that they never saw themselves as failures.

Question 19

What do Cloward and Ohlin argue?

Answer 19

Not everyone who has status frustration adapts to it by turning to innovation, different subcultures respond in different ways to blocked opportunities:
Criminal subcultures
Conflict subcultures
Retreatist subcultures

Question 20

Explain Cloward’s and Ohlin’s criminal subculture

Answer 20

Provide youth with a career to utilitarian (useful) crime
Arise in neighbourhoods with established hierarchy of professional adult crime
Allows youth to associate with adult criminals, providing them with training and role models, as well as opportunities for employment on the criminal ladder

Question 20

Explain Cloward’s and Ohlin’s conflict subculture

Answer 20

Arise in areas of high population turnover>high levels of social disorganisation>prevents a stable professional criminal network developing
Absence=only illegitimate opportunities available are in organised, violence providing a release of male blocked opportunities

Question 21

Explain Cloward’s and Ohlin’s retreatist subculture

Answer 21

Happens in any neighbourhood, not everyone who aspires to be a professional criminal actually succeeds
Those who fail both legitimately and illegitimately turn to retreatist subcultures e.g. illegal drug use

Question 22

What is a strength and weakness of Cloward and Ohlin’s subcultures?

Answer 22

Provide an explanation for different types of WC deviance in terms of different subcultures, unlike Cohen
Draw the boundaries too sharply between subcultures e.g. Sharp found that drug trade is a mixture between disorganised (e.g. conflict subculture) and professional crime (e.g. mafia)