Functionalist Theories

Question 1

5 reactions to strain

Answer 1

conformity, ritualism, retreatism, innovation and rebellion

Question 2

which theorists are associated with the safety valve theory of criminality?

Answer 2

Davis + Moore

Question 3

3 subcultures

Answer 3

status frustration, focal concerns, illegitimate opportunity

Question 4

4 social bonds which prevent people from committing crime

Answer 4

belief, attachment, involvement and commitment

Question 5

focal concerns sociologist

Answer 5

miller

Question 6

2 examples of w/c focal concerns

Answer 6

excitement and fate

Question 7

utilitarian crime

Answer 7

a crime that gets rewarded

Question 8

durkheim mean by anomie

Answer 8

a breakdown in social norms or when social change happens

Question 9

example Polsky gave to help explain the idea of crime being a safety valve

Answer 9

accessing pornography can prevent more serious sexual crimes

Question 10

safety valve

Answer 10

some minor crimes and acts of deviancy can prevent more serious crimes

Question 11

4 Positive functions of crime

Answer 11

• Boundary Maintenance and Social Cohesion
• Adaptation and Change
• Warning Sign
• Safety Valve

Question 12

Function 1: Boundary Maintenance and Social Cohesion - Durkheim

Answer 12

reinforce what is acceptable behaviour in society as the public nature of the punishments show people what will happen for breaking the rules

Question 13

Function 2: Adaptation and Change - Durkheim

Answer 13

some social deviance is necessary to allow society to move forward and progress, without some deviant and criminal behaviour society will become stagnant and die

Question 14

Function 3: Warning Sign - Cohen

Answer 14

an increase in a certain type of crime or deviant behaviour can be an indication that something in society is not functioning as it should be and a change needs to occur

Question 15

Function 4: Safety Valve - Davis/Polsky

Answer 15

some minor crimes and acts of deviancy can prevent larger more serious crimes e.g. Polsky suggests that accessing pornography can prevent more serious sexual crimes

Question 16

Evaluation of positive functions

Answer 16

• Marxism = ignores the role that the powerful have in shaping what is criminal and deviant as well as the role of social inequality
• Durkheim = ignores the impact that crime has on the individual victims instead focuses on the impact on society
• Doesn’t quantify how much crime is beneficial to society
• Crime doesn’t always lead to solidarity, can lead to isolation

Question 17

Merton’s Strain Theory (American Dream)

Answer 17

crime is a response to the strain placed on people to achieve the goals and values of society

Question 18

Merton’s Strain Theory (American Dream)
Evaluation

Answer 18

• over exaggerates the importance of monetary success
• underestimates the amount of crime committed by those who have achieved societal goals
• doesn’t explain why groups choose the response they do
• fails to explain non-utilitarian crime

Question 19

Sub-Cultural Theories: Status Frustration (Cohen)

Answer 19

young people get frustrated by their inability to achieve social goals which lead to status to turn to crime to achieve status

EVALUATION:
- Willis = w/c boys do not share same ideas of status as m/c boys
- Only discusses youth crime

Question 20

Sub-Cultural Theories: Illegitimate Opportunity (Cloward and Ohlin)

Answer 20

Criminal subcultures = socialise young people into criminal activity
Conflict subcultures = little social cohesion
Retreatist subcultures = who fail to gain access to the other two

EVALUATION:
- Assumes official stats are accurate
- Over exaggeration of criminal opportunities to the young

Question 21

Sub-Cultural Theories: Focal Concerns (Miller)

Answer 21

w/c have a different set of values or FC to the rest of society which include hyper masculinity which can lead to criminal behaviour appearing normal

EVALUATION:
- not all w/c are criminals
- Matza = sub culture membership is often short lived

Question 22

Control Theory: Hirschi

Answer 22

asks not why people commit crime but why they don’t commit crime, strong bods with society stops people from committing crime

Question 23

Control Theory: Hirschi
EVALUATION

Answer 23

• Assumes all people are naturally bad and it is society that keeps people good
• Doesn’t explain why the bonds are weak or strong, or how they become so
• You can have strong bonds but still be deviant