Functionalist theories of crime

Question 1

Positive functions of crime

Answer 1

Boundary maintenance - crime unites members of society in condemnation of the offender and reinforces commitment to shared values. Punishment is a tool used to reaffirm social solidarity.

Adaptation and change - individuals with new ideas are originally seen as deviants, as their ideas go against existing norms and values. However, these ideas may give rise to a new culture/morality.

Question 2

Davis - prostitution

Answer 2

Prostitution acts as a safety valve for men to release sexual frustrations without threatening the nuclear family.

Question 3

Cohen - another function of crime

Answer 3

A warning that an institution is not functioning properly. I.e. high truancy rates tell us there are issues with the education system that need to be changed

Question 4

Evaluation of functionalist theory of crime

Answer 4

Functionalism looks at what functions crime serves for society as a whole and ignores how it may affect different groups or individuals i.e. seeing a murderer punished may be functional in reinforcing social solidarity but it is not functional for the victim.

Crime does not always promote solidarity, it can have the opposite effect i.e. women staying indoors because they fear being attacked.

Question 5

Erikson

Answer 5

If deviance performs positive functions for society, then society may actually be organised to promote it rather than eliminate it. Institutions of social control may in fact exist to regulate the level of crime rather than get rid of it completely.