Functionalist theories of crime

Question 1

Which sociologists argued crime serves positive functions for society?

Answer 1

Durkheim, Cohen, Clinard, Davis and Polsky

Question 2

What functions did Durkheim argue crime performs?

Answer 2

Boundary maintenance, social cohesion and adaption and change

Question 3

How does crime acts as boundary maintenance and social cohesion?

Answer 3

it reinforces what is acceptable behaviours in society, as the punishment individuals receive reminds individuals of the consequences of criminal behaviour. Serious crimes can often being society together.

Question 4

How does Durkheim argue crime leads to adaption and change?

Answer 4

Some deviance is necessary to allow society to progress,Without some deviance and criminality society would become stagnant.

Question 5

What is Clinard and Cohen’s idea of crime being a warning sign?

Answer 5

An increase in a certain type of crime or deviant behaviour can indicate that something in society is not functioning as it should.

Question 6

Why do Davis and Polsky argue crime is a safety valve for society?

Answer 6

Minor crimes can prevent wider issues in society and more serious crimes. For example, Davis argues that prostitution protects the nuclear family, and Polsky argues that pornography prevents serious sexual crimes.

Question 7

What are the evaluations of such theories that argue crime is positive for society?

Answer 7

Marxists- ignores the fact that the elite are able to shape what is defined as criminal and deviant, as well as the role of social inequality.
Durkheim ignores the impact of crime on individuals, only focusing on society as a whole.
Doesn’t show the extent to which crime is beneficial for society.
Crime doesn’t always lead to solidarity, it can cause isolation and alienation.

Question 8

who theorised strain theory?

Answer 8

merton

Question 9

what is strain theory?

Answer 9

the idea that crime is a response to the strain placed in achieve the goals and values of society.

Question 10

What types of strain did merton identify?

Answer 10

conformity, innovation, ritualism, rebellion and retreatism.

Question 11

what is conformity?

Answer 11

When individuals accept the goals set out and agreed by society as well as the means to achieve them.

Question 12

what is innovation?

Answer 12

accepting the goals set out and agreed by society but choosing alternative means to achieve them.

Question 13

what is ritualism?

Answer 13

following the means to achieve the goals of society but believing that you will never actually achieve them.

Question 14

What is rebellion?

Answer 14

rejecting the goals of society and creating your own as well as the means of achieving them.

Question 15

what is retreatism?

Answer 15

Reject the goals of society and the means of achieving them but do not replace them with their own goals or means.

Question 16

What are the evaluations of strain theory?

Answer 16

It over exaggerates the importance of monetary success.
Underestimates the amount of crime committed by those who have achieved societal goals.
Doesn’t explain why individuals choose the response they do.
Fails to explain non-utilitarian crime.

Question 17

Who are the key subcultural theorists?

Answer 17

Cohen, Cloward and Ohlin and Miller

Question 18

What did Cohen argue?

Answer 18

Status frustration- young people get frustrated by their inability to achieve so they turn to crime to achieve status.

Question 19

What are the evaluations of Cohen?

Answer 19

Willis- working class boys do not share the same ideas of status as middle class boys.
Ignores female delinquency.
Only discusses youth crime.

Question 20

What is Cloward and Ohlin’s theory?

Answer 20

Illegitimate opportunity structures- Criminal subcultures socialise young people into criminality. Conflict subcultures oppose social solidarity. Retreatist subcultures allow access to individuals who failed to gain entry to the other two types.

Question 21

What are the evaluations of Cloward and Ohlin’s theory?

Answer 21

Assumes official statistics on crime are accurate.
Exaggerates the amount of criminal opportunities for young people.

Question 22

What does Miller argue?

Answer 22

Focal concerns- The working class have a different ideology to the rest of society, including hyper masculinity, which can lead criminal behaviour to appear normal.

Question 23

What are the evaluations of Miller’s idea?

Answer 23

Not all working class people are criminals.
Matza- subcultures are often temporary.

Question 24

Who is the key theorist for control theory?

Answer 24

Hirschi

Question 25

What did Hirschi say?

Answer 25

Individuals shouldn’t study why people commit crime, but why some individuals do not commit crime. This theory suggests that societal bonds prevent individuals from committing crime.

Question 26

What are the evaluations of Hirschi?

Answer 26

Assumes all people are naturally bad.
Doesn’t explain why some people have weak bonds with society.
Some individuals have strong bonds in society but are still considered deviant, like for their sexuality for example.