Functionalist theories of crime and deviance Flashcards
who is the thinker for boundary maintenance and social cohesion?
Durkheim
What is the explanation for boundary maintenance and social cohesion?
crime always changes society to reinforce what is acceptable behaviour in society as the public nature of punishment shows people what will happen for breaking the rules.
very serious crimes can also lead to society coming together to condemn the perpetrator
what was the thinker for warning signs?
Clinhard and Cohen
what is the explanation for warning signs?
an increase in a 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
who is the thinker of adaption and change?
Durkheim
what is the explanation for adaptation and change?
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
who is the key thinker of safety valve?
Davis and Polsky
what is the explanation for safety valve?
some minor crimes and acts of deviancy can actually prevent larger more serious crimes.
E.g Polsky suggests accessing pornography can prevent more serious sexual crimes
what are the evaluations for the positive functions of crime?
- Marxism - ignores the role the powerful have in shaping what is criminal and deviant as well as the role of school inequality
- Durkheim ignores the impact that crime has on individual victims instead focuses on the impact on society
- Doesn’t quantify how much crime is beneficial for society
- Crime doesn’t always lead to solidarity but can cause isolation of both victim and criminal
what are the 3 sub-cultural theories of crime and deviance and who are the key thinkers?
status frustration - Cohen
illegitimate opportunity structures - Cloward and Ohlin
Focal concerns - Miller
what are the positive functions of crime?
- boundary maintenance and social cohesion
- warning sign
- adaptation and change
- safety valve
what is status frustration?
young people get frustrated by their inability to achieve social goals which leads to status so turn to crime to achieve status
what is illegitimate opportunity structures?
criminal subcultures which socialise young people into criminal activity.
conflict subcultures where there is little social cohesion.
retreatist subcultures those who fall to gain access to the other two subcultures
what is the evaluation for status frustration?
Willis - working class boys do not share the same ideas of status as middle class boys
ignores female delinquency
only discusses youth crime
what is the evaluation for illegitimate opportunity structures?
assumes the official statistics on crime are accurate
over exaggerates criminal opportunities available to the young
what is the evaluation for focal concerns?
not all working lass are criminals
Matza - sub culture membership is often short lived
what is Robert K mertons strain theory?
based around the idea of the American Dream in the 1950’s.
Merton believed crimes is a response to the strain placed on people to achieve the goals and values of society
what are the 5 types of strain?
- conformity
- innovation
- ritualism
- rebellion
- retreatism
what is conformity?
accepting the goals set out and agrees by society as well the means to achieve them
what is innovation?
accepting the goals set out and agreed by society but choosing alternative means to achieve them
what is ritualism?
following the means to achieve the goals of society but believing that you will never actually achieve them
what is rebellion?
rejecting the goals of society and creating your own as well as the means of achieving them
what is retreatism?
rejecting the goals of society and the means of achieving them but do not replace them with their own goals or means
what is Hirschis’ control theory?
asks why people don’t commit crime. this idea suggests strong bonds with society stops people from commiting crime
what is the evaluation of control theory?
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 that way.
you can have strong bonds bust still be deviant
