Functionalist Theory Flashcards
Merton
- re defines concept of anomie to mean reaction where socially approved goals are impossible for majority of population to reach by legitimate means
- claims crime exists because everyone share the same goals in life but not all can achieve legitimately
- In Usa the american dream is shared by all members of society but not all have means to achieve it
- results in strain between ambition and abilitity to achieve them,thus people are under pressure to deviate calling this strain to anomie
mertons 5 ways to react to pressure
conformity-response of majority achieiving dream through meritocratic legitimate means
innovation-illegal means to american dream,breaking law to make money
ritualism-deviant but not criminal includes gtiving yp on trying to achieve A.D
retreatism-criminal response includes turning to alcohol or drugs
rebellion-criminal response to replace A.D with another set of values(terrorism)
criticism of merton
STRENGTHS: -explains w/c crime,utilitarian crimes WEAKNESS: -Takes OCS at face value -doesnt explain why many members of w/c dont break the law -focus on induviduals not groups,when crime is often a group activity -assumes everyone shares the same values -fails to explain no utilitarian crimes
A.cohen(status frustration in school)
-Delinquent behaviour is most likely to develop in w/c boys who do badly at school.
as know they cannot achieve success from education as their w/c values are different to m/c values promoted by education
-as a result suffer from status frustration-anger felt due to aspirations being blocked
therefore to achieve success/ status they form subcultures inverting mainstream values and functions by offering illegitimate oppurtunioty structure to achieve status
Criticism of A.cohen
STRENGTH: -explains non utilitarian crimes WEAKNESS: -assumes value consensus-everyone shares same norm and values -Ignores female crime
CLoward and Ohlin(criminal,stabke,retreatist
-different subcultures react differently to members failure to succeed throguh legitimate mean.
-Acess to illegitimate oppurtunity structure depends on neighbourhood they live in
-Criminal -stable w/c areas a developed criminal culture where status is gained throguh existing gang membership and crime is commited for finance
conflict-areas with high population turnover,no establshed crimina structure.(anti social behaviour,fighting)
retreatist-develops among those who are double failures-failed legitimately and illegitimately so focus on drug abuse.
evaluation of cloward and Ohlin
ignores crimes of wealthy by assuming w/c crime is a pehnomenon
- ignores overlap between different subcultures
- ignores female crime
Miller(focal concern)
-w/c has its on independent subculture therefore w/c get into trouble because they have a diff set of values(focal concerns) they include: smartness-look good and be witty trouble excitement-thrill seeking toughness-physical strength autonomy-not being controlled by others fatalism-what will be will be nature of values leads them to crime
Evaluation of Miller
WEAKNESS: focal concerns are not neccessarily w/c values they could be middle class values too -not all working class are criminal if they had a distinct criminal subculture they would all be criminal as they are socialised into those values
matza-general criticisms of functionalism
-argues mainstream valyes are parallel to subterraenean values(deviant values) shared by all.
-for most of the time people control these subterranean values.
-they only emerge occasionally,therefore most delinqunets drift in and out.
once they commit they justify using techniques of neutralisation.
-denial of;
-respnosbility
-victim
-injury
-condem the condemners
-appeal to higher loyalties
evaluatin of matza
STRENGTHS:
answers the critics of the strain and other subcultural theories
WEAKNESS:
-does not account for peples involvment in highly organised crime such as gangs
