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AQA Sociology- Crime and Deviance > Functionalist Theory of Crime > Flashcards

Functionalist Theory of Crime Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What do functionalists mean by a consensus theory?

A

All society’s functions work together for the benefit of the whole system. Society has a shared set of norms and beliefs.

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2
Q

What do functionalists mean by collective conscience/ value consensus?

A

Society’s beliefs about what is right and what is wrong. It is internalised through socialisation. Shared set of norms and values.

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3
Q

What is A Macro- Approach?

A

Large scale approach to studying and explaining society. It looks at society as a whole. Functionalism is an example.

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4
Q

What do functionalists mean by organic analogy?

A

Society is like the body. Society is made up of various institutions that act like organs in the body; they all need to be functioning properly for the body to function.

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5
Q

What is a structuralist theory?

A

Social structures/ institutions shape individuals. The individual is a product of social forces.

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6
Q

What is socialisation to functionalists? (Primary and secondary)

A

Primary socialisation is required for the maintenance of collective conscience,. Institutions of primary and secondary socialisation provide formal and informal social control.

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7
Q

What kind of approach do functionalists take when defining crime? What does this mean?

A

They take a normative approach- they believe crime breaks society’s norms and values

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8
Q

What do functionalists believe guide our actions? What does this lead to?

A

Collective conscience (set of shared values). Leads to everyone agreeing on what is right and wrong (value consensus).

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9
Q

Who is the key thinker for the main functionalist theory of crime?

A

Durkheim

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10
Q

What does Durkheim argue about crime?

A

All societies will experience it for two reasons.

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11
Q

What are the 2 reasons Durkheim argues every society will experience crime?

A
  1. Not everyone is equally well socialised into society’s norms and values.
  2. The diversity of modern lifestyles and cultures means sometimes there is clashing between groups’ ideas of what is regarded acceptable,.
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12
Q

What does Durkheim argue about too much crime?

A

It is a sign of social disorder (anomie).

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13
Q

What does Durkheim argue are the positive functions of crime? (3)

A
  1. Adaptation and change
  2. Reaffirming the boundaries/ boundary maintenance.
  3. Strengthening of social cohesion.
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14
Q

What is adaptation and change? (Positive function of Durkheim). Example?

A

Every so often people set out to break the law when they believe something is wrong. They are known as functional rebels because they change societies collective conscience for the better and help society function better. E.g., Suffragettes

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15
Q

What is boundary maintenance? Example?

A

Every time a person breaks the law and is prosecuted publicly (through the media), it re-affirms existing values and reminds society of the consequences of rule-breaking. E.g., Knife Crime

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16
Q

What is strengthening of social cohesion? Example?

A

When a horrific crime is committed, the whole community draws together in shared outrage. Sense of belonging is strengthened. E.g., Sarah Everard.

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17
Q

Name 3 other functionalist approaches to crime.

A

Davis, Polsky and Cohen.

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18
Q

What is Davis’ approach to crime?

A

Crime functions as a safety valve. Minor crimes may be functional as a form of pressure release avoiding bigger problems. E.g., riots and government frustration.

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19
Q

What is Polsky’s approach to crime?

A

He argues engaging in the deviant act of watching pornography, it acts as a safety valve as people can release sexual frustration.

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20
Q

What is Cohen’s approach to crime?

A

He argues crime can function as a warning mechanism. It shows society and its institutions are becoming dysfunctional. These can be corrected before too much damage is done. E.g., truancy and improved education system

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21
Q

AO3 Evaluation of Durkheim- Marxists.

A

They argue ruling class define what is ‘normal’ behaviour to benefit themselves and maintain capitalism. Functionalists ignore class dynamics relevant to criminal behaviour e.g., WC may be forced to commit crime to survive.

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22
Q

A03 Evaluation of Durkheim- Ignores negative aspects.

A

Society may be torn apart by crime- not social cohesion. E.g. panic within society. E.g., party gate and people feeling disheartened.

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23
Q

A03 Evaluation of Durkheim- Focuses on society as a whole.

A

The functionalist approach ignores the impact on individuals. It does not consider how people feel and ignores why people may commit crime.

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24
Q

A03 Evaluation of Durkheim- Focuses on society as a whole.

A

The functionalist approach ignores the impact on individuals. It does not consider how people feel and ignores why people may commit crime.

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25
Q

Who is the key thinker associated with the functionalist strain theory?

A

Merton

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26
Q

What did Merton use to develop his functionalist framework?

A

Durkheim’s concept of anomie. However for Merton, it does not mean normlessness.

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27
Q

What does anomie mean for Merton?

A

A strain between 2 things:
1. The socially accepted goals of society
2. The socially approved means of obtaining those desired goals.

28
Q

What does Merton argue a strain to anomie leads to?

A

Crime and deviance

29
Q

What is an example for Merton’s definition of anomie?

A

American dream.
Goal- monetary success, material wealth, high status and respected job.
Legitimate means- attending school to pass exams and go onto higher education to be able to apply for good jobs.

30
Q

How many responses are there to strain?

A

5

31
Q

What are the 5 responses to strain? What do they mean?

A

Conformity- adhere to goals+means limited chance of success.
Innovation-accepts goals, uses different means (maybe criminal behaviour).
Ritualism-Means are used but sight of goal is lost. E.g., police officer enforcing the law.
Retreatism- rejects goals and means. Can lead to deviant behaviour.
Rebellion- goals and means rejected with different ones substituted.

32
Q

For Merton, who was deviant behaviour particularly common amongst? Why?

A

Lower classes because they were frustrated by their lack of achievement or success and turned to crime to get money (innovation) or who dropped out of the rat race (retreatists).

33
Q

Why is Merton’s theory often praised?

A

It helps to explain higher rates of WC crime within official statistics. It can also be applied to middle class crime as there is no upper limit on success in society’s goals- MC can experience strain too.

34
Q

A02 for Merton? Application/example?

A

Anna Delvey/Sorokin- she had legitimate goals (socialite in NY) but could not achieve this through legitimate means so according to Merton, was now experiencing a strain to anomie. She then illegitimate means to get there.

35
Q

A03 Evaluation of Merton- Official statistics?

A

This theory helps explain the pattern in official statistics which shows WC commit more crime.

36
Q

A03 Evaluation of Merton- Property crime?

A

Most crime in America is property crime showing society values material wealth highly and therefore people commit crime to obtain this.

37
Q

A03 Evaluation of Merton- Types of crime?

A

This theory helps to explain utilitarian crime (committed for money/goods).

38
Q

A03 Evaluation of Merton- Class crimes?

A

It can also be suited to explain middle class crime as there is no upper limit on success in many societies.

39
Q

A03 Evaluation of Merton- Labelling?

A

Functionalists ignore that OS are socially constructed. Marxists argue that WC are not more likely to commit crime, just more likely to be labelled by police.

40
Q

A03 Evaluation of Merton- Deterministic?

A

This theory is deterministic because it assumes all WC individuals will turn to crime.

41
Q

A03 Evaluation of Merton- Same goals?

A

This theory presumes everyone has the same goals which may not necessarily be true.

42
Q

A03 Evaluation of Merton- What does it not help us to understand?

A

Non-utilitarian crime

43
Q

A03 Evaluation of Merton- Women.

A

Women have more blocked opportunities than men yet commit less crime.

44
Q

Who are the two key thinkers for the functionalist subcultural theory?

A

Cohen

Cloward and Ohlin

45
Q

Cohen’s work is a modification of Merton’s. What are his two criticisms of Merton’s work?

A
  1. Delinquency is a collective, not an individual response.
  2. Merton fails to account for non-utilitarian crime such as vandalism and joy riding that produce no monetary reward.
46
Q

What does Cohen’s subcultural theory argue?

A

Criminals and deviant groups form due to ‘status frustration’

47
Q

What is status frustration?

A

Felling that the individuals’ position in the social hierarchy is unfair.

48
Q

How did Cohen develop his theory? What did he find?

A

Studied delinquency amongst WC boys. They experienced anomie in the education system which was dominated by MC values which they did not have so could not get good grades. Led to status frustration.

49
Q

What was the boys in Merton’s study solution to anomie and status frustration?

A

Reject mainstream school, MC values and turn to other boys in the same position to create delinquent subcultures.

50
Q

What happened due to the boys (Merton’s study) not being able to gain status (LOS)?

A

Couldn’t achieve status through the legitimate opportunity structure (MC education system) so turned to illegitimate OS. Work their way up by committing crime. Gain status amongst peers by committing deviant acts of utilitarian/ non.

51
Q

What is it referred to when WC students turn to illegitimate OS rather than LOS?

A

Alternative status hierarchy- gain status in an alternative manner to what is ‘socially accepted’.

52
Q

Evaluation- What does Cohen fail to explain?

A
  1. Collective response to anomie
  2. Non utilitarian crime
53
Q

Evaluation of Cohen- Deterministic?

A

Not all WC boys turn to deviant subcultures- some will have pro-school ones.

54
Q

Evaluation of Cohen- Marxists? Clue- crime ignored.

A

It focusses exclusively on WC street crime ignoring white collar, corporate and state crimes which arguably have a larger impact on society.

55
Q

Evaluation of Cohen- Women?

A

Women often have even lower status but rarely turn to deviant subcultures. According to OS, women commit less crime. Status frustration cannot account for this.

56
Q

What do Cloward+Ohlin agree with Cohen on?

A

WC youths are denied legitimate opportunities to achieve monetary status and their deviance stems from this.

57
Q

Three ways that Cloward and Ohlin differ from Cohen?

A
  1. Cohen- WC boys who failed at school. C+O- Can occur amongst WC successful at school but had failure in job market - alienation.
  2. C+O criticise Cohen for putting too much emphasis on school environment creating delinquent subcultures.
  3. They also suggest Cohen does not account for degree of specilisation that subcultures involve- not all provide IOS.
58
Q

What are the three subcultural responses identified by Cloward and Ohlin?

A
  1. Criminal subcultures
  2. Conflict subcultures
  3. Retreatist subcultures
59
Q

C+O- What is a criminal subculture?

A

Provide ‘apprenticeship’ for a career in crime. Arise in areas with longstanding criminal culture, giving young delinquents chance to learn from ‘role models’ and move up the hierarchy.

60
Q

C+O- What is a conflict subculture?

A

Occur where there is a high population turnover and it is difficult for professional criminal networks to develop. Instead, loose gangs develop. Members use violence to express frustration and gain status by ‘winning turf’.

61
Q

C+O- What is a retreatist subculture?

A

Made up of ‘double failures’ (failed to achieve success via both LOS and IOS). These retreat away from society and rely heavily on illegal drugs.

62
Q

Positive evaluation of C+O- Access to opportunity structures?

A

Acknowledges not all deviant subcultures have the same access to IOS, as well as the LOS.

63
Q

Positive evaluation of C+O- Variety?

A

This theory considers a variety of subcultural responses to a theory of strain which Cohen did not.

64
Q

Negative evaluation of C+O- Internalisation?

A

Assumes that all WC boys at some point have accepted/ internalised MC values for them to experience strain to which delinquency provides a solution. Not all WC boys internalise from beginning.

65
Q

Negative evaluation of C+O- Crimes it ignores?

A

Ignores crimes of the wealthy and over-predict amount of WC crime. However, both subcultural and strain can be updated to consider MC crime. Modern day. not all goals are monetary (popularity/masculinity). MC may not be able to achieve these and join delinquent subcultures.

66
Q

Negative evaluation of C+O- Too strict between responses?

A

Draws too strictly between different subcultural responses. South- subcultural involvement in drug trade has mixed elements of both criminal and conflict subcultures.

67
Q

Negative evaluation of C+O- Matza?

A

Matza- this theory overestimates the extent to which delinquents are committed to a subculture- many drift in and out of delinquency.

AQA Sociology- Crime and Deviance (2 decks)

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