Functionalist Theory Of Crime Flashcards
Durkhiems functionalist theory
Functionalism - sees society as based on value consensus
-members sharing set of norms
- sharing same culture = social solidarity
How is social solidarity maintained
Socialisation - instils shared culture into its members (internalise same norms and values)
- social control mechanisms include reward for conformity and punishments for deviance, to ensure individuals behave in the way society expects.
The inevitability of crime
Durkheim- crime is normal, universal and inevitable part of all society’s
-not everyone can comply with the norms of society
Why does crime occur
-ineffective/poor socialisation in sharing same values and norms may result in crime and deviance
-diversity of lifestyle and values (individual desires)- some groups have their own subcultures with their own norms and values. Resulted in society being fragmented. Resulted in anomie (normlessness eg lawlessness) leading to individuals committing crime.
Three positive functions of crime (Durkheim crime fulfills two functions)
1- bourndary maintenance - punishment of offenders reinforces shared norms and values and the acceptable behaviour. United people together against the ‘immoral behaviour’ which strengths social cohesion.
2-crime encourages social change- adaption and change starts with an act of deviance
If new ideas are suppressed society will stagnate and not make necessary adaptive changes
Eg riots show change is needed in the social system
3- crime as a safety valve- porn and prostitution provide sexual satisfaction for sexuallt frustrated men without threatening the nuclear family- provides release from pressure of life.
Evaluation of the two functions of crime
✅- offers social explanations for crime instead of biological
✅- durkheim realises that a crime free society in an unrealistic goal
❌- ignores the crimes of the powerful. Marxist critise that laws are made to benefit the powerful.
❌doesn’t say how much crime is functional for society
Control theory - explanation and the 4 social bonds
Hirschis social bonds theory of crime and deviance
Why people do not commit crime
- social bonds that restrain people from committing crime
1- belief- shared moral beliefs respect for others and need to obey the laws
2- commitment - don’t want to risk what they’ve been working towards eg job , education, raising family - other commitments
3- involvement - people are involved in society eg sports teams, social clubs and don’t have time to commit crime
4- attachment - to those around them family friends so don’t want to ruin the community they’re in .
The stronger these bonds are the less likely someone is to commit crime.
Evaluation of control theory
❌- too deterministic - doesn’t explain why those with weakened bonds don’t commit crime.
❌- doesn’t explain that it’s possible to be deviant with strong social bonds eg well integrated m/c drug users or white collar crimes
What’s strain theory
Suggested by Merton - cause of crime is due to structural inequalities - unequal opportunities due to class inequalities.
And cultural factors - the emphasis on achieving the American dream material wealth.
-the pressure to achieve the ‘American dream’ puts strain on the w/c to achieve this dream.
- leads to breakdown of norms = anomie (breakdown of accepted behaviour) because they have no legitimate means of achieving this they have to turn to deviance like theft to achieve these culturally approved goal.
5 responses to strain theory and explain them
1-conformity - individuals who achieve the American dream through legitimate means. Wealth through hard work and talent.
2-innovation - people who want to achieve the culturally approved goals of society but doesn’t have legitimate ways of acheiving them so have to turn to illegitimate means eg theft and burglary for wealth.
3- ritualism- people who are happy with what they have and don’t aspire to have greater wealth.
4- retreatism- people who reject the cultural goals of society and drop out of society eg drug addicts, tramps.
5- rebellion- people who reject goals of society and want to replace them with radical alternative to bring about social change.
Evaluation of Mertons strain theory
❌ - ignored the crimes of the powerful and only focuses on w/c crimes - he exaggerates working class crime.
❌- too deterministic - not all w/c turn to crime to achieve material wealth
❌- only explains economic crime not other petty crimes with no financial gain eg vandalism, violent crime
✅- shows the problem of social inequality’s and their impact on crime.
What is Status frustration and who suggest it
Status frustration- cohen
-devience occurs because w/c can’t achieve mainstream goals of success because if educational failure so they lack the opportunity to achieve material goals legitimately so they suffer status frustration as they can’t work their way up in society. so they have to achieve these goals through illegitimate means (crime)
- focus’ on crimes committed in groups and crimes that are not economically motivated.
Two ways Cohen critises merton
-he says mertons ignores crime committed by groups
- he ignores crimes that are not economically motivated
What is the response to these status frustration amongst w/c boys
They find each other and form a delinquent subculture that rejects mainstream values and replace them with devient values eg stealing, violence, anti-social behaviour. By showing these values they gain status and respect from their peers as they can’t do it legitimately in society, they do this to overcome the status frustration.
Evaluation of Cohen
✅-explains non-utilitarian crimes
✅-explains the influence of subcultures and peers in crime. (group crimes)
❌- ignores crimes on the powerful and focus on w/c crime eg white collar and corporate crimes.
❌- ignores how w/c girls react to status frustration and their subcultures
❌- too determinatic not all w/c boys turn to crime and reject mainstream values.
