Functionalist View on Crime

Question 1

Functionalist argue in order to achieve solidarity society has 2 key mechanisms?

Answer 1

•Socialisation-ensure individuals have same norms and values
•Social control-mechanisms such as reward and punishment.This helps behave the way society expects

Question 2

What does Durkheim believe about crime?

Answer 2

•crime allows movement in society to move forward e.g. if suffragettes committing act of deviance and crime we wouldn’t have women’s rights in society
•Crime is inevitable in society and a certain amount of crime and deviance is necessary for society to function
•No crime in society causes stagnation (no progression)

Question 3

Durkheim says crime has 3 positive function?

Answer 3

•Boundary Maintenance-We set boundary e.g. London Riot 2011
•Social cohesion-Jo cox MP shot by far right
•Adaptation and change- need a positive change e.g. suffragettes or Black Lives Matter

Question 4

Why does Davis say crime is a positive function?

Answer 4

Davis say prostitution acts as a ‘safety valve’ for mens sexual frustration without causing a threat to the nuclear family

Question 5

Why does Polsky say crime is a positive function?

Answer 5

pornography safely ‘Channels’ a variety of sexual desires away.This stops people from committing adultery->this stops the threat of the family

Question 6

What does Cliard and cohen say about crime?

Answer 6

crime is a ‘warning’ to society e.g. high rates of truancy (no school attendance) tells us there is a problem education system

Question 7

What is Merton Strain theory?

Answer 7

Strain theory argues that people engage in deviant behaviour when they are unable to achieve goals by legitimate means so they become frustrated and turn to crime

Question 8

Merton says deviance is result of strain between two thing?

Answer 8

•Goals-society tells us we should be aiming for in life
•Means-we are told to achieve these goals

-Merton suggests that there is unequal to access the goals and the means he refers to this as strain.It is this strain and the responses to it that can cause criminal and deviant activity

Question 9

Merton identified 5 responses to the strain caused by the goals and means:

Answer 9

•Conformity-they achieve goal through approved means and belief they will achieve this goal
•Innovation-person uses socially unapproved means to obtain culturally approved goals. Example: dealing drugs
•Ritualism-using the same socially approved means to achieve less goals with is more achievable
•Retreatism-person rejects both the cultural goals and the means to obtain.They do not set themselves new goals or find new means to achieve the and commit petty crime
•Rebellion-Rebels reject both the cultural goals and means, and instead create new ones for themselves. This could be criminal in nature

Question 10

Evaluation Merton?

Answer 10

•Deterministic-external factors causes you to commit crime
•Ignores white collar crime-Mertons strain theory fails to explain the experience of white collar a corporate crime
•Ignores non utilitarian crime-this is crime that has a financial maintain however there are many crimes which are committed where criminal gains no financial benefit from the act
•Lack explanation-doesn’t suggest why and how individuals choose things

Question 11

What is Subcultural strain theories?

Answer 11

criticise and build on merton’s theory.They believe subculture are a solution to a problem as they provide alternative structure in society.This helps those who are unable to achieve legitimate means. mainly relates to working class people

Question 12

Functionalist 3 subcultural theories?

Answer 12

1)Status Frustration cohen
2)Cloward and ohlin:Three subcultures
3) Miller:Focal concerns

Question 13

What is Status Frustration cohen?

Answer 13

-Cohen criticises Merton how he ignores the fact that most deviance is committed in groups
-Merton focuses on utilitarian crime.He ignores crimes such as assault and vandalism that may have no economic motive
-Boys that have the same experience are more likely to form delinquent subcultures which are often breaking rules intimidate people

Question 14

What is Cloward and ohlin:Three subcultures?

Answer 14

1)Criminal subcultures-These are children who group in a neighbourhood of crime.They are like apprentices of crime e.g. the ‘younger’ and ‘elders’ on street
2)Conflict subcultures:This arises in areas that have a high population so criminal networks fails to develop as there is social disorganisation .This where people can fight over territory to gain status in their own groups
3)Retreatism Subcultures:This is when people fail at getting their goals through both legitimate and illegitimate means.They are almost ‘cast aways’ who turn to drug use

Question 15

What is Mill Focal concern?

Answer 15

•Miller suggests working class are socialised into a number of distinctive values that together meant they were more likely than others to engage in delinquent behaviour.Miller described these values as “focal concern” e.g. excitement,Thoughness and street smart
-Fatalism might mean that they do not consider the consequences of their actions as the future is already

Question 16

Criticism of Status Frustration Cohen?

Answer 16

-This doesn’t explain female deviancy or criminality in adults.Willis found that working class boys didn’t have the same ideas of status as middle class boys so wouldn’t feel status frustration

Question 17

Criticisms of Illegitimate opportunity structures cloward and ohlin?

Answer 17

They rely on official statistics and appear to accept them without critiques-Focuses on youth crime

Question 18

Criticisms of Focal concerns Miller?

Answer 18

Matza states that often subcultures are short lived.This means that the young delinquent often grow up to be law obiding adults

Question 19

What is Hirschi Bond’s theory?

Answer 19

This looks at why people do not commit crime. .Hirschi argued that criminal activity occurs when people’s attachments to society is weakened in some way.This attachment depends upon the strength of the social bonds which hold people to society

Question 20

Hirschi identified 4 social bonds that encourage conformity?

Answer 20

1)Commitment-Refers to personal investments that each of us make in our lives.What we do we have to lose if commit a crime
2)Belief-How strong a person sense that they should should obey the rules of society
3)Involvement-How busy are we?is there time and space for law breaking a deviant behaviour
4)Attachment-To what extent of do we care about other people opinion and wishes

Question 21

Evaluation of Bond theory ?

Answer 21

•One of the biggest weakness of bond theory is that Hirschi doesn’t explain why some people have weak bonds and other have strong ones or how they became so
•doesn’t explain why people with strong bonds to society commit crimes Case study Harold shipman-Murder patient which goes against bond theory as he had so much things not to lose