Functionalists Flashcards
Boundary Maintenance
reaffirms what is right and wrong by making an example of those who break the law
Adaption and Change
Crime highlights dysfunctional institutions, causing change
Anomie
Normlessness
Safety Valve
deviant acts can release social pressures. Instead of committing a crime, people commit a minor deviant act.
Strain Theory
Lack of legitimate opportunities/ blocked opportunities+ societal monetary goal= strain
People turn to illegitimate means to achieve
Status Frustration
people, primarily young working-class men, do not gain the social status they desire and feel unable to achieve material success the conventional way.
Opportunity Subcultures
providing an alternative opportunity structure for those who are denied the chance to achieve by legitimate means
Durkheim
Functions of crime
Boundary maintenance
Safety valve
Agent of change
Merton
Strain theory
Societal goal- financial success
Blocked opportunities
Innovate
Success via illegitimate means
