functionalists on crime

Question 1

Durkheim (positive)

Answer 1

-crime is positive: >reaffirm boundaries between what is/isn’t acceptable (shamed in media, particularly where public punishment happens e.g. stoning)
>changes values (some groups try to define/ change laws they think are wrong. Functional rebels= help produce changes that helps society function e.g. Nelson Mandela)
>change social cohesion (shared outrage, sense of belonging is strengthened)

Question 2

Durkheim/ functionalists on society

Answer 2

-most ppl share core values (collective conscience), behaviour different from these values is seen as deviant
-order is based upon the collective conscience (backed up by the CJS)
-Deviant behaviour comes from a diversity of lifestyles & ppl not being socialised into shared norms

Question 3

Davis

Answer 3

crime is a safety valve, minor criminality to avoid bigger problems e.g. institution of marriage could be stabilised if married men could buy prostitutes

Question 4

Cohen

Answer 4

-positives of crime
>boost employment= creates jobs for the police etc
>early warning sign of institutions failing and these can be corrected before too much damage is done and crime is under control

Question 5

Durkheim (negative)

Answer 5

-anomie= collective conscience/ acceptable behaviour becomes unclear in times of stress or chance and there is uncertainty around acceptable behaviour
-egoism= ppl put their own selfish desires over society’s interests as collective conscience becomes too weak to restrain these desires. Prevalent in industrial societies where many are in specialist jobs

Question 6

How does durkheim resolve anomie and egoism?

Answer 6

-counteract these by education/ socialisation to help strengthen the collective conscience

Question 7

etv of durkheim (pos)

Answer 7

-suggested some crime was normal
-insight to see that crime was linked to values of particular societies and these values could change

Question 8

etv of durkheim (neg)

Answer 8

-didn’t pay attention to the powerful’s influence on what is seen as criminal
-exaggerated extent of collective conscience (not everyone agrees w/ laws)
-taylor,walton, young= publicising of crime unites society, not the crime itself
-vague on which crimes are beneficial

Question 9

Merton

Answer 9

-crime= evidence of a poor fit between socially acceptable goals & socially approved ways of achieving these and this led to deviance
-strain theory (between goals and means)
-ppl denied opportunities= strain to achieve goals= turn to illegitimate (deviant) means
-society could become dysfunctional and change needed to occur for it to run smoothly

Question 10

what was the goal according to merton?

Answer 10

-the american dream
-not everyone had the same opps to achieve this bc of our class based society
-crime more common among the wc who were frustrated w/ their lack of achievement
-due to inability to reach goals ppl become disenchanted w/ society and sought out alternative ways of behaving

Question 11

Merton’s 5 forms of behaviour

Answer 11

-conformity= adheres to both goals and means
-innovation= accepts goals, uses different means to achieve them. Criminal behaviour is included
-ritualism= daily routine but lost sights of goal of material success e.g. working but not aiming for promotions
-retreatism= fail to be successful, rejects both means and goals. May ‘drop out’ and use drugs
-rebellion= reject goals and means and adopts new ones- political activist who’s decided society no longer works

Question 12

etv of merton

Answer 12

-are still relevant today e.g. 2011 riots (pos)
-most crime is utilitarian/ property (pos)
-his work has been influential and stood test of time (others have built upon this) (pos)
-valier= no clear societal goals e.g. some value altruism over power (neg)
-taylor, walton & young= underestimates rich ppl crime (neg)
-fails to explain non material crimes
-only looks at utilitarian crime (neg)

Question 14

where does deviant behaviour come from?

Answer 14

-not everyone is socialised into shared norms