Key Theorists - Functionalist, Strain and Subcultural Theories

Question 1

Key Theorist - Erikson (1966): Functions of Crime and Deviance

WHAT DOES ERIKSON BELIEVE?

Answer 1

• If deviance performs positive social functions, then perhaps it means society is actually organised so as to promote deviance.

Question 2

Key Theorist - Durkheim: Functionalist View of Crime and Deviance

WHAT DOES DURKHEIM BELIEVE?
GIVE AT LEAST TWO EXAMPLES

Answer 2

At least two from:

• Crime is inevitable but also for fills two important functions.
• Crime produces a reaction from society, which reunites its members in condemnation of the wrongdoer and reinforcing their commitment to the shared norms and value consensus.
• The purpose of punishment is to reaffirm societies shared values and reinforce social solidarity.

Question 3

Key Theorist - Durkheim: Functionalist View of Crime and Deviance

HOW CAN DURKHEIM’S BE CRITICISED/EVALUATED?
GIVE AT LEAST TWO EXAMPLES.

Answer 3

At least two from:

• He never explains why certain social groups commit higher rates of crime.
• He ignores the fact that some types of crimes are always dysfunctional.
• Marxists and feminists argue that he underestimates that he underestimates the levels of inequality in modern society.

Question 4

Key Theorist - Merton: Strain Theory

WHAT DID MERTON DO?

Answer 4

• Developed a strain theory to explain where crime and deviance comes from.

Question 5

Key Theorist - Merton: Strain Theory

WHAT DOES HE BELIEVE?

Answer 5

• We all have shared goals about the American Dream.

- However, as society is not equal, we may not all achieve these goals by approved means.

Question 6

Key Theorist - Merton: Strain Theory

MERTON ARGUED THAT THERE ARE FIVE RESPONSES TO THE AMERICAN DREAM, WHAT ARE THESE?

Answer 6

1) Conformity
2) Innovation
3) Ritualism
4) Retreatism
5) Rebellion

Question 7

Key Theorist - Merton: Strain Theory

WHAT DID MERTON MEAN BY THE IDEA OF ‘CONFORMITY’?

Answer 7

• These people cope by doing their best and making the most of what society has to offer.
• They achieve goals by legitimate means.

Question 8

Key Theorist - Merton: Strain Theory

WHAT DID MERTON MEAN BY THE IDEA OF ‘INNOVATION’?

Answer 8

• Their commitment to cultural goals may remain strong, but these people may turn to crime to achieve them.

Question 9

Key Theorist - Merton: Strain Theory

WHAT DID MERTON MEAN BY THE IDEA OF ‘RITUALISM’?

Answer 9

• Some people give up on achieving these goals but conform to legitimate means.

Question 10

Key Theorist - Merton: Strain Theory

WHAT DID MERTON MEAN BY THE IDEA OF ‘RETREATISM’?

Answer 10

• These are the drop outs of society who give up altogether.

Question 11

Key Theorist - Merton: Strain Theory

WHAT DID MERTON MEAN BY THE IDEA OF ‘REBELLION’?

Answer 11

• These are people who reject the existing social goals and means, but substitute with new ones to create a new society.

Question 12

Key Theorist - Merton: Strain Theory

HOW CAN MERTON’S IDEA BE EVALUATED?
GIVE AT LEAST TWO EXAMPLES.

Answer 12

• He does not explain why some people choose to commit crime, while others conform, retreat or rebel.
• His theory explains crime that has an economic gain, but not many violent or sexual crimes.
• He fails to notice who benefits the most from the capitalist system.

Question 13

KEY THEORIST - ALBERT COHEN (1971): STATUS FRUSTRATION

WHAT DOES ALBERT COHEN FOCUS ON?

Answer 13

• How the working class youth are denied status in society.

Question 14

KEY THEORIST - ALBERT COHEN (1971): STATUS FRUSTRATION

WHAT DOES HE ARGUE?

Answer 14

• Certain groups in society experience more frustration over a lack of status than others.

Question 15

KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY

What do they suggest?

Answer 15

• Albert Cohen is overgeneralising.

Question 16

KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY

What do they argue?

Answer 16

• Although the working class are likely to form subcultures, different working class groups will react differently according to their particular social cucumstances.

Question 17

KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY

What subcultures do they identify?

Answer 17

• Criminal subcultures
• Conflict subcultures
• Retreatist subcultures

Question 18

KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY

What do criminal subcultures do?

Answer 18

• Provide youths with an apprenticeships with a career in utilitarian crime (crime with monetary gain).

Question 19

KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY

Where do criminal subcultures arise?

Answer 19

• In neighbourhoods with a longstanding and stable criminal culture with an established hierarchy of professional adult crime.

Question 20

KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY

What do criminal subcultures allow?

Answer 20

• Young people to associate with adult criminals who can select those with the best qualities and provide them with training, role models and employment opportunities on the criminal career ladder.

Question 21

KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY

Where do conflict subcultures arise?

Answer 21

• In areas of high population turnover.

Question 22

KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY

What do conflict subcultures result in?

Answer 22

• High levels of social disorganisation and prevents a stable, professional criminal network from developing.

Question 23

KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY

What does the disorganisation of conflict subcultures cause?

Answer 23

• Only legitimate opportunities available are within loosely organised gangs.

Question 24

KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY

In conflict subcultures, what does violence do?

Answer 24

• Provide a release for young men’s frustration at their blocked opportunities.
• Provide an alternative source of status that men can earn by winning territory from rival gangs.

Question 25

KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY Why do they argue many people turn to the retreatist subculture?

Answer 25

- As a result of illegal drug use.

Question 26

KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY How can their ideas be evaluated? Give at least one point.

Answer 26

At least one from: - They agree with Merton and Cohen that most crime is carried out by the working class, therefore ignoring crimes being carried out by wealthier people. - Their theory over-predicts the amount of working class crime. - While they agree with Albert Cohen that delinquent subcultures are a source of deviance, unlike Cohen, they provide an explanation for different types of working class deviance in terms of the different subcultures.

Question 27

KEY THEORIST - MILLER (1962): WORKING CLASS FOCAL CONCERNS What do they argue?

Answer 27

- The working class have specific focal concerns such as masculinity, resentment from authority, being tough, immediate gratification and a yearning for excitement and thrills. - These values oppose the general value consensus of society and as such, working class individuals are more likely to experience anomie, strain and frustration, and therefore want to turn to deviancy.

Question 28

KEY THEORIST - MILLER (1962): WORKING CLASS FOCAL CONCERNS How can their ideas be evaluated?

Answer 28

- Miller is only focussing on working class crime. - Marxists would argue that there is a complete ignorance around the idea that crime is only committed by the working class.

Question 29

KEY THEORIST - MATZA (1964): DELINQUENCY AND DRIFT What type of approach does Matza take to crime?

Answer 29

- Functional

Question 30

KEY THEORIST - MATZA (1964): DELINQUENCY AND DRIFT What does he suggest?

Answer 30

- Deviants are no different to normal people who respect value consensus in society. - Instead, sometimes people will drift in and out of society's value consensus.

Question 31

KEY THEORIST - HIRSCHI: CONTROL THEORY What do they argue?

Answer 31

- Social bonds encourage conformity and result in people not wanting to commit crime.

Question 32

KEY THEORIST - HIRSCHI: CONTROL THEORY This theory identified four types of social bonds, what are these?

Answer 32

- Belief - people share moral beliefs, norms and values and follow laws that reinforce these. Attachment - people are committed to conventional activities e.g. working and going to school. They must conform or they risk it all. Commitment - people are committed to each other and society, avoiding crime as this questions their commitment. - Involvement - people are involved and kept busy with various groups, creating little opportunity for crime.

Question 33

KEY THEORIST - HIRSCHI AND GOTTFREDSON: WHY PEOPLE CHOOSE NOT TO COMMIT CRIME When was this updated theory created?

Answer 33

1990

Question 34

KEY THEORIST - HIRSCHI AND GOTTFREDSON: WHY PEOPLE CHOOSE NOT TO COMMIT CRIME What do they suggest?

Answer 34

- Social bonds were not enough to explain why some people choose not to commit crime, and added that the opportunity to commit crime also matters.

Question 35

How can control theory be evaluated?

Answer 35

- It does not actually explain why people have weaker/stronger bonds than others. - It ignores various types of crime and deviance. - It assumes that all individuals are naturally bad. - Labelling theory would argue that you can have tight social bonds and still be deviant.