Key Theorists - Functionalist, Strain and Subcultural Theories Flashcards
Key Theorist - Erikson (1966): Functions of Crime and Deviance
WHAT DOES ERIKSON BELIEVE?
- If deviance performs positive social functions, then perhaps it means society is actually organised so as to promote deviance.
Key Theorist - Durkheim: Functionalist View of Crime and Deviance
WHAT DOES DURKHEIM BELIEVE?
GIVE AT LEAST TWO EXAMPLES
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.
Key Theorist - Durkheim: Functionalist View of Crime and Deviance
HOW CAN DURKHEIM’S BE CRITICISED/EVALUATED?
GIVE AT LEAST TWO EXAMPLES.
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.
Key Theorist - Merton: Strain Theory
WHAT DID MERTON DO?
- Developed a strain theory to explain where crime and deviance comes from.
Key Theorist - Merton: Strain Theory
WHAT DOES HE BELIEVE?
- 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.
Key Theorist - Merton: Strain Theory
MERTON ARGUED THAT THERE ARE FIVE RESPONSES TO THE AMERICAN DREAM, WHAT ARE THESE?
1) Conformity
2) Innovation
3) Ritualism
4) Retreatism
5) Rebellion
Key Theorist - Merton: Strain Theory
WHAT DID MERTON MEAN BY THE IDEA OF ‘CONFORMITY’?
- These people cope by doing their best and making the most of what society has to offer.
- They achieve goals by legitimate means.
Key Theorist - Merton: Strain Theory
WHAT DID MERTON MEAN BY THE IDEA OF ‘INNOVATION’?
- Their commitment to cultural goals may remain strong, but these people may turn to crime to achieve them.
Key Theorist - Merton: Strain Theory
WHAT DID MERTON MEAN BY THE IDEA OF ‘RITUALISM’?
- Some people give up on achieving these goals but conform to legitimate means.
Key Theorist - Merton: Strain Theory
WHAT DID MERTON MEAN BY THE IDEA OF ‘RETREATISM’?
- These are the drop outs of society who give up altogether.
Key Theorist - Merton: Strain Theory
WHAT DID MERTON MEAN BY THE IDEA OF ‘REBELLION’?
- These are people who reject the existing social goals and means, but substitute with new ones to create a new society.
Key Theorist - Merton: Strain Theory
HOW CAN MERTON’S IDEA BE EVALUATED?
GIVE AT LEAST TWO EXAMPLES.
- 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.
KEY THEORIST - ALBERT COHEN (1971): STATUS FRUSTRATION
WHAT DOES ALBERT COHEN FOCUS ON?
- How the working class youth are denied status in society.
KEY THEORIST - ALBERT COHEN (1971): STATUS FRUSTRATION
WHAT DOES HE ARGUE?
- Certain groups in society experience more frustration over a lack of status than others.
KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY
What do they suggest?
- Albert Cohen is overgeneralising.
KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY
What do they argue?
- Although the working class are likely to form subcultures, different working class groups will react differently according to their particular social cucumstances.
KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY
What subcultures do they identify?
- Criminal subcultures
- Conflict subcultures
- Retreatist subcultures
KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY
What do criminal subcultures do?
- Provide youths with an apprenticeships with a career in utilitarian crime (crime with monetary gain).
KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY
Where do criminal subcultures arise?
- In neighbourhoods with a longstanding and stable criminal culture with an established hierarchy of professional adult crime.
KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY
What do criminal subcultures allow?
- 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.
KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY
Where do conflict subcultures arise?
- In areas of high population turnover.
KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY
What do conflict subcultures result in?
- High levels of social disorganisation and prevents a stable, professional criminal network from developing.
KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY
What does the disorganisation of conflict subcultures cause?
- Only legitimate opportunities available are within loosely organised gangs.
KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY
In conflict subcultures, what does violence do?
- 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.
KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY
Why do they argue many people turn to the retreatist subculture?
- As a result of illegal drug use.
KEY THEORISTS - CLOWARD AND OHLIN (1960): WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY
How can their ideas be evaluated?
Give at least one point.
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.
KEY THEORIST - MILLER (1962): WORKING CLASS FOCAL CONCERNS
What do they argue?
- 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.
KEY THEORIST - MILLER (1962): WORKING CLASS FOCAL CONCERNS
How can their ideas be evaluated?
- 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.
KEY THEORIST - MATZA (1964): DELINQUENCY AND DRIFT
What type of approach does Matza take to crime?
- Functional
KEY THEORIST - MATZA (1964): DELINQUENCY AND DRIFT
What does he suggest?
- 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.
KEY THEORIST - HIRSCHI: CONTROL THEORY
What do they argue?
- Social bonds encourage conformity and result in people not wanting to commit crime.
KEY THEORIST - HIRSCHI: CONTROL THEORY
This theory identified four types of social bonds, what are these?
- 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.
KEY THEORIST - HIRSCHI AND GOTTFREDSON: WHY PEOPLE CHOOSE NOT TO COMMIT CRIME
When was this updated theory created?
1990
KEY THEORIST - HIRSCHI AND GOTTFREDSON: WHY PEOPLE CHOOSE NOT TO COMMIT CRIME
What do they suggest?
- 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.
How can control theory be evaluated?
- 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.
