Lesson 2- Functionalism KT

Question 1

What are the two causes of crime according to Durkheim?

Answer 1

Diversity in different lifestyles and inadequate socialisation

Question 2

What is anomie?

Answer 2

normlessness, when social change occurs and existing norms become outdated

Question 3

Why did anomie increase from pre-industrial to modern society?

Answer 3

in pre-industrial society communities were tight knit, there was stability in society

Question 4

What two positives does Durkheim believe are attributable to crime?

Answer 4

1. Boundary maintenance
2. Adaptation and change

Question 5

Give three criticisms of Durkheim’s theory

Answer 5

1. Does not clarify how much deviance is right for society
2. Society doesn’t create crime with the intention of strengthening social solidarity
3. Only looks at what functions deviance performs for society as a whole and ignores how it might affect different groups or individuals within society

Question 6

Name three other theorists that argue crime has positive functions

Answer 6

Davis
Polsky
Cohen

Question 7

Give three other positive functions of crime according to the theorists identified in question

Answer 7

1. Davis= prostitution is a safety valve for men’s sexual frustrations
2. Polsky= pornography safely ‘channels’ a variety of sexual desires
3. Cohen= deviance is a warning an institution in society is not functioning

Question 8

What is ‘The American Dream?’

Answer 8

Main idea= anyone can achieve success by working hard

Question 9

How does The American Dream cause strain according to Merton?

Answer 9

The American Dream is not realistic for everyone-> this causes pressure on alot of people

Question 10

What are Merton’s 5 responses to strain?

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Which response is most likely to lead to legitimate success?

Answer 11

Conformity

Question 12

Which response is most likely to lead to illegitimate success?

Answer 12

Innovation

Question 13

Give three criticisms of Merton’s strain theory?

Answer 13

1.Too deterministic- only sees crime as a WC phenomenon
2.Assumes there is a value consensus- not everyone strives for ‘money success’
3.Only accounts for utilitarian crime

Question 14

Which subculture did Cohen focus his study on?

Answer 14

Working Class boys

Question 15

Why did Cohen’s working class boys feel anomie?

Answer 15

They felt that they were ‘bottom of the pack’

Question 16

What did Cohen’s working class boys do to acquire their status?

Answer 16

Involve themselves in gangs/violence

Question 17

What does Cohen’s theory attempt to explain that Merton’s doesn’t?

Answer 17

Status frustration- utilitarian crime, not do to with money such as vandalism or truancy

Question 18

Give three criticisms of Cohen’s strain theory

Answer 18

1. Marxism- ignores the crimes of the elite, like Merton he argues its a wc phenomenon
2. assumes that wc boys start of sharing mc success goals- may have never had these goals in the first place
   3.Feminism- fails to explain crime based on gender inequality

Question 19

What are Cloward and Ohlin’s three subcultural groups?

Answer 19

1. Criminal subculture
2. Conflict subculture
3. Retreat subculture

Question 20

Which group is most likely to achieve material success illegitimately?- why

Answer 20

Criminal subculture- only in areas of stable criminal jobs- hierarchy’s, role models, training etc…

Question 21

Which group are the double failures? Why?

Answer 21

Retreatism subcultures- they have failed both legitimately and illegitimately

Question 22

Why are conflict subcultures more likely to develop in areas of high in/out migration?

Answer 22

Often high levels of social disorganisation leading to loosely organised gangs

Question 23

Give three criticisms of Cloward and Ohlin’s theory

Answer 23

1.Ignores crimes of the wealthy
2.over-predicts the amount of working class crime
3. ignores crossover between different types of wc deviance different subcultures e.g. South- drug trade was found in wc gangs but also professional mafias

Question 24

What is institutional anomie theory?

Answer 24

Messner and Rosenfeld- obsession with money success and ‘winner takes all mentality’ puts pressure towards crime, people are encourages to have an ‘anything goes’ mentality to earn

Question 25

What is the link between higher state welfare provision and crime?

Answer 25

In socities based on free market capitalism and lacking inadequate welfare provision e.g. USA, high crime rates= inevitable