Other Functions of Crime

Question 1

What does Davis argue about prostitution?

Answer 1

It acts as a safety valve for the release of men’s sexual frustrations without threatening the monogamous nuclear family.

Question 2

What does Polsky argue about pornography?

Answer 2

It safely ‘channels’ a variety of sexual desires away from alternatives such as adultery, which would pose a greater threat to the family.

Question 3

What does Cohen argue is a function of deviance?

Answer 3

A warning that an institution is not functioning properly. E.g. high rates of truancy may tell us there are problems with the education system and that policy-makers need to makes appropriate changes.

Question 4

What does Erikson argue is the true function of social control agencies?

Answer 4

To sustain a certain level of crime rather than to rid society of it.