PAPER 3 FUNCTIONALISM AND CRIME

Question 1

What does Durkheim say about crime?

Answer 1

He says a small amount of crime is inevitable and necessary but we must use social control to stop too much crime

Question 2

What does Durkheim accept?

Answer 2

The statistics that working class people commit the most crime

Question 3

What functions does Durkheim say crime has and why?

Answer 3

Positive functions, because a certain amount of crime contributes to the well being of a society

Question 4

According to Durkheim why is too much crime bad for society?

Answer 4

It can lead to anomie and this can lead to a collapse of the institutions of social control which are necessary to keep the amount of crime under control

Question 5

According to Durkheim, what reaffirming function does crime perform?

Answer 5

Reaffirms the boundaries of acceptable behaviour.

Question 6

What does Durkheim say happens when a crime occurs and an individual is punished?

Answer 6

It becomes clear to the rest of society that what they did was unacceptable.

Question 7

What are people called who break outdated laws and why is this good?

Answer 7

Functional rebelsg
Good as crime performs a service in helping the law reflect the wishes of the population and helps with social changes.

Question 8

According to Durkheim, what is another function of crime linked to strengthening?

Answer 8

Strengthening of social cohesion by bringing people together

Question 9

How would feminists criticise Durkheim?

Answer 9

Say that crime isolates women and makes them fearful to go out

Question 10

What does Cohen say is good about crime?

Answer 10

It can boost employment by creating jobs for police and those in criminal justice system

Question 11

What did Hirschi think similarly to Durkheim?

Answer 11

That social order comes as a result of shared values but looks at why most people don’t commit crimes

Question 12

Why does Hirschi say most people don’t commit crime?

Answer 12

Social bonds and attachment family and values which encourage people to resist temptation and exercise self control

Question 13

What does Merton criticise of Durkheim?

Answer 13

That crime plays a positive role

Question 14

What does Merton say crime shows about society?

Answer 14

That society can become dysfunctional and go into anomie (strain theory) because some people’s opportunities are blocked and can’t achieve societal goals legally

Question 15

What does Merton say an innovator is?

Answer 15

Someone who still wants the American dream and material goals but turns to crime as they can’t achieve them in acceptable way

Question 16

What does Merton say a retreatist is?

Answer 16

Someone who rejects all goals and socially approves means so turns to things like taking drugs.

Question 17

What is conforming according to Merton?

Answer 17

Following the law

Question 18

What’s a criticism of Merton from Marxists?

Answer 18

That middle class people appear to conform but still commit crime by innovating.

Question 19

How does Cohen criticise Merton?

Answer 19

For not looking at subcultural crime

Question 20

What does Cohen focus on?

Answer 20

Non utilitarian crime and why it takes place in subculture.

Question 21

Explain why non utilitarian crime takes place in a subculture?

Answer 21

Working class boys fail at school and lack status, they then experience status frustration and invert middle class values to gain status from peers.

Question 22

What are techniques of neutralisation according to Matza?

Answer 22

The ways people seek to justify their behaviour or question their responsibility in terms of mainstream values after being caught

Question 23

What do Cloward and Ohlin look into?

Answer 23

They look into subcultures but how it’s not just legitimate opportunities that are blocked but for some illegitimate opportunities to join gangs as not all have access to gangs.

Question 24

According to Cloward and Ohlin what are different kinds of gangs?

Answer 24

Criminal (organised adult crime where young people can have a successful career in crime)

Conflict (turf war in deprived neighbourhood)

Retreatist (join with others who cannot access subcultures so turn to drugs and alcohol)

Question 25

What is a criticism of functionalism from Marxism to do with crime?

Answer 25

Ignores crimes of the rich and accepts statistics that working class commit crime.

Question 26

How does labelling theorists like Cicourel criticise functionalism?

Answer 26

Says that young working class men might not necessarily commit the most crime but are most likely to be labelled the typical criminal

Question 27

What is an example of social cohesion from Durkheim?

Answer 27

The case of April Jones where a five year old was kidnapped and went missing and the community came together to search for her and a sense of collective consciousness was created leading to social solidarity

Question 28

What does Kingsley Davis argue?

Answer 28

The social institution of marriage could be stabilised by some married men buying prostitutions. This is a safety valve (outlet for stress). Potentially harmful behaviour is channeled

Question 29

How does Newburn criticise Durkheim?

Answer 29

Thinks that Durkheim paid little attention to how powerful people could have undue ‘influence on what facts were seen as criminal’