sociological theories - evaluation

Question 1

FUNCTIONALISM - DURKHEIM
strength - durkheim was

Answer 1

• first to recognise that crime can have positive functions
• eg boundary maintenance

Question 2

FUNCTIONALISM - DURKHEIM
weakness - durkheim claims

Answer 2

• society requires certain amount of deviance to function
• offers no way of knowing how much
• not effective / useful

Question 3

FUNCTIONALISM - DURKHEIM
weakness - while crime

Answer 3

might be functional for some, it isn’t for victims

Question 4

FUNCTIONALISM - MERTON
strength - merton (1938)

Answer 4

• both normal and deviant behaviour arise from the same goals
• conformists and innovators pursue ‘money success’ but by different means

Question 5

FUNCTIONALISM - MERTON
weakness - ignores

Answer 5

• Crimes of wealthy and overpredicts the amount of working-class crime

Question 6

FUNCTIONALISM - MERTON
weakness - focuses

Answer 6

• on utilitarian crimes
• ignores crimes with no economic motive (vandalism)

Question 7

FUNCTIONALISM - SUBCULTURAL
strength - theories show

Answer 7

• how subcultures perform a function of their members by offering solutions to failing to achieve mainstream goals legitimately

Question 8

FUNCTIONALISM - SUBCULTURAL
strength - cloward and ohlin (1960)

Answer 8

• different types of neighbourhoods give rise to different illegitimate opportunities and subcultures

Question 9

FUNCTIONALISM - SUBCULTURAL
weakness - like merton,

Answer 9

• ignore crimes of the wealthy and over predict amount of working class crime

Question 10

FUNCTIONALISM - SUBCULTURAL
weakness - assume

Answer 10

• everyone starts with mainstream goals and turns to a subculture when they fail
• but others don’t share their goals in the first place; may be attracted to crime for other reasons