SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF CRIME : FUNCTIONALISM

Question 1

what 2 names are key for functionalism?

Answer 1

Durkheim and Merton

Question 2

what type of theory is functionalism?

Answer 2

a macro consensus theory, meaning they see crime as beneficial for society

Question 3

the four functions of crime according to Durkheim were…

Answer 3

deviance as a safety valve
anomie
boundary maintenance
social solidarity

Question 4

who said deviance was a safety valve?

Answer 4

Davis

Question 5

what does deviancy as a safety valve mean?

Answer 5

small crimes allow individuals to ‘let off steam’ rather than committing a worse crime

Question 6

what is an example of deviance as a safety valve?

Answer 6

men going to see a prostitute to satisfy sexual urges instead of raping someone

Question 7

what is anomie according to Durkheim?

Answer 7

anomie is the breakdown of value consensus in society

Question 8

what did Durkheim say prevents anomie?

Answer 8

small amount of crime and deviance prevents anomie as long as it is punished

Question 9

if too much crime and deviance occurs, what happens?

Answer 9

anomie which threatens society, can be due to change in government, economic upheaval or a disaster

Question 10

what happens if there is no crime according to Durkheim?

Answer 10

become a ‘society of saints’, but petty actions such as burping become punished

Question 11

what is boundary maintenance?

Answer 11

crime and deviance allows people to know the boundaries of society

Question 12

what needs to occurs for boundary maintenance?

Answer 12

punishment of deviance by agencies of social control for example by the police

Question 13

what is social solidarity?

Answer 13

sense of cohesion felt by society

Question 14

what does a shared outrage lead to?

Answer 14

public temper where everyone is outraged together e.g. Madeleine McCann’s disappearance

Question 15

collective conscience is…

Answer 15

people in society share the same set of values, community controls itself using sanctions expressed through shock, horror or outrage

Question 16

what does Durkheim not explain?

Answer 16

doesn’t actually explain why crime happens

Question 17

what three things does Durkheim not explain?

Answer 17

why crime happens
why some people commit more crime than others
why people are deviant in different ways

Question 18

Durkheim doesn’t consider?

Answer 18

the effects of crime on an individual, or issues such as who creates the law and who can dodge it

Question 19

what is Merton’s strain theory?

Answer 19

clear goals in society and clear means, people who don’t have the means find alternative ways to succeed

Question 20

what is anomie according to Merton?

Answer 20

gap between goal and means

Question 21

who usually experiences anomie according to Merton?

Answer 21

the lower class because they haven’t got the means to achieve

Question 22

what do the lower class turn to in order to achieve their goals according to Merton?

Answer 22

turn to illegitimate means

Question 23

what does Merton blame for crime?

Answer 23

the capitalist society for materialism

Question 24

what are the five modes of adaption?

Answer 24

conformist - achieve normally
innovation - think creatively, have goals but not means
ritualism - scale down goals in order to achieve
retreatism - retreat from society e.g drug addicts, rejects
rebellion - reject society’s goals, replace them

Question 25

out of the five modes of adaption, which two commit crime?

Answer 25

innovators

rebels

Question 26

how can Merton’s theory be criticised?

Answer 26

goals of financial success is not universal e.g. family or love
can fall into multiple modes of adaption
deviance can be communal e.g. deviant subcultures