Sociology - C&D - Theories - Functionalism

Question 1

What does Durkheim (1960) say about crime?

Answer 1

It is an integral part of a healthy society and some crime is inevitable and some members of society will always test the boundaries and commit crime

Question 2

What happens if people do not learn mainstream norms and values?

Answer 2

Society would result in chaos and normlessness and anomie would develop

Question 3

What do functionalists believe a small amount of crime can prevent?

Answer 3

Can prevent anomie from occurring as long as it is punished

Question 4

According to functionalists, what could happen if society allows too much crime without punishment?

Answer 4

The breakdown of social order and anomie, threatening society.

Question 5

When does anomie occur?

Answer 5

• Sudden change in government - Disasters and destruction - Economic upheaval.

Question 6

Why do functionalists view deviance as a safety valve?

Answer 6

Allows individuals to let off steam to prevent worse crime and deviance occurring in the future

Question 7

What does Davis (1961) say about deviance as a safety valve?

Answer 7

Prostitution is not damaging to society as it can provide a safe outlet for sexual tensions that men experience, preventing it from affecting family life and destroying the nuclear family.

Question 8

social solidarity

Answer 8

Cohesion in society whereby all members feel part of the whole. Events in society can promote this.

Question 9

Collective conscience

Answer 9

All members share ideas about right and wrong, leading to a community policing itself using sanctions for anyone who behaves incorrectly. Can be expressed through a shared sense of horror

Question 10

Boundary Maintenance and social change

Answer 10

Members of society learn the boundaries of what is and what isn’t acceptable, crime facilitates this use of boundaries as it shows members of society the boundaries of right and wrong.

Question 11

How did Erikson (1966) find members of a community reacted to deviant people who crossed boundaries?

Answer 11

They will confront them using “Public degradation ceremonies”

Question 12

What were old examples of public degradation ceremonies?

Answer 12

Publically hanged or punished

Question 13

What are new examples of public degradation ceremonies?

Answer 13

Public trials, media, Tv, Radio and Twitter

Question 14

Why are boundaries in society always shifting?

Answer 14

the public might relax their reaction to deviant behaviour or become stricter

Question 15

What is the function of crime and the reaction to it, according to Erikson (1966)?

Answer 15

Helps society to progress so that a new value consensus can emerge

Question 16

What does Merton (1938) believe crime results from?

Answer 16

The culture and structure of society, not everyone has the same opportunity to act upon shared values in society, creating crime and deviance.

Question 17

What does Merton (1938) use as an example?

Answer 17

USA in 1930, and the american dream.

Question 18

Why does Merton (1938) use America in the 1930s as an example?

Answer 18

Great importance is attached to success but little is attached to the accepted ways of achieving this, so their society is unstable as they strive for success by any available means.

Question 19

What does Merton (1938) believe the lower classes should do?

Answer 19

adjust their expectations and aim for a comfortable standard of living.

Question 20

What does Merton (1938) believe individuals feeling frustration in society produces?

Answer 20

Modes of Adaptation

Question 21

What are the modes of Adaptation?

Answer 21

conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion (RRRIC”

Question 22

Conformity as mode of adaptation

Answer 22

Population accepts disappointment and position so make the most of what society offers them, continuing to dream about material success. Conform and work hard.

Question 23

Innovation as a mode of adaptation

Answer 23

Lower classes reject conventional means of wealth so adopt illegal means as they may not have many qualifications. Middle class might bend the rules to make more money.

Question 24

Ritualism as a mode of adaptation

Answer 24

People lose sight of their goals but carry on doing meaningless jobs and working hard never thinking about what they are trying to achieve and becoming lost in routine. Reject goals held by society and become deviant.

Question 25

Retreatism as a mode of adaptation

Answer 25

People drop out of society and reject goals, becoming drug addicts, homeless or committing suicide. Belong to the underclass.

Question 26

Rebellion as mode of adaptation

Answer 26

People may rebel and try to replace shared goals with opposing values.

Question 27

Why does Merton (1938) think crime happens overall?

Answer 27

It is a reaction to the social organisation of capitalist society. Everyone wants to achieve material success.

Question 28

What is the disadvantage of Merton work?

Answer 28

Fails to explain why middle and upper classes commit crime, highlighted by Croall

Question 29

What are the advantages of Morton’s work?

Answer 29

Idea of Anomie has been praised as it links crime to social and economic disadvantages. - Sumner (1994) supports

Question 30

Why does Sumner (1994) support Merton’s work?

Answer 30

Claims the main causes of crime is capitalism as people feel alienated by the impossible goals capitalism has set.