Topic 1 - Functionalism, Strain Theory and Subcultural Theory Flashcards
1
Q
Value consensus
A
- Shared norms and values of society that enable us to co-operate and live harmoniously amongst each other
- Binds us together as a society
- Telling us how to behave do achieve our shared goals
2
Q
Key mechanisms of society
A
1 socialisation
2 social control
3
Q
Socialisation
A
- Instils a shared culture into its members
- This ensures individuals internalise the same norms and values
4
Q
Social control
A
- Mechanisms include rewards for confirming and punishment for deviance
- These help to ensure that individuals behave in the way that society expects
5
Q
What do functionalists believe about crime
A
- Inevitable
- Positive
6
Q
2 Positive functions of society
A
- Boundary maintenance
- Adaptation and change
7
Q
Boundary maintenance
A
- DURKHEIM
- Crime produces a reaction from society = uniting its members of condemnation of the wrong doer
- Reinforces commitment to shared norms and values
8
Q
Adaptation and change
A
- DURKHEIM
- Individuals with new ideas must be stifled by the weight of social control, there must be scope for them to challenge and change existing norms and values
9
Q
Side effects of crime (too much/too little)
A
- DURKHEIM
- Too much = anomie
- Too little = people repressed and society is preventing social change
10
Q
The benefits of prostitution and pornography
A
- DAVIS argues that prostitution was functional for society
- POLSKY argues that pornography is beneficial for society
- Prostitution acts as a safety valve for the release of mens frustrations without threatening the nuclear family
- Pornography safely channels a variety of sexual desires away from alternatives such as adultery, posing a much bigger threat to the family
11
Q
What did COHEN argue about deviance
A
- Key indicator that an institution is not functioning correctly
- High truancy rates might indicate that the education system is failing to meet the needs of its pupils and so changes would need to be make to address the problems
12
Q
What did ERIKSON argue about crime
A
- If C&D perform positive functions for society, then perhaps it is organised in a way to promote deviance
- He suggests that the true function of the police is to sustain a certain level of crime rather than eradicate it
13
Q
A03 Criticisms
A
- No way of showing how much is the right amount
- Do not explain why crime exists in the first place
- Focus on the function crime serves for society as a whole but ignores how it may affect individuals and groups
- Crime doesn’t always promote solidarity and may have the opposite effect e.g., women staying in doors in fears of an attack
14
Q
Strain theory
A
MERTON developed strain theory and consists of 2 elements:
- Structural factors
- Cultural factors
Strain is the result of strain between 2 things:
- The goals that a culture encourages individuals to achieve
- What the institutional structure of society allows them to achieve legitimately
- People engage in deviant behaviour when they are unable to achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means
15
Q
The American dream
A
- Success for one and all: goals that can be achieved through self-discipline, educational qualifications, and hard work in a career
- This ideology tells Americans that their society is meritocratic where anyone who makes an effort can get ahead, and there are opportunities for all
16
Q
The American dream ideology
A
- Many disadvantaged group are denied opportunities legitimately due to poverty, inadequate schools, and discrimination in the job market
- The resulting strain between the cultural goal of money success and lack of legitimate opportunities produces frustration and creates pressure to turn to illegitimate means = pressure to deviate = strain to anomie
- MERTON pressure to deviate is further increased by American culture putting emphasis on achieving success at any price
- Winning the games becomes more important than playing the rules
17
Q
Deviant adaptations to strain
A
- MERTON
- The position of an individual in the social structure affects the way they adapt or respond to the strain
- 5 stages: conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreats, rebellion
18
Q
Conformity
A
- Accept culturally approved goals and strive to achieve them legitimately
- Most likely within middle class who have good opportunities to achieve - typical response of most Americans
19
Q
Innovation
A
- Individuals accept goal of money success but use new illegitimate means
- Those from poorer backgrounds at the greatest pressure to innovate
20
Q
Ritualism
A
- Give up on trying to achieve the goals but have internalised the legitimate means and so follow the rules
21
Q
Retreatism
A
- Reject both goals and legitimate means and become dropouts
- MERTON = vagrants, dropouts, and drunkards
22
Q
Rebellion
A
- Reject society’s goals and means but replace them with new ones in order to bring about revolutionary change and create a new society
23
Q
A03 Strengths of MERTON
A
- Shows how both normal and deviant behaviour can arise from the same mainstream goal
- Explains the patterns shown in official statistics
24
Q
Criticisms of MERTON
A
- Takes statistics at face value, over-represent working class crime
- Sees crime as a mainly working class phenomenon
- MARXISTS argue it ignores the power of the ruling class to make and enforce laws in ways that criminalise the poor but not the rich
25
Q
Subcultural strain theory
A
- See deviance as the product of a delinquent subculture with different values from those of mainstream society
- Provides alternate opportunity structures for those who are denied chance to achieve by legitimate means
26
Q
Status frustration
A
- COHEN argued that most delinquent acts are prompted by status frustration and are a way of gaining status through an alternative set of values
- School was the key influencing factor for delinquent boys: primary agency in terms of awarding and denying status
- Suffer from CD and lack skills to achieve
27
Q
Alternative status hierarchy
A
- Subcultures values based on spite, malice, hostility, and contempt for those outside it
- Inverts the values of mainstream society
- What society values delinquents hate
- Creates illegitimate opportunity structures where they can win status from their peers through their delinquent actions
28
Q
Status frustration
A
- A see of personal failure and inadequacy
29
Q
A03 Subcultural strain theory
A
- COHEN provides an explanation for group based Crome and deviance and non-utilitarian crime
- Assumes w/c boys shared m/c success goals ignoring the possibility that they never shared these goals and never saw themselves as failures
30
Q
Illegitimate opportunity structures
A
- CLOWARD and OHLIN
- Crime identified by the above theorists arise due to a lack of legitimate opportunities
31
Q
Criminal subculture
A
- CLOWARD and OHLIN
- Provide youths with an apprenticeship for a career in utilitarian crime
32
Q
Conflict subculture
A
- CLOWARD and OHLIN
- When there’s high population turnover and high levels of social disorganisation this prevents stable professional criminal networks developing
- Its absence means only illegitimate opportunities available are with loosely organised gangs
- Violence provides a release from frustration of blocked opportunity as well as an alternative source of status
33
Q
Retreatist subculture
A
- In any neighbourhood not everyone who wants to because a successful criminal succeeds
- These double failures turn to retreats subcultures based on illegal drug use
34
Q
A03 Strain theory
A
- Based on the assumption that everyone starts off by sharing mainstream goals: MILLER argues evidence would suggest the lower class has its own independent subculture separate from the mainstream that has its own norms and vales
MILLER six focal concerns
1. Trouble
2. Toughness
3. Smartness
4. Excitement
5. Fate
6. Autonomy
35
Q
The drug trade
A
- SOUTH
- A mixture of both conflict and criminal subcultures
36
Q
Drift
A
- MATZA
- Youths end up in “no mans land” and as a result they feel they lack control over their own lives and want to gain this back
- Drift = more likely to engage in acts of deviant behaviour
37
Q
Institutional anomie
A
- MESSNER and ROSENFELD use American dram for the basis of their theory but provides a more contemporary viewpoint
- Obsession with monetary success pushes people toward crime
