Topic 1- Functionalist, strain and subcultural theories Flashcards
what 2 things does Durkheim say a society needs to achieve solidarity?
- socialisation
- social control
what do functionalists say that crime is and the 2 reasons for this?
- crime is inevitable
- not everyone is equally effectively socialised into shared norms and values
- there is a diversity of lifestyles and values
what is anomie or normlessness?
- the rules governing behaviour become weaker and less clear cut
why do modern societies tend towards anomie?
- This is because modern societies have a complex, specialised division of labour, which leads to individuals becoming increasingly different from one another.
- This weakens the shared culture or collective conscience and results in higher levels of deviance
when does durkheim say that anomie is more likely to occur?
give example
- times of social upheaval
- eg industrialisation
what are the 4 positive functions of crime?
- boundary maintenance
- safety valve
- warning device
- adaption and change
explain why boundary maintenance is a positive function of crime?
- Crime produces a reaction from society, uniting its members in condemnation of the wrongdoer and reinforcing their commitment to the shared norms and values.
- The purpose of punishment is to reaffirm society’s shared rules and reinforce social solidarity.
- Highlighted through the ritual of a courtroom whereby the offender is publicly shamed and stigmatised.
- This reaffirms the values of the law abiding majority and discourages others from rule breaking
explain why safety valve is a positive function of crime?
3 sociologists who comment on it
- Davis suggested that deviance allows people to ‘let off steam’ in a relatively harmless way.
- This allows people to de-stress and remain functional.
- Cohen used the example of prostitution as a release that allowed for sexual expression. A man can release sexual frustrations without threatening the monogamous nuclear family.
- Polsky argues pornography safely ‘channels’ a variety of sexual desires away from alternatives such as adultery which would pose a threat to the family.
explain why warning device is a positive function of crime?
- Cohen proposed that when crime and/or deviance occurs it sends a message to us that society’s social order is breaking down.
- It may suggest that an institution is not functioning properly.
- This then prompts governments/ councils to do something about the problem.
- For example, high rates of truancy may tell us that there are problems with the education system and that policy makers need to make appropriate changes to it.
explain why adaption and change is a positive function of crime
- Individuals with new ideas, values and ways of living must not be completely stifled by the weight of social control.
- There must be some scope for them to challenge and change existing norms and values, and in the first instance this will inevitably appear as deviance.
- For example, authorities often persecute particular groups who give a new ‘message’ or value system, such as campaigning for the rights of homosexuals.
what does durkheim argue about the rate of crime and what is desirable?
- Durkheim argues that neither a very high or very low level of crime is desirable.
- Too much crime threatens to tear the bonds of society apart.
- Too little means that society is repressing and controlling its members too much, stifling individual freedom and preventing change.
give 3 evaluations of functionalist view on crime
☹Functionalists explain the existence of crime in terms of its supposed function – for example, to strengthen solidarity. But this does not mean society actually rates crime in advance with the intention of strengthening solidarity. Crime does these things but that doesn’t explain why it’s there in the first place.
☹ Functionalism looks at what functions crime serves for society as a whole and ignores how it might affect different groups or individuals within society. For example, seeing a murderer punished for his/her crime might be functional in reinforcing the feeling of solidarity among the rest of society, but it obviously is not ‘functional’ for the victim.
☹ Crime does not always promote solidarity. It may have the opposite effect, leading to people becoming more isolated e.g. forcing women to stay indoors for fear of attack.
who came up with strain theory?
merton
what does strain theory argue?
- people engage in deviant behaviour when they are unable to achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means.
- For example, they may become frustrated and resort to criminal means of getting what they want, or lash out at others in anger, or find comfort for their failure in drug use.
what concept does merton adapt and what 2 elements does his explanation combine?
- durkheim’s concept of anomie
- structural factors- unequal opportunity structure
- cultural factors- emphasis on success goals and weaker emphasis on legitamate means to achieve them
for merton deviance is the resut of the strain between what 2 things?
- The goals that a culture encourages individuals to achieve.
- What the institutional structure of society allows them to achieve legitimately.
what is an example of strain theory in american culture?
- American culture values ‘money success’ – individual material wealth and the high status that goes with it.
- So Strain theory argues that people engage in deviant behaviour when they are unable to achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means.
explain the american dream in relation with strain theory
- The American Dream promotes success through hard work, education, and discipline in a meritocratic society.
- In reality, many disadvantaged groups lack legitimate opportunities to succeed.
- This gap between goals and opportunities creates frustration and strain.
- The pressure to succeed can lead some to resort to crime or deviance.
- American culture prioritizes success over fair play, weakening norms that prevent rule-breaking.
what are the 5 responses to strain theory?
- conformity
- innovation
- ritualism
- retreatism
- rebellion
what is conformity in relation to the response to strain theory?
- accepting culturally approved goals
- strive to achieve goals legitimately
- middle class individuals who have good opportunities to achieve
what is innovation in relation to the response to strain theory?
- accept the goal of money success
- use illegitamate means like theft to achieve it
- lower class
what is ritualism in relation to the response to strain theory?
- give up on achievin goals
- internalised legitamate means so follow rules
what is retreatism in relation to the response to strain theory?
- reject goals and legitamate means
- become dropouts like homeless people
what is rebellion in relation to the response to strain theory?
- reject societies goals and replace them with new ones
- include radical politics and counter cultures such as hippies
give 3 evaluations of merton and strain theory
☹ It assumes there is a value consensus – that everyone strives for ‘money success’ – and ignores the possibility that many may not share this goal.
☹ It only accounts for utilitarian crime for monetary gain, and not crimes of violence, vandalism etc. it is also hard to see how it could account for state crimes such as genocide or torture.
☹ It takes official statistics at face value which over represent working class crime. It is also too deterministic, the working class experience the most strain, yet they do not all deviate.
what is subcultural strain theory?
- Subcultural theories view deviance as arising from groups with values different from mainstream society.
- These subcultures offer alternative ways to succeed for those, mainly working-class individuals, denied legitimate opportunities.
- Delinquency is seen as a response to failure in mainstream institutions like school, providing an alternative route to status.
- While deviance may not benefit society, it serves a purpose for subculture members, even with the risk of punishment.
who speaks about status frustration theory?
cohen
what is status frustration theory?
- Cohen criticizes Merton for ignoring group deviance and non-economic crimes like assault and vandalism.
- Working-class youth face status frustration due to cultural deprivation and failure in a middle-class-dominated school system.
- They reject mainstream values and form delinquent subcultures with peers in similar situations.
- These subcultures develop opposing values, often engaging in deviant acts as a form of revenge and to gain status among peers.
give 2 evaluations of cohen
☹ Cohen assumes that working class boys start off sharing middle class success goals, only to reject these when they fail. He ignores the possibility that they did not share these goals in the first place.
☹ It only focuses on working class boys. It ignores crime by middle class boys and completely ignores female crimes altogether.
what do cloward and olin speak about?
working class delinquency
what is working class delinquency and who spoke about it?
- cloward and olin
- Cloward & Ohlin argue that Cohen overgeneralizes, as different working-class groups respond differently to their circumstances.
- They emphasize that deviant subcultures form due to both unequal access to legitimate and illegitimate opportunities.
- Different neighborhoods provide varying opportunities for youth to learn criminal skills and pursue criminal careers.
what are the 3 main types of deviant subcultures?
- Criminal subcultures – provides youths with an apprenticeship for a career in utilitarian crime. They arise only in those neighbourhoods where there is a longstanding and stable local criminal culture
- Conflict subcultures – arise in areas of high population turnover. This results in high levels of social disorganisation and prevents a stable professional criminal network developing.
- Retreatist subcultures –.Those who fail in both legitimate and illegitimate opportunity structures, turn to retreatist subculture based on things like illegal drug use.
give 2 evaluations of cloward and ohlin
☹ their theory is too deterministic and over predicts the extent of working class crime. They are criticised for drawing boundaries which are too sharp between subcultures. Moreover, some crime is a mixture of the subcultures e.g. drug trade is a mixture of criminal subculture and conflict subcultures.
☹ It only focuses on working class boys. It ignores crime by middle class boys and completely ignores female crimes altogether.
what did miller comment on in crime?
working class focal concerns
what are working class focal concerns and who commented on it?
- miller
- the lower class has its own distinct subculture with unique values, separate from mainstream society.
- Unlike other theories, he claims they are not frustrated by failure, as they pursue their own ‘focal concerns’ like toughness, authority resistance, and thrill-seeking.
- These values conflict with mainstream norms, increasing the likelihood of anomie, strain, and deviant behavior.
give 1 evaluation of miller
- Miller’s theory still focuses only on working class boys, ignoring middle class boys and female crime altogether
what is an evaluation of subcultural theory and who says it?
- matza
- delinquency and drift
- unlike other functionalist thinking, deviants are no different to ‘normal’ people who respect value consensus within society.
- that sometimes people will ‘drift’ out of society’s value consensus but will ultimately drift back in (suggesting they agree with value consensus deep down).
