Functionalism

Question 1

Durkheim

Answer 1

• Crime as functional, inevitable and universal, society of saints is not possible. Society without any order creates anomie
• Boundary maintenance : keeping behaviour in check by law and order, reinforcing value consensus, achieving social order
• Adaptation and Change : society with low crime is dysfunctional. Means there is no questioning, leads to stagnation. Society needs to move on e.g. homosexuality

Question 2

Cohen

Answer 2

• Status frustration
• WC boys face anomie in the MC system. They are culturally deprived and lack skills to achieve, leaving them at the bottom of the status hierarchy. They resolve this by rejecting mainstream middle class values and turning to others in the same situation. They replace mainstream goals by getting involved in delinquent activities. Subcultures value spite, malice and hostility.

Question 3

Merton

Answer 3

• Strain Theory : not all groups can achieve social goals ( socially acceptable values of wealth, family, property and career success). The means are acceptable ways to achieve the goals (education, conformity)
• American dream : success is measured by wealth. Failing to achieve social goals leads some into crime
  Adaptations + Response :
  Conformists (accept goals and means), Innovaters (accept goals, reject means), Ritualists (reject goals, follow means), Retreatists (reject goals and means), Rebels (find alternatives, reject both)

Question 4

Cloward and Ohlin

Answer 4

• WC youths are denied legitimate opportunities to achieve, their deviance stems from this
• Three subcultures:
• Criminal : based in neighbourhoods where there is longstanding stable criminal culture + hierarchy of professional adult crime. Learn how to successfully commit utilitarian crime
• Conflict : areas of high population turnover. Preventing stable criminal networks. Only illegitimate opportunities are loosely organised gangs. Violence is released from blocked opportunity frustration
• Retreatists : double failure, fail in both legitimate and illegitimate opportunities, leads to dropout subculture based on illegal drug use

Question 5

Davis

Answer 5

• A safety valve
• crime and deviance can sometimes act as a safety valve to protect societies institutions
• e.g. nuclear family and prostituition

Question 6

Cohen (2)

Answer 6

• Warning Sign
• crime and deviance can be useful to indicate the institution is not working effectively
• might suggest a problem emerging in society
• too much crime and deviance indicates that social integration for certain members of society is too weak

Question 7

Miller (subcultures)

Answer 7

• there was a delinquency subculture but it arises from the lower class way of life
• Focal Concerns :
• Fate
• Excitement
• Autonomy
• Smartness
• Trouble
• Toughness

Question 8

Matza (1)

Answer 8

Subterranean Values - everyone has them, young WC struggled to suppress

• enjoying yourseld
• acting on the spur of the moment
• self expression
• being aggressive
• seeking excitement

Question 9

Durkheim Criticisms

Answer 9

• What would be the right amount of crime?

- crime is not functional or positive for the victims

Question 10

Cohen Criticisms

Answer 10

• ignore crimes of the wealthy

- empathises too much with criminal

Question 11

Merton Criticisms

Answer 11

Ignore crimes of wealthy and over predict the amount of working class crime

Question 12

Cloward and Ohlin Criticisms

Answer 12

• assumes that everyone starts off sharing societal goals

Question 13

Matza (2)

Answer 13

Techniques of Neutralization

• Denial of Responsibility
• Denial of Victim
• Denial of Injury
• Condemnation of Condemners
• Appeal to higher loyalties