2. Functioalist Contributions To Crime And Deviance

Question 1

What are Durkheim’s views on crime and deviance as functional for society?

Answer 1

1. Crime and deviance as inevitable
2. Crime as beneficial for society

Question 2

1. Crime and deviance as inevitable

Answer 2

-A normal aspect of social life
-Not everyone can be equally committed to the value consensus
-Even if the crime rate off a strict nation was zero there would still be deviance

Question 3

How is crime beneficial for society? (6)

Answer 3

Boundary maintenance
Social cohesion,
social change,
acts as a safety value,
it acts as a warning device,
boosts employment and the economy

Question 4

Boundary maintenance

Answer 4

Punishment reaffirms society’s values, showing what is not acceptable

Question 5

Social cohesion

Answer 5

People unite to condemn particular horrific crimes such as child abuse

Question 6

Social change

Answer 6

All social change begins with some form of deviance

Question 7

What do ‘functional rebels’ help to alter?

Answer 7

‘Functional rebels’ help to alter the collective conscience and the laws

Question 8

Acts as a safety valve

Answer 8

Deviance releases stress in society e.g mass violent protests

Question 9

It acts as a warning device

Answer 9

Crime & deviance show society is not working properly e.g drugs

Question 10

Boosts employment and the economy

Answer 10

Creates jobs for police officers and other criminal justice system workers

Question 11

Anomie

Answer 11

-The balance of crime has to be correct (too much/little is not functional)
-Too much crime leads to anomie

Question 12

Define Anomie

Answer 12

The absence of norms, breakdown of collective conscience)

Question 13

Strengths of crime and deviance being functional for society

Answer 13

-Social cohesion, people coming together due to crime
-Provides jobs, helps boost the economy

Question 14

Criticisms for crime & deviance being functional for society

Answer 14

-People do suffer due to crimes
-Focuses on the positives of crime not the negatives

Question 15

What is Hirschi’s control theory

Answer 15

The theory that most people do not commit crime

Question 16

What did Hirschi consider?

Answer 16

Why most people do not omit crime before trying to explain why some people do

Question 17

What does Hirschi believe about social order?

Answer 17

Social order is based on shared values and socialisation that integrates people into society. - this underpins his social bonds theory.

Question 18

What does Hirschi’s mean by social bonds?

Answer 18

Bonds that encourage self-control from committing crime

Question 19

What are Hirschi’s 4 social bonds?

Answer 19

Belief, Attachment, Involvement and Commitment

Question 20

Hirschi’s 4 bonds: Belief

Answer 20

People share moral beliefs about human rights and obeying the law.

Question 21

Hirschi’s 4 bonds: Attachment

Answer 21

People are attached to family, friends etc interested in their opinions, need & wishes.

Question 22

Hirschi’s 4 bonds: Involvement

Answer 22

People are busy with sports, activities etc so have no time for crime

Question 23

Hirschi’s 4 bonds: Commitment

Answer 23

People prefer conformity rather than risking things e.g family

Question 24

What happens when Hirschi’s bonds are frail or broken?

Answer 24

People are more likely to turn to crime as their is less incentive and self-control.

Question 25

When are people more likely to turn to crime? According to Hirschi?

Answer 25

When the bonds between the social bonds are frail or broken.

Question 26

What is mechanical solidarity?

Answer 26

Doing as expected for fear of being stigmatised

Question 27

What is organic solidarity?

Answer 27

Most people have a moral conscience shared values and sense of right and wrong

Question 28

What did Merton say people have?

Answer 28

People have shared goals such as those associated with the ‘American Dream’

Question 29

Merton: What does dysfunction show?

Answer 29

Shows some parts of the social structure do not work as intended bringing problems rather than harmony - difficulties can lead to strain and anomie.

Question 30

Merton’s cultural factors

Answer 30

Emphasis on achieving success and goals. The goals are emphasised but not legitimate means of achieving such goals. End goal seems more important than the process.

Question 31

Merton’s Structural factors

Answer 31

Society’s unequal oppotunity structure. Meritocracy assumes everyone has the oppotunity to achieve the goals. Many cannot attain success.

Question 32

Merton’s strain:

Answer 32

Merton consequently believes society is criminogenic (inevitable)

Question 33

What did Merton call the ways we adapt to strain?

Answer 33

5 modes of strain

Question 34

What are Merton’s 5 modes of strain

Answer 34

1. Conformity
   2 Ritualism
2. Innovation
3. Retreatism
4. Rebellion

Question 35

Merton’s modes of strain: Conformity

Answer 35

Achieving goals through legitimate means, conforming to norms

Question 36

Merton’s modes of strain: Ritualism

Answer 36

Giving up on goals but continue to go through the motions of life.

Question 37

Merton’s modes of strain: Innovation

Answer 37

Realising they can’t achieve goals legitimately so innovate to achieve them.

Question 38

Merton’s modes of strain: Retreatism

Answer 38

Giving up on goals, reject means to achieve them, retreat form society.

Question 39

Merton’s modes of strain: Rebellion

Answer 39

Rejecting means of achieving so rebel against society.

Question 40

What’s good about Merton’s modes of strain?

Answer 40

-Lower class crime rates are higher - indicates more strain & barriers to legitimate means
-Most crime is property crime - material wealth is important to people

Question 41

What’s not good about Merton’s modes of strain?

Answer 41

-Assumes most people agree on society’s goals and means of achieving
-Focuses only on individual responses not social patterns of crime.