C&D Pt1: Functionalist, Strain, Subcultural & Labelling Theories Flashcards
(34 cards)
What does Durkheim believe about crime and deviance?
They’re inevitable within society, as not everyone can comply with the rules of society
What are the reasons as to why Durkheim thinks crime and deviance are normal and integral parts within all healthy societies?
1.) Ineffective socialisation (poor upbringing which leads to individuals struggling to learn and share the basic values everyone else agrees with)
2.) Rapid social change may lead to ANOMIE, meaning individuals may not comply with the same rules and values they did before changes in society
What are Durkheim’s positive functions of crime?
1.) Boundary maintenance - It brings society together to condemn crimes and reaffirm/clarify the behaviour that’s actually acceptable (bringing about social solidarity/cohesion)
2.) It encourages social change and progression (today’s deviance may be tomorrow’s morality)
What are Durkheim’s negative functions of crime?
1.) Anomie (criminals won’t feel a sense of belonging as they’re made an outcast)
2.) Egoism (where people only look out for their own intentions, growing suspicion and distrust amongst society)
Evaluation of Durkheim on crime
+ He offers a social explanation for the causes of crime other than it being biologically and psychologically determined (these were factors that were prevalent during his time)
- He ignores how the victims of crime are the ones who are really affected from crime
- Durkheim doesn’t identify the particular groups of people who are more likely to commit crime
What is Merton’s strain theory?
It explains how within the American capitalist society, the causes of crime and deviance were due to a lack of meritocracy and structural inequality (basically unequal opportunities due to class position)
What 2 things does Merton say deviance is a result of?
1.) Structural factors: what institutions actually allow individuals to achieve
2.) Cultural factors: the goals a culture actually encourages individuals to achieve
Evaluation of Merton’s strain theory
+ He shows how deviant behaviour can arise from groups of people who have the same mainstream goals (e.g conformists and innovators, but innovators are more likely to commit crime)
+ He provides an explanation for the disproportionately high level of WC in criminal stats/prison (due to there being a lack of meritocracy in the American capitalist society)
- Merton is too deterministic as he doesn’t account for the WC who have experienced strain and are economically disadvantaged, yet don’t turn into criminals and actually comply with mainstream values in society
- He assumes value consensus (in thinking financial success is the only one)
- He only focuses on utilitarian crime (money crimes, not violence/vandalism/sexual crimes)
How do subcultural theories agree with Merton’s strain theory?
They both agree with anomie, where criminals have different values/norms from mainstream culture
What is Albert Cohen’s concept of ‘status frustration’?
It refers to the lack of recognition young people require most when forming their identities and are becoming more conscious as to who they are - it can be gained through educational success;
However, there comes those who fail and start questioning their self-worth and ‘status’ in society
How does Cohen differ from Merton’s strain theory?
He focuses on crimes committed in groups (not just individuals), and he also looks at non-utilitarian crimes
According to Cohen, how may status frustration lead to crime?
Youngsters may want recognition & approval from their peers, so they may stoop as low as to turn to criminal subcultures, leading to deviant behaviour
Evaluation of Albert Cohen’s “status frustration” concept
+ He acknowledges how crime can be a collective response to strain, and how it can be non-utilitarian crimes committed
- Still only focuses on WC and not MC
- Doesn’t focus on girls forming deviant subcultures
- He doesn’t focus on white collar crimes (corporate crimes e.g financial fraud)
Why did Cohen agree with Merton’s strain theory?
They both claim that crime is a WC phenomenon
What do Cloward and Ohlin recognise that Merton and Cohen do not?
There’s not only unequal access to legitimate means, but also illegitimate means (such as drugs and gangs)
3 different types of subculture gangs Cloward and Ohlin identity that an individual can join:
1.) Criminal subcultures: being trained for a career in crime so they can commit utilitarian crime (white collar crime)
2.) Conflict subcultures: Gang type behaviour which resorts to violence (in order to express frustration so they can gain status and respect)
3.) Retreatist subcultures: The groups of people who have failed to succeed in both legitimate and illegitimate means, therefore turning to excessive drug misuse (basically the lowest of the lows)
Evaluation of Cloward and Ohlin’s illegitimate opportunity structure:
+ It further expands from Merton’s and Cohen’s theories into explaining how criminal subcultures aren’t just for material gains, but drug use and violence as well (recognising both utilitarian & non-utilitarian crimes)
- However they ignore MC males and female subculture crime
What does interactionist Howard Becker claim?
Howard Becker assumes that there’s no such thing as crime and deviance, only those with the power to define and label an act as such. Acts are therefore deemed as such with the result of the reaction from society (moral panic).
What are moral entrepreneurs?
Those who lead a moral crusade in order to change the law: these people may be classed as deviant because they’re breaking the law
What is an example of a moral crusade, and how does this tie into Becker’s thinking?
Before 1972 in the UK, homosexuality was a criminal offence, however now it isn’t
-Therefore Becker thinks that what is considered as crime or deviant varies over both time and between cultures
What is Becker’s concept of selective labelling?
What’s labelled as deviant depends on 3 things:
1.) Who has committed the act
2.) Where the act was committed
3.) The interaction and negotiations between the suspect and law enforcement agencies (policeman, lawyers, prosecutor etc.)
What did Reinr (1994) find about the police?
That they’re more likely to stop, arrest and prosecute young men from lower classes and ethnic minority groups
What does the EHRC (Equality and human rights commission) claim about the police?
That the police are 28 times more likely to use stop-and-search powers against black people than white.
What did Pilivian and Briair find about the police?
That the police’s decision to arrest someone who’s young is based on physical cues, their mannerisms/character, gender, class and ethnicity.