C&D- Topic 1 Functionalism and crime

Question 1

DURKHEIM

Answer 1

Crime is inevitable - Poor socialisation results in not everyone being taught the same norms and values.
The inevitability of crime stems from the inequality that exists in society

Crime is positive - ‘Boundary maintenance’ is the concept that crime is functional in society when there is the right amount. When people are punished for committing crimes, it teaches the rest of society not to go against norms and values, in turn strengthening boundaries and preventing further crime.
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Davis agrees with Durkheim in that crime can be positive, but in a different way. He believes prostitution provides positive functions because it allows men to express sexual frustration without threatening the nuclear family.
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Adaptation and change - Some crime can be functional for society because it allows social adaptation and change; this means that for society to have norms and values that change as a form of rationalism, a criminal act must take place.