Crime - Theories on Crime - 4.1 (Functionalism & Strain Theories)

Question 1

Define Deviance

Answer 1

Actions going against norms and values of a society

Question 2

Define Crime

Answer 2

Behaviour breaking law of a society

Question 3

Define Social Control

Answer 3

How our behaviour is controlled by society to conform to norms & values e.g. government, police, media

Question 4

Define Social Construction

Answer 4

Norms & values are created by society e.g. crime shaped by culture/historical period

Question 5

General Functionalist view on Crime & Deviance

Answer 5

> See society based on value consensus, disrupted by Crime

> But crime inevitable & natural & sometimes good for society.

Question 6

Two Reasons for Inevitability of Crime (Durkheim)

Answer 6

> Not all socialised with same values, leading to differences & thus crime

> Anomie common in modernity

> Crime due to diversity and the creation of subcultures with different norms from mainstream society

Question 7

Two Positive Functions of Crime (Durkheim)

Answer 7

> Boundary Maintenance
Adaptation and Change

> Adaptation & Change

Question 8

Boundary Maintenance (Durkheim)

Answer 8

> Crimes unites members to reject deviance, reinforces value consensus & collective conscience

> Society’s rejection of deviance is distinctive from law breaking, we understand behaviours are wrong & shouldn’t be repeated

> Boundary maintenance is good versus evil

Question 9

Example of Boundary Maintenance

Answer 9

e. g. public reaction to Manchester attacks

e. g. public reaction to murder of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes by his father and step-mother

Question 10

Adaptation & Change (Durkheim)

Answer 10

> All changes begin with deviance, and a need for people to challenge values

> Without deviance there is no change.

> If new ideas are rejected, society stagnates, unable to make the necessary changes.

Question 11

Examples of Adaptation & Change

Answer 11

Votes for women - violent and criminal acts by Suffragettes
Rosa Parks - Civil Rights Movement

Question 12

Cohen view on Crime

Answer 12

Warning signal, something in society is not working properly to policymakers/leaders.

e.g. certain aspect of law needs reform

Question 13

Erikson view on Crime

Answer 13

> Institutions e.g. police actually ensure crime occurs

> e.g. festivals & carnivals rules are relaxed (public drunkeness, drug use) & they turn a blind eye to deviant behaviour.

> So we can let off steam and don’t do darker crimes

> Also eases transition from childhood to adulthood, through sanctioned rule-breaking.

Question 14

Davis view on Prostitution

Answer 14

Safety valve for men’s sexual frustration, not threatening monogamous nuclear family as it’s one off.

Question 15

Polsky view on Pornography

Answer 15

Safe channel for sexual desires, not threatening monogamous nuclear family as adultery would.

Question 16

General Criticisms of Durkheim’s view

Answer 16

> Doesn’t say how much crime there should be

> Causes fear & isolation in individuals e.g. rape so not functional and positive for society

> Crime is functional for society but not for the victims

> Crime doesn’t always create social solidarity, it can divide people

Question 17

Why does Merton believe people engage in deviant behaviour?

Answer 17

> Unable to achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means.

> Strain between the goals, society encourage us to achieve & what society allows us to achieve (means).

Question 18

Two Factors for Engagement in Deviance (Merton)

Answer 18

> Structural; societies unequal opportunity structure

> Cultural: emphasis on success & less emphasis on how to achieve it legitimately.

Question 19

Merton & American Dream as Flawed

Answer 19

> Values success, expected to be pursue legitimately

> Belief in meritocracy, but in reality poverty & discrimination block opportunities.

> This leads to stress & pressure to resort to illegitimate means.

> Due to emphasis on success at all costs - anomie

Question 20

Merton’s 5 Responses to Strain

Answer 20

> Conformity
> Innovation
> Ritualism
> Retreatism
> Rebellion

Question 21

Conformity - Merton

Answer 21

Accept goals & try to achieve them legitimately e.g. middle class people

Question 22

Innovation - Merton

Answer 22

Accept goals & but try achieve them illegally e.g. theft, drug dealing - working class

Question 23

Ritualism (Merton)

Answer 23

Give up on goals & simply plod on trying to achieve knowing they never will. e.g. people on minimum wage

Question 24

Retreatism (Merton)

Answer 24

Rejects goals & legitimate means & drop out of society e.g. alcohol & drug abusers

Question 25

Define Rebellion with an example

Answer 25

Replace existing goals & means with new ones with aim of social change e.g. protests, environmentalists

Question 26

How is Merton too deterministic?

Answer 26

Takes official crime statistics at face value, the working class experience most strain but don’t all deviate.

Question 27

Outline the General Criticisms of Merton

Answer 27

> Assumes that there is value consensus, everyone strives for material success, not all share society’s goals, people have individual motivations - not necessarily the American Dream.
Only focuses on crime for material gain and doesn’t explain crimes of violence, vandalism etc
Explains individual not group deviance.

Question 28

Cohen & Reasons for Occurrence of Deviance

Answer 28

> Due to status frustration, mainly from working, due to inability to achieve success goals by legitimate means.

Question 29

Criticisms of Cohen

Answer 29

> Assumes working class boys shared middle class values initially, but they may have never shared these in the first place

> Rejection from society doesn’t always led to rebellion e.g. retreatism/ritualism

> Focuses only on youth crime

Question 30

How do Cloward & Ohlin disagree with Merton?

Answer 30

> Not all engage in utilitarian crime e.g property crime.

> Not everyone who fails legitimately, succeeds illegitimately.

Question 31

Cloward & Ohlin & Variation of Crime in different areas

Answer 31

Different areas give different illegal chances to learn criminal skills & develop criminal careers.

Question 32

Cloward & Ohlin’s 3 Subcultures

Answer 32

> Criminal
Conflict
Retreatist

Question 33

Criminal Subcultures

Answer 33

Youths get apprenticeship in crime they learn from experienced members how to do crimes & slowly work their way up the criminal career ladder.

Question 34

Conflict Subcultures

Answer 34

Areas of high population with loose ties between individuals fighting for territory to gain status from other gangs.

Question 35

Retreatist Subcultures

Answer 35

> People who failed in legitimate & illegal opportunity structures ‘’double failures’’
e.g. drug abusers or alcoholics.

Question 36

Criticisms of Cloward & Ohlin

Answer 36

> Ignores powers of ruling class, who make laws to criminalise poor & not rich.

> Too deterministic & overexaggerates extent of working class crime & opportunities available to youth.

> Ignore crimes of wealthy

Question 37

South Criticisms of Cloward & Ohlin

Answer 37

3 subcultures overlap, drug trade is a mixture of disorganised crime & professional mafia style.

Question 38

Matza Criticisms of Cloward & Ohlin

Answer 38

Delinquents aren’t really committed to subcultures, but drift in & out of delinquency, membership’s often short lived.

Question 39

Miller Criticisms of Cloward & Ohlin

Answer 39

The Working Class have their own subculture & values separate to mainstream culture not valuing success in the first place so not frustrated by failure.