functionalism Flashcards
(21 cards)
what is the functionalist view on crime
believe that small amounts of crime are necesary for society to function and maintain boundaries based on the value consensus (shared ideas about what is considered to be right and wrong)
what does durkheim believe
argues that every society shares a set of core values - collective conscience - consisting of shared beliefs about right and wrong and it exists over and above individual members of society
what is collective conscience
shared ideas about what is considered to be right and wrong
why do functionalists see crime as a positive force on society
it creates boundary maintenance, social solidarity and adaption and change
what is boundary maintenance
publicity of crimes to remind the public of the boundaries between right and wrong behaviour. seeing people punished also prevents the public from committing crime
what is social solidarity
after horrific crimes, society can pull together to condemn the actions
what is adaption and change
crime that can result in changes in the law
what is the Merton strain theory
Merton argued that the American dream placed more emphasis on the goals of success and wealth rather than the legitimate means of gaining them which leads to crime. it produces inequality and a strain to anomie (deviation from norms and values)
what are the 5 adaptions of the strain theory
conformity, innovation, ritualism, rebellion, retreatism
conformity
accepts goals, accepts means. they are people who want to achieve the goals of a society and have the opportunities to do so. Merton thinks they make up a large number of Americans
innovation
accepts goals and rejects means. they are people who want to achieve the goals of a society but can’t therefore they turn to illegitimate means to do so. E.g, robbing a bank
retreatism
rejects goals and rejects means. they are people who reject both goals and means. E.g, illegal drug use
ritualism
rejects goals and accepts means. they are people who have given up on achieving the goals but believe it’s through their own fault as they had the means to do so. E.g. they work but don’t care about enjoying their job
rebellion
both accepts and rejects the goals and means. they are people who form their own goals and means to create a new society. revolutionaries and radicals
what is status frustration
a subculture which has a group within a culture that differs from the general consensus. they have a unique set of beliefs and values that don’t necessarily align with the wider culture. they can be seen as nonconformists
what does Cohen believe about status frustration
focused on working class boys in school who fail to succeed in the middle class environments and end up at the bottom of the social hirearchy. he also believed that because of this failure students were more likely to join delinquent subcultures such as gangs. deviant subcultures can give them status and success in the hierearchy
what does Cloward and Ohlin believe about subcultures
they agree with Merton that people have unequal access to legitimate opportunity structure but they go further and say that people also have unequal access to illegitimate opportunity structures as well, depends on locality
what are the 3 subcultures they believe
criminal subcultures, conflict subcultures, retreatist subcultures
criminal subcultures
provide apprenticeships for utilitarian crime, they exist in areas with stable criminal cultures, with hierarchies of professional crimes (drug dealers)
conflict subcultures
exist in areas of poverty and high population turnover. there is social disorganistaion and only loosely organised gangs (turf wars between gangs)
retreatist subcultures
areas where there are no criminal networks to join (countryside). they are formed of people who fail in both legitimate and illegitimate means and may turn to illegal drug use (junkies)
