Functionalist, strain and subcultural theories

Question 1

What is crime?

Answer 1

Committing an act that breaks the law

Question 2

What is deviance?

Answer 2

Committing an act that breaks norms of society.

Question 3

Functionalist see society based on what?

Answer 3

Valued consensus

Question 4

What does a Valued consensus promote?

Answer 4

Social solidity ( binding individuals together, telling them what to strive for and how to conduct themselves)

Question 5

Functionalists argue to achieve social soldarity society has 2 functions to achieve this, what are they?

Answer 5

Socialization and Social control

Question 6

What is socialization?

Answer 6

instills a shared culture into its members to ensure they internalize same norms and values.

Question 7

What is social control?

Answer 7

mechanisms include rewards ( positive sanctions) for conformity and punishments ( negative functions) for deviance.

Question 8

What are the 5 functionalist contributions to understanding crime and deviance?

Answer 8

1) Crime is inevitable and universal
2) Positive functions: Boundary maintenance and adaptation and change
3) Merton’s strain theory
4) Subcultural strain theory
5) Cloward and Ohlin subcultures

Question 9

Who is the sociologist that sees crime as an inevitable part of society?

Answer 9

Durkheim (1983)

Question 10

Why does Durkheim believe crime is inevitable?

Answer 10

This is due to the fact that some people are not socialized adequately and will therefore not learn the correct norms and values to be an effective member of society.

Question 11

What is another reason why crime is inevitable?

Answer 11

In complex modern societies, Different groups develop their own subculture and what the members of the subculture regard as normal, mainstream culture may see as deviant

Question 12

What example could you use for the idea that crime is inevitable due to inadequate socialization?

Answer 12

Murray would argue that the families outside of the nuclear family structure are most likely to inadequately socialise their children.

Question 13

Why can’t a lone parent family socialise their children properly?

Answer 13

Lone parent families may not provide the financial security or role models needed for children to be supported, as only a nuclear family can support this, meaning they cannot perform function effectively.

Question 14

Why might children in a lone parent family result to crime?

Answer 14

As children are raised within a household without a role model or financial assistance.

Question 15

In contemporary society what has made crime more common?

Answer 15

the fragmentation of norms means that lone parent families are now a norm which highlights how we will always have some level of crime or deviance in society.

Question 16

What statistical evidence is there to suggest that crime is inevitable in contemporary society?

Answer 16

statistics in 2019 show men were accounted for 73% of all arrestes in the US and 80% of those arrests are violent crimes.

Question 17

What does the statistic of ‘statistics in 2019 show men were accounted for 73% of all arrests in the US and 80% of those arrests are violent crimes.’ show?

Answer 17

This indicates males lack a male role model, who will be a presence to them allowing them to fit in societal nuclear family.

Question 18

What is a A03 evaluation against women unable to socialise their children properly?

Answer 18

Feminists would argue against the idea that crime is caused because of mothers inadequate socialization. This is unrealistic view as mothers perform triple shift. To say women cannot socialise their children is another level of patriarchal family structure which itself may generate deviance.

Question 19

For Durkheim what are the 2 positive functions crime performs?

Answer 19

Boundary maintenance and adaptation and change

Question 20

What is adaptation and change?

Answer 20

Crime can help to create change in society as deviance to existing norms can change laws or behaviour.

Question 21

What example can i use for crime having a positive function of adaptation and change?

Answer 21

Baltimore protests (2011), this erupted after the death of Freddie gray.

Question 22

What did the death of Freddie gray promote?

Answer 22

This promoted family and society to come together and protest, which helped raise awareness and change to police brutality.

Question 23

Why is the function of adaptation and change important here for the Baltimore protests?

Answer 23

As it challenges existing norms, first to make the norms adapt to society, ensuring no stagnation and society is not divided

Question 24

Why might some argue (A03) that Adaptation and change is an illusion?

Answer 24

Some marginalised groups may never see amendments in law regardless of deviant behavior they might partake in.

Question 25

What is an example to show that Adaptation and change is an illusion?

Answer 25

e.g. although Nelson Mandela fought tirelessly for change and laws were amended as a result, the deep rooted issues linked to racism and discrimination are yet not resolved in SA.

Question 26

What does the example of Nelson Mandela show that the function of Adaptation and change not changing for powerful groups.

Answer 26

This shows that the function doesn't change the attitudes and discrimination of the powerful groups. The change in laws is simply a front to hide under much structural and ideological issues against marginalized groups.

Question 27

How may the laws introduced be also be in the government's interest to hide adaptation and change?

Answer 27

They are also simply for the government to gain popularity and restrict protests for political myopia.

Question 28

What is AO3 to suggest that the laws benefit Ruling class?

Answer 28

Marxists argue that the laws are a way of protecting ruling class, reinforcing the idea of false consciousness, as people think they are being supported, but actually results in preventing social change. ( Therefore crime isn't positive but reinforces the needs of the powerful)

Question 29

What is Boundary Maintenance?

Answer 29

Crime produces a reaction to society, uniting members against the wrong doer and reinforcing their commitment to the value consensus.

Question 30

What example can you use to show Boundary maintenance ?

Answer 30

9/11 ( 2 planes went into towers) and killed thousands of people)

Question 31

How does 9/11 support the positive function of Boundary maintenance?

Answer 31

This lead to people coming together to realise the this behavior is wrong, allowing us to punish this type of behavior of terrorism and reinforce social solidarity.

Question 32

Although 9/11 led to people coming together, what has it caused for Muslims ( women in particular today at airports)?

Answer 32

It has led today to further marginalisation of Muslims due to the negative betrayal of them. This is seen at airports today ( according to the article in september (2019) 'Detention of Muslims at Uk ports and airports ' structural islamophobia' , shows Muslim women are being forced ot take of head scaffs when stopped, though the rate of conviction is 0.007% of 420,000 incidents.

Question 33

What does this show ( the rise of Islamophobia)

Answer 33

This shows that crime doesn't have positive functions as Durkheim suggests, it does more harm than good.

Question 34

Other sociologists have developed other functions of crime, give an example?

Answer 34

Safety value ( Davis argues that prostitution acts to release men's sexual frustrations without threatening the nuclear family)

Question 35

What are 3 evaluations of Functionalists explanation of crime

Answer 35

Realists (of both left and right) criticise the idea that crime is both normal and functional. They point out that crime is a very real problem for victims and for society and that the sociology of crime and deviance should inform policy-makers in terms of how to prevent crime 2) How much deviance is good? 3) Crime doesn't always promote solidarity, it can promote fear

Question 36

What does Strain mean?

Answer 36

increasing the likelihood of crime.

Question 37

What is Merton's strain theory?

Answer 37

Merton argues that people engage in deviant behavior when they cannot achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means.

Question 38

What is an example to illustrate strain

Answer 38

for example getting angry or frustrated resulting in criminal means of getting what they want.

Question 39

For merton what is the strain between?

Answer 39

``` Cultural factors ( strong emphasis on success goals and weaker emphasis on using legitimate means to achieve them) and Structural factors (society's unequal opportunity structure, not enough opps for everyone in society to achieve society's approved goals) ```

Question 40

What is an example of us straining between cultural and structural factors?

Answer 40

The american dream which emphasizes money success, Americans are expected to achieve this success through legitimate means. e.g. through education.

Question 41

Although not everyone can achieve success in the meritocratic america? WHY?

Answer 41

Although their are factors that are in the way such as poverty, emphasizing the myth of meritocracy. This results to strain as they know they cannot achieve american dream by legal means, so do it illegitimately.

Question 42

What did Merton say he could see the american society trending to?

Answer 42

This is why Mertion could see american society trending towards anomie ( normlessness) in that norms are too weak to restrain some people from using deviant means to achieve goals that culture sets them.

Question 43

What does Merton's strain theory show?

Answer 43

That not everyone is on a level playing field, crime is working class.

Question 44

What are the 5 responses to strain?

Answer 44

``` Conformisits Innovators Ritualists Retreatists Rebels ```

Question 45

What are Conformtists?

Answer 45

Individuals accept culturally approved goals and strive to achieve them. ( The middle class)

Question 46

What are Innovators?

Answer 46

Individuals accept the money success goal but use illegitimate means to achieve it e,g, theft. ( The working class)

Question 47

What are Ritualists?

Answer 47

Individuals who have given up on the goal, but internalised the legitmate means and follow the rules for their own sake. ( the lower middle class)

Question 48

What are Retreatism?

Answer 48

Individuals reject both goal and legitimate means, and drop out of society. ( addicts, vagrants)

Question 49

What are Rebels?

Answer 49

Individuals replace existing goals and means with new ones with aim of bringing change in society. ( poltical radicals)

Question 50

Why is Merton's strain theory useful?

Answer 50

He explains WC crime and offcial statistics of property crime because American society values material wealth highly.

Question 51

What is 3 A03's of Merton's theory?

Answer 51

1) It takes Official crime statistics at face value ( no depth) 2) Too deterministic ( not all working class people deviate ( Ignores crimes of the powerful) 3) Assumes all strain money success goal

Question 52

How would Postmodernists critque Merton's strain theory?

Answer 52

They have a problem because not everyone lives in value consensus, so we will not fit in a culturally deprived goal. This is because we are so fragmented and so we don't fill and care for strain. Therefore, functionalist approach is outdate.

Question 53

Who is the sociologists that argue subcultural status frustration?

Answer 53

Cohen

Question 54

How are Merton and Cohen similar?

Answer 54

Cohen agrees with Merton that crime is a W/C issue ( failure to reach goals legitimately leads to crime)

Question 55

How are Merton and Cohen different?

Answer 55

Cohen believes crime is a group response, not an individual one ( it is a product of delinquent subcultures) . These subcultures off a solution to W/C to gain status, which they cannot achieve through legitimate means.

Question 56

What else doesn't Merton not focus on which Cohen does?

Answer 56

He ignores non- utitarian crimes ( assault, vandalsim, no economic motive but focuses on Utilitarian crime theft ( for material gain) (this is a strength of his theory)

Question 57

How do Working class boys gain status frustration in Middle class education system? ( similar to Merton)

Answer 57

Working class boys want to achieve success, which is valued by mainstream culture, but due do being culturally deprived and lack skills they fail leaving them at bottom of status hierarchy.

Question 58

What do the W/c boys do due to status frustration ( which id different to Merton)?

Answer 58

Instead of turning to individual crime as Merton states, they reject norms and values and form subculture. This is an alternative way to achieve status, through placing higher value on criminal acts such as stealing, which is rejected by society.

Question 59

As these crimes committed gain respect there is no need to commit what type of crime?

Answer 59

utilitarian crime, they commit non- monetary crime e.g. vandalism ( non utilitarian crime)

Question 60

Why are subculture values different to mainstream for Cohen?

Answer 60

There is alternative status in these subcultural groups e.g. society respects property, whereas the boys gain status from vandalizing it.

Question 61

What is an A03 evaluation of A.K cohen : status frustration?

Answer 61

He assumes working class boys start off sharing middle class success goals, only to reject them when they fail. He ignores possibility that they never shared these goals.

Question 62

What is Labelling theorists say about any subcultural crime?

Answer 62

they argue that any form of subculutral crime is often due to society's labels and streotypes.

Question 63

What is an example of labeling theorists showing crime is due to society's labels?

Answer 63

Circourcel notes that police typifications result in greater attention towards certain groups in society, leading to more arrests and media attention. This is a form of deviance amplification showing that Crime Stastitcs may be invalid.

Question 64

Who are the sociologists that argue agaisnt Merton and Cohen about subcultures?

Answer 64

Cloward and Ohlin (1960)

Question 65

Why do Cloward and Ohlin disagree with Merton?

Answer 65

As he doesn't recognize the importance of peers when analyzing criminality. Cloward and Ohlin identity much crime is a reflection of colelctive nature.

Question 66

How does Cloward and Ohlin disagree with Cohen?

Answer 66

not everyone adapts to a lack of legitimate opportunities by turning to Utilitarian or non- utilitarian crime ( innovation) , some resort to violence, some resort to drug use.

Question 67

What are the 3 subcultures that can result from different neighborhoods providing different illegitimate opportunities ?

Answer 67

Criminial subculture Conflict subculture Retreatist subculture

Question 68

What is a criminal subculture?

Answer 68

Youths gain apprenticeship in crime ( learning the ropes)

Question 69

What is an A02 contemporary example of a criminal subculture)

Answer 69

Yakuza gang, which is a highly organised gang in Japan. through family it is headed by family head who gives orders to subordinates, they are feared in society..

Question 70

What is a conflict subculture?

Answer 70

These arise in areas of high population turnover, they are disorganised, meaning no criminal organisational, groups emerge from having little opprtunites.

Question 71

What are an example of conflict subculture?

Answer 71

Chiago gangs,which is estimated to be 100,000 members and 59 gangs in chicago. Led by orders. It has led to greater violence due to leadership takedowns.

Question 72

What is a Retreatist subculture?

Answer 72

These are groups who cannot succeed in legitimate and illegitimacy ways, they are excluded in society and this may lead to retreatism in society.

Question 73

What is an example of Retreatist subculture?

Answer 73

Jamaican gully queens ( they are an LGBT group who are not seen as right, they cant get a Job, so live in dark public speaces and are excluded from society. ( they may perform sex acts for money)

Question 74

Why is Cloward and Ohlin subculture splits useful?

Answer 74

It tries to explain different typed of working class deviance in terms of different subcultures and shows people perform alternative means for financial security.

Question 75

What is an A03 evaluation of Cloward and Ohlin?

Answer 75

1) Like Cohen's theory it is reactive one, they explain deviant subcultures as forming from a reaction to the failure to achieve mainstream success goals, this is wrongly assumed, as not everyone starts out sharing the same goals as PM theorists says. 2) Also over predict working class crime. (ignores crimes of powerful)

Question 76

What is an overall evaluation of Functionalist explanations of crime?

Answer 76

It ignores the victims throughout.