Functionalist Theories Flashcards
(20 cards)
Positive functions of Crime Boundary Maintenance & Social Cohesion
Durkheim-Crime always informs society to reinforce what is acceptable behaviour in society as the public nature of the punishments shows people what will happen for breaking the rules. Very serious crimes can also led to society coming together to condemn the perpetrators.
Positive functions of Crime Adaption and Change
Durkheim -Some social deviance is necessary to allow society to move forward and progress.
Without some deviant and criminal
behaviour society will become stagnant
and die.
Positive functions of Crime Warning Sign
Clinard / Cohen- An increase in a certain type of crime or deviant behaviour can be an indication that something in society is not functioning as it should be and a change needs to occur
Positive functions of Crime - Safety Valve
Davis / Polsky -Some minor crimes and acts of deviancy can
actually prevent larger more serious crimes. For example Polsky suggests that accessing
pornography can prevent more serious sexual
crimes.
Evaluation: Positive functions of Crime
- Marxism – Ignores the role that the powerful have in shaping what is criminal and deviant as well as the role of social inequality.
- Durkheim ignores the impact that crime has on the individual victims instead focuses on the impact on society.
- Doesn’t quantify how much crime is beneficial to society.
- Crime doesn’t always lead to solidarity but can cause isolation of both victim and criminal.
Strain Theory
Merton- crime is a response to the
strain placed on people to
achieve the goals and values
of society
Conformity
Accepting goals and using legal means to achieve them.
Innovation
Accepting goals but using illegal means (e.g., fraud, theft).
Ritualism
Rejecting both goals and means (e.g., drug addiction).
Rebellion
Rejecting and replacing societal goals and means (e.g., political activism).
Retreatism
Reject the goals of society and the means of
achieving them but do not replace them with
their own goals or means
eval of strain theory
- Over exaggerates the importance of monetary success.
- Underestimates the amount of crime committed by those who have achieved societal goals.
- Doesn’t explain why groups choose the response they do.
- Fails to explain non-utilitarian crime
Control Theory
Hirschi-Asks not why people commit crime but why they don’t commit crime. This idea suggests strong bonds with society stops people from committing crime.
Belief Attachment
Involvement Commitment
Control Theory Evaluation
Assumes all people are naturally bad and it is society that keeps people good. Doesn’t explain why the bonds are weak or strong, or how they become so. You can have strong bonds but still be deviant – sexuality
Sub-Cultural Theories Status Frustration
Cohen - Young people get frustrated by their inability to achieve social goals which lead to status so turn to crime to achieve status
Sub-Cultural Theories llegitimate Opportunity Structures
– Cloward and Ohlin
Criminal subcultures which socialise young people into criminal activity.
Conflict Subcultures where there is little social cohesion.
Retreatist Subcultures those who fail to gain access to the other two subculture
Sub-Cultural Theories-Focal Concerns
– Miller
W/C have a different set of values or focal concerns to the rest of society which include
hyper masculinity which can lead to criminal behaviour appearing norma
eval status frustration
Willis – W/C boys do not share the same ideas of status
as M/C boys.
Ignores female delinquency
Only discusses youth crime.
eval Illegitimate Opportunity Structures
Assumes the official statistics on crime are accurate.
Over exaggeration of the criminal opportunities available to the young.
eval focal concerns
Not all W/C are criminals
Matza – Sub culture membership is often short lived.
