Punishment

Question 1

Functionalism

Answer 1

Durkheim argues that the function of punishment is to uphold social solitary and reinforce commitment to the shared values. Punishment expresses societies outrage at the offence through rituals like public trials. This is to create social solidarity and boundary maintenance. Traditional society would use retributive sever and cruel punishments whereas modern society uses restitute

Question 2

Evaluation of functionalism

Answer 2

Traditional societies over has restitutive rather retributive such as blood feuds

Question 3

Marxism capitalism and punishment

Answer 3

Punishment is related to the nature of class society and now it serves the RC. The function of punishment is to maintain the existing social order. As part of the repressive state apparatus its a means of defending RC property against the WC. In the past people were hanged for theft and this was seen as a rule of terror

Question 4

Evaluation of Marxism

Answer 4

Functionalists would argue that this is far too negative and punishment serves the interests of society not just one particular group

Question 5

Surveillance - Foucault

Answer 5

Surveillance has become an increasingly common concept of power. The idea of the panopticon demonstrates this is the prisoners do not know if they are being watched only that they might be so they behave at all times. This is self surveillance. This creates power over the prisoner and stops their behaviour

Question 6

Evaluation of surveillance Foucault

Answer 6

This exaggerates control and ignore the resistance coming some prisons and mental hospitals which had the panopticon such as strangeways