Social Structure - Functionalism

Question 1

Who is the main functionalist?

Answer 1

Durkheim

Question 2

What did Durkheim believe about crime?

Answer 2

Crime was inevitable
Crime is positive

Question 3

Why is crime inevitable?

Answer 3

All individuals are socialised in differing ways - not as effectively as each other
Multiculturalism causes a diversity of values

Question 4

Why is crime positive?

Answer 4

Boundary maintenance - expresses to society what behaviours are unacceptable and acceptable and helps to unite society by condemning criminals

Acts as a safety valve - can release stress within society

Act as a warning light - can show what sectors are not working probably , for example if there are higher relapse rates of crime, shows an issue with prisons/criminal justice system

Enables social change - some deviance is required in order to promote progress and change within society

Question 5

What is social solidarity?

Answer 5

Where everyone feels that they belong

Question 6

What are the criticisms of Durkheims theory?

Answer 6

Crime does not always promote social solidarity - may lead to people feeling more isolated
Crime is not always functional for everyone, for example the victim - the victim must be harmed, for it to promote a change in society

Question 7

What are the strengths of Durkheims theory?

Answer 7

First to recognise that crime is positive - influenced other research
Shows how crime is inevitable, due to society - less blame on the offender

Question 8

What did Merton state social order was based on?

Answer 8

A consensus surrounding social goals and the acceptable and unacceptable ways of achieving them

Question 9

What is created when there are a lack of legitimate means to reach social goals?

Answer 9

A strain between the goals we should achieve and the acceptable ways to do so

Question 10

What are illegitimate means?

Answer 10

An alternative way of reaching a social goal, which is not accepted by society

Question 11

What are the 5 responses to strain?

Answer 11

Innovation, conformity, ritualism, retreatism and rebellion

Question 12

What is conformity?

Answer 12

Accepting social goals and legitimate means to do so

Question 13

What is innovation?

Answer 13

Accepting social goals, but rejecting the means to do so

Question 14

What is rebellion?

Answer 14

Creating your own new means and social goals

Question 15

What is ritualism?

Answer 15

Accepting the means, but rejecting the social goals

Question 16

What is retreatism?

Answer 16

Rejecting both the social goals and the means to do so

Question 17

What are the strengths of Merton’s theory?

Answer 17

Supports statistics - majority of crime is to do with property, showing how society values wealth
Shows how both normal and deviant behaviour arise from same social goals - e.g conformity vs innovation

Question 18

What are the criticisms of Merton’s theory?

Answer 18

Doesn’t recognise that conformists commit crime - e.g white collar crimes
Society may not have a consensus view, e.g not all want financial success