Topic 1 Flashcards
(35 cards)
What are the two mechanisms Functionalists argue society has to maintain solidarity?
Socialisation
Social control
which functionalist said, “Crime is normal …. An integral part of all healthy societies”?
Durkheim
What are the two reasons why crime is inevitable?
Socialisation into different lifestyles makes some people more prone to deviance than others
Complex division of labour leads to subcultures and values which may be seen as deviant
Why does Durkheim argue there is greater anomie in modern society?
Durkheim argues that a complex division of labour increases individualism, which undermines the shared culture or collective conscience and leads to people straining to anomie
What are the two positive functions of crime according to Durkheim?
Boundary Maintenance: the reaction to the crime reinforces social solidarity and discourages the behaviour happening again
Adaption and Change: deviance allows social change to occur and turns d behaviour into non d behaviour in the future
What are Durkheim’s reasons for saying that too little crime and too much crime are equally as bad?
Both disrupt the balance needed for healthy social order.
What does Kingsley Davis mean by prostitution as a Safety valve?
For the release of men’s sexual frustrations without threatening the monogamous nuclear family.
What does Polsky also argue to support Durkhiem’s view that crime has positive functions?
Porn channels a variety of sexual desires away from alternatives such as adultery.
Who argues that deviance is important because it helps us recognise that an institution is not functioning properly?
A. Cohen
Who argues that society is organised to promote crime?
Merton
Which sociological theory is important in showing the ways in which deviance is integral to society?
Functionalists
Give three Criticisms of the functionalist perspective on Crime.
- Functionalists fail to tell us how much amount of crime is needed in society
- Functionalists ignore that crime doesn’t benefit everyone e.g. trafficked sex workers
- Just society produces crimes does not mean that does mean it is why it necessarily exists.
Why do people commit crimes according to the strain theories?
Strain theories argue that people commit crimes because they are unable to attain the socially approved goals through legitimate means
Who were the first strain theories?
Merton
Which of Durkheim’s concepts does Merton use to explain structural factors and cultural factors?
Anomie
What does Merton mean by Structural factors?
Society’s unequal opportunity structure
What does Merton mean by cultural factors?
The strong emphasis on success and weaker emphasis on using legitimate means to achieve them
How does Merton explain deviance is due to strain?
Merton argues that people commit crimes because they strain between using the legitimate means to achieve socially accepted goal
Why does Merton argue the American Dream causes people to strain to deviance?
The American Dream causes people to strain due to the unequal opportunity structure in America
What are the 5 ways adaptation of strain according to Merton?
Conformity
Innovators
Retreatism
Ritualism
Rebellion
Give two ways Merton’s strain theory explains patterns shown in official crime statistics.
Merton shows why most crime is property crime because American society values material health so highly.
Lower class crime rates are higher because they have the least opportunity to obtain wealth legitimately
Give three criticisms of Merton.
Merton takes crime statistics at face value
Marxists argue that it ignores the power of the ruling class to make and enforce the laws in ways that criminalise the poor but not the rich
Merton only accounts for utilitarian crimes and not violence, vandalism etc
Why does crime occur according to subcultural strain theories?
They see deviance as the product of a delinquent subculture with different values from those of mainstream society.
In what two ways does Cohen criticise Merton’s strain theory?
Cohen criticizes Merton as Merton solely focuses on Individual response to strain, ignoring that much crime is committed in groups
Merton only focuses on Utilitarian crime and ignores crimes such as assault and vandalism which may have no economic gain
