Functionalist x Strain x Subcultural Theories of Crime & Deviance

What does Miller argue about deviance

Deviance is a distinctive working-class subculture that has existed for centuries

What are Milelrs focal cocnerns

Values of working-class culture which shape behaviours and lead to deviance.

List some of Miller’s focal concerns

Toughness, toxic masculinity, aggression, autonomy, and freedom

Why does Miller believe young people are more deviant?

young people are more deviant because they are more impressionable and so they adopt the values of the existing working-class, culture. They therfore engage in deviant behaviors to establish their identity.

What do Cloward & Ohlin believe about subcultures?

Different social circumstances produce different types of delinquent subcultures

WWhat are the three types of subcultures?

Criminal, Conflict & Retreatist

What is a criminal subculture?

A subculture focused on utilitarian (useful) crime (e.g. theft, fraud).

Where do criminal subcultures develop?

Working-class areas with high levels of adult crime.

What is a conflict subculture?

A subculture characterised by violence and gang warfare.

Where do conflict subcultures develop?

Socially disorganised areas with high population turnover

What is population turnover?

How much birth death and migration rates change over time

What is a retreatist subculture?

A subculture consisting of ‘double failures’ who have failed in both mainstream society and criminal world.

How do members of the retreatist subculture cope with failure?

They turn to drug addiction and alcoholism - funded by petty theft, drug dealing, or prostitution.

Strength of Cloward & Ohlin sucultural theory?

Sucessfuly explains why delinqueny takes different formsin different social settings.

Criticism of Cloward & Ohlin sucultural theory?

Exaggerates differences between the identified subcultures – they overlap.

What causes strain according to Merton?

Inequality within society leading to socially approved goals being inacessible for all to achieve via legitimate means.

What are the 5 modes of adaptation according to Merton?

• conformitry

• innovation

• ritualism

• retreatism

• rebellion

What is conformity?

Accepting goals of mainstream society and following legitimate methods to reach them.

What is innovation?

Using illegitimate means to achieve mainstream goals.

What is ritualism?

Giving up (no ambition) on goals but still following rules.

What is retreatism?

Rejecting both mainstream goals and means of achieveing them e.g. drug dealers, tramps.

What is rebellion?

Rejecting existing goals and means and replacing them with new ones (monks).

Criticism of Merton strain theory?

Assumes everyone values financial success and job satisfaction.

Why has Merton not adressed all people within his theory regarding deviance?

Merton ignores the many which experience strain but do not turn to crime.

What type of crime does Merton overlook?

White collar crime

 What type of theory is Fucntionalistm?

A consensus theory

What does it mean to be a consensus theory?

To believe that society functions through widespread agreement on shared norms and values.

Why is crime inevitable according to Durkheim?

People are exposed to different circumstances/upbringings therfore do not value shared norms in the same way as eachother.

What does Durkheim believe the funcitons of crime are?

Strengthening collective values, social change, warning light, safety valve

How does Durkheim believe crime strengthen collective values?

Punishment reinforces boundaries of acceptable behaviour.

How does crime enable social change?

It challenges existing norms allowing for new ideas to develop.

How does deviance act as a ‘saftey valve’ for wider society?

Releases social tensions and frustration avoiding more erious challenges to social order.

How is crime a warning device?

High crime rates can indicate underlying social problems (e.g. suicide rates).