Functionalist view on crime and deviance

1. Functionalism view on crime and deviance

• sees that crime and deviance is to do with structue of society

• social order and cohesion based on value consensus & agencies of social control try protect this by controlling the threat posed by crime and deviance

Durkhiem 4 functionality of crime

1 - Inevitable - can be reduced never gone

2 - Universal - exists in every society

3 - Relative - what is seen as criminal varies from society to society

4 - Functional - a limited amount of crime can benefit society as the experience can strengthen social bonds

DURKHIEM VIEW ON CRIME

• Crime helps define the boundaries of acceptable behaviour in society.

• Since shared values change over time, a small amount of crime is necessary to clarify these boundaries.

• A completely crime-free society is impossible.

Why Durkhiem thinks small amount is necessary?

A small amount of crime is necessary for society because it serves important functions:

Reaffirms boundaries – Public punishment reinforces shared values.

Maintains social cohesion – Communities unite in response to serious crimes (e.g., 9/11).

Encourages social change – Sympathy for offenders can lead to shifts in laws and values.

Acts as a safety valve – Some deviance provides a harmless outlet for frustration (e.g., prostitution).

Serves as a warning sign – Crime can highlight societal issues (e.g., truancy signals education problems).

Durkhiem pt 2

• During major social change, shared values weaken, leading to anomie (normlessness).

• People prioritize self-interest over social values, causing crime to rise.

• Restoring order requires reinforcing collective values

Evaluation of Durkheim

Strengths:

First to analyze crime sociologically and highlight its positive functions.

Showed that deviance is a natural and essential part of society.

Weaknesses:

Does not explain the causes of crime.

Fails to address why some people commit crimes more than others.

Overlooks crime’s negative effects, like isolating vulnerable groups (e.g., the elderly).

Merton’s strain theory

• Merton adapted Durkheim’s anomie to describe the struggle when socially approved goals are unreachable by legitimate means.

• In the U.S., the American Dream promotes success through wealth and status, but not everyone has equal opportunities.

• This creates strain, pushing some to use illegitimate means to achieve their goals—a pressure to deviate Merton calls the strain to anomie.

MERTON’s 5 reactions to pressure of achieving the American Dream view

1. Conformity – Most people follow legitimate paths like education and hard work to succeed.

2. Innovation – Some use illegal ways, like drug dealing or robbery, to gain wealth.

3. Ritualism – People stop striving for success but still follow the rules, like staying in a low-paying job without ambition.

4. Retreatism – Individuals give up entirely, turning to drugs or alcohol and dropping out of society.

5. Rebellion – Some reject the American Dream and seek to replace it with new values, sometimes through criminal means like terrorism.

EVALUATION OF MERTON

Strengths :

Explains why working-class crime happens.

Connects societal pressure to criminal behaviour.

Clarifies crimes that generate profit.

Shows how valuing money (like in the U.S.) increases crime, while valuing respect (like in Japan) reduces it.

Weaknesses:

Trusts official crime statistics too much.

Doesn't explain why some working-class people stay law-abiding.

Focuses on individuals rather than groups, ignoring gang crime.

Assumes everyone has the same values.

Fails to explain crimes without financial motives, like vandalism.

ALBERT COHEN - SUBCULTURAL THEORY

Developed to explain crimes like vandalism and drug use, which Merton’s theory didn’t explain.

cohen argues Working-class boys who struggle in school are most likely to become delinquent.

Their values clash with middle-class school values, making success through education difficult.

This leads to status frustration—anger from blocked aspirations.

To gain status, they form subcultures that promote crime.

These subcultures reverse mainstream values (e.g., skipping school instead of attending).

They provide an illegitimate path to status through crime.

NIGHTINGALE - A STUDY PROVIDING EVIDENCE FOR A. COHEN

Nightingale studied young Black gangs in Philadelphia.

They seek status by getting the latest consumer goods.

Since they face exclusion from education, jobs, and politics, they turn to crime to achieve status.

EVALUATION OF A. COHEN

Strengths:

Explains crimes without financial motives.

Expands Merton’s theory by showing success pressure can lead to group crime.

Weaknesses:

Assumes everyone shares thte same values.

ignores female crime

CLOWARD AND OHLIN - SUBCULTURAL THEORY

Different subcultures respond differently to failure in legitimate success, depending on their access to illegitimate opportunities (e.g., knowing how to commit crimes or having criminal connections).

Criminal subculture – Found in stable working-class areas with established crime networks. Crime is for financial gain, and status comes from gang membership.

Conflict subculture – Found in areas with high population turnover, where no strong criminal network exists. Leads to violence, vandalism, and anti-social behavior.

Retreatist subculture – Includes those who fail in both legal and illegal success. They turn to drugs and alcohol instead

EVALUATION OF CLOWARD AND OHLIN

Strengths:

Expands Cohen’s theory by explaining different types of working-class deviance.

Weaknesses:

Focuses only on working-class crime, ignoring crimes of the wealthy.

Ignores female crime

MILLER - SUBCULTURAL THEORY

Miller argues the working class has its own subculture, separate from mainstream society.

They get into trouble because their values differ from the rest of society.

He calls these values focal concerns, which include:

Smartness – looking good and being witty.

Trouble – getting into conflicts.

Excitement – seeking thrills.

Toughness – valuing physical strength.

Autonomy – resisting control from others.

Fatalism – believing fate decides their future.

These values naturally lead to crime.

EVALUATION OF MILLER

Strengths:

Helps explain working-class delinquency.

Highlights how values can influence criminal behaviour.

Recognizes that crime isn't just about poverty but also culture.

Weaknesses:

Focal concerns may apply to middle-class males too.

Not all working-class people are criminals; if they had a distinct subculture, crime would be universal among them

With Durkheim's theory in mind, how can the events in the following images be functional for society?

Durkheim – Some crime is normal and healthy for society. Weak norms allow change, as past deviance can become accepted (e.g., Rosa Parks, Mandela, Suffragettes).

Merton – Crime occurs when people can't achieve success through legal means, so they turn to crime as an alternative.

Cohen – Working-class boys face status frustration, leading them to form subcultures that may encourage crime.

Cloward and Ohlin – Social environment creates different subcultures, some of which lead to crime.

Miller – The working class has its own values, called focal concerns, and these values often lead to crime.

Examples

Bradford riots – Act as a warning that there is a problem in society that needs fixing.

7/7 vigil – Unites society, maintaining social cohesion after an offense.

Mandela's imprisonment – Leads to social change by shifting society's values.

Public execution – Reaffirms social boundaries, reminding us of shared norms and values, uniting us against the condemned