Functionalist, Strain and Subcultural theories

Intro

Functionalist theory

Functionalists see society as based on a value consensus, which means it is a shared set of norms and values. This provides social solidarity, as we share the same culture, binding individuals together. In order to achieve this solidarity, society needs to do two things.

- Socialisation, individuals need to be socialised through primary (home ) and secondary socialisation (school), so that we have the same norms and values.

- Social control is positive and negative reinforcement. There are rewards for good behaviour and punishments for bad behaviour.

Inevitability of Crime

Durkheim

Not everyone is equally socialised into the shared norms and values. For example, a family may socialise their children into believing a wrong is right, this may be because the parents allow their children to smoke and drink from a young age. And second of all, today's modern society is very diverse, so it would be filled with different subcultures with their own different norms and values.

Boundary Maintenance

Durkheim

Durkheim believes that there is a positive function of crime. As it promotes social solidarity. Crime produces a reaction from society as it unites its members together in condemnation of the wrongdoer. Society comes together to publicly shame and stigmatise the offender, which creates the integration of the individuals, as it brings society together to reaffirm the norms and values. An example of this can be done through the courtroom, where the courtroom can bring people from the outside to shame people for their wrongdoings. And through social media, people can come together from the media and publicly shame them through the views, and they come together, which further establishes their understanding of the collective norms and values. This shows that society is morally strict on what is right and wrong, and it purposefully discourages people from law breaking.

Evalusation

Durkheim says that this reaction is a positive thing, however, it can actually cause negative reactions. For example, women may fear for their lives and fear that they are endangered, so they may resort to staying at home. This shows it does not always integrate individuals.

Adaptation and Change

Durkheim

Durkheim believes all change starts with an act of deviance; society’s norms and values cannot be so rigid, and there needs to be some scope for people to challenge these norms and values in order to change them. Deviance allows for new ideas and ways of living to arise in society. For example, there was a time when the norms and values were that women had no rights, could not vote and had to live under their husband’s shadow. It had taken the suffragette movement to allow women to have rights. This shows that in the moment it my look like deviance however in the long run this deviance gets rise to a culture and imporves society.

Evaluation

Durkheim says that deviance is required; however, it raises the question of how much deviance is required. It does not always produce a positive reaction from society, for an example some women may start fearing leaving the house.

Merton Strain Theory

Merton

The American dream relates to the cultural end goal of wealth and success. The American dream also presents the ideology that society is meritocratic, which means that if you work hard for it, you can get it (equal opportunity). However, in reality there are many disadvantages groups that do not have lefit opportunities, for an example being in poverty and being discriminated may mean you are denied many opportunities, therefore there is a strain between the cultural goal of money and achieving the American dream, and the lack of legit opportunities, to achieve this. This creates frustration and pressure, which makes them resort to illegitimate means, such as theft or fraud, and Merton causes the strain to anomie(normlessness). The pressure is also increased due to the media, as the disadvantaged people can see the lives of the successful and see what they lack.

Deviant adaptation to straine

Merton

Conformity

Accept culturally approved goals and strive to achieve them legitimately. This is most likely among middle-class individuals who have good opportunities to achieve, but Merton sees it as the typical response of most Americans.

Innovation

Individuals accept the goal of money success but use illegitimate means such as theft or fraud to achieve it. These are usually the lower-class people.

Ritualism

Individuals give up on trying to achieve the goals, but have internalised the legitimate means, and so they follow the rules for their own sake. This is typical of lower-middle-class office workers in dead-end routine jobs.

Retreatism

Individuals reject both the goals and the legitimate means and become dropouts. Merton includes drug addicts and drunkards nittys for an example.

Rebellion

Reject the existing society’s goals and means, but they replace them with new ones in a desire to bring about revolutionary change and create a new kind of society. Rebels include political radicals and countercultures such as hippies.

Status frustration

Cohen

Working-class boys are devalued in school. This is because they suffer from cultural deprivation, for example, lacking an elaborated code. They are in a school which has a middle-class habitus, meaning the school reflects the values of middle-class students, resulting in middle-class boys at the top of the social hierarchy. Working-class boys cannot achieve this status by legitimate means; in this case, it is education, therefore, they suffer from status frustration. They want ot have a higher status, but as they are not valued, in a school they cannot gain this high status, and they are at the bottom of the status hierarchy. Therefore, they resort to illegitimate means in order to gain status. This would deviate from the school’s norms, for example, they do drugs, bunk school, and start fights. After this they form a anti-school subculture.