evaluate the usefulness of functionalist approaches in understanding C + D (30)

intro

functionalist have a positive view of society, including crime and deviance

don’t all see crime as a desired outcome but believe it has some good knock on effects

paragraph 1 - Durkheim

if managed and regulated by the relevant social institutions, crime is beneficial for society in maintaining the value consensus:

safety valve - eg. protest, allowing people to express anger in a manageable way

boundary maintenance - punishing criminals helps to reassert social values

warning device - highlights were problems are in society

usefulness - managing social solidarity, preventing revolution

paragraph 2 - Davis

In Davis' view, the use of prostitutes can act as a ‘safety valve’ for men to release their sexual tension and frustrations without threatening their marriage.

This therefore maintains the nuclear family.

It is more beneficial to maintain the nuclear family in society than to stamp out prostitution.

usefulness - maintaining the nuclear family - good for society + the economy

paragraph 3 - eval of Durkheim

* doesn’t explain why certain groups commit crime
* fails to ask who the crime is beneficial for
* some crime ARE always dysfunctional
* underestimates conflict and inequality in society
* how much is the right amount of crime?
* crime doesn’t always create social solidarity - eg. forcing women to stay inside out of fear

paragraph 4 - Strain theory, Robert Merton

strain theory - mismatch between aspiration and reality , responses:

* conformity
* innovation(accept goals, find other means)
* ritualism(accept means, reject goals to cope with failure, no career path)
* retreatism(abandon goals and means)
* rebellion (abandon conventional goals and means, create new goals)

eg. The American dream

\

paragraph 5 - eval of Merton

* not everyone has the same goals - some may work for job satisfaction or to help others, not for the money
* focusses on individual responses, not social patterns eg. class, gender, ethnicity
* why do most people experiencing strain not turn to crime?
* white collar crime - outwardly respectable
* doesn’t explain violent crimes eg. sexual assault

paragraph 6 - sub cultural theories

Cloward + Ohlin - subcultures

* criminal, conflict, retreat-ism

Walter B Miller - focal concerns

* socialisation into criminal norms and values - fatalism, autonomy, thrill seeking, proving toughness

Albert Cohen - status frustration

* education, alternative opportunity structures and status hierarchy’s

paragraph 7 - eval of subcultural theories

Matza - 3 main criticisms of subcultural explanations - makes deviants too distinctive, ‘over predicts’ delinquency, no free will or choice

conclusion

functionalist theories are useful in explaining how crime can be good for society, and subcultural theories help outline why/how people turn to crime

but there is no suggestion of any solutions or the negative impacts of crime, eg. feminist - domestic abuse, rape