Topic 1 - Functionalist, strain and subcultural theories

Who argues that crime is inevitable

• Durkheim

Why does Durkheim view crime as inevitable

• Not everyone is effectively socialised into norms and values

• Postmodern society there are many diverse views, people view acts as deviant

What is anomie

• Sense of normlessness

What two positive functions does Durkheim argue that crime fulfils

• Boundary maintenance

• Adaptation and change

What is boundary maintenance

• Crime producing a reaction in society, punishment from this crime can reinforce shared norms and values

What is adaptation and change

• All change starts from an act of deviance

• Challenging different norms and values

• Could in the long run give rise to new norms

Who argues prostitution is a safety valve

• Davis

• Acts as a safety valve to release of men’s sexual frustration without threatening the monogamous nuclear family

Who argues that deviance acts as a warning to institutions not functioning properly

• Cohen

• E.g. high rate of truancy shows that there is problems with education system

Criticisms of functionalist perspectives

• No way of knowing what is the right amount of deviance

• People do not commit crime with the intention of strengthening solidarity

• Crime may not always lead to social solidarity, could cause fear

Who argues strain theory

• Merton

What is strain theory argument

• Immersion in the ‘American dream’ tells Americans that their society is meritocratic

• However many disadvantaged group are denied the opportunity to achieve legitimately so turn to illegitimate means of acquiring material goods

• Strain between cultural goal of money and the means to achieve it

What does Merton describe this strain as

• The strain to anomie

What are Mertons 5 deviant adaptations to strain

• Conformity - Accept cultural goals and strive to achieve

• Innovation - accepts goals of money success using new illegitimate means

• Ritualism - follow rules for their own sake, mc dead end office jobs

• Retreatism - reject goals and legitimate means, become dropouts

• Rebellion - rejects existing norms and replaces them with societal norms

Evaluation of Mertons strain theory

• Sees crime as mainly WC

• Marxists argue it ignores ruling class laws to criminalise the poor

• Assumes value consensus of goals

• Only accounts for utilitarian crime

Who argues status frustration

• Cohen

What does cohen mean by status frustration

• Offering boys higher status hierarchy if they have failed legitimate opportunity structure

• Helps to explain non-economic factors such as truancy in school

Who argued that there was 3 subcultures

• Cloward and Ohlin

What are the 3 subcultures and why are they formed

• formed due to response in diffferent ways to the lack of legitimate opportunities

  1. Criminal subculture

  2. Conflict subculture

  3. Retreatist subculture

What is a criminal subculture

• Organised crime for a career in utilitarian crime

• Provide youths with opportunity for organised utilitarian crime

What is conflict subcultures

• Gangs and violence

• Allows young men to release violence and frustration

What is a Retreatist subculture

• ‘Double failures’

• Fail in both legitimate and illegitimate opportunities

• Turn to drugs and alcohol

Eval for Cloward and Ohlin

• Not everyone starts of sharing the same mainstream goals

• Miller - WC have their own subcultural goals

• Matza - most are not committed to their subculture, they drift in and out of delinquency