Functionalist perspectives on crime and deviance

What are the characteristics of functionalism as a sociological theory ?

Social order, social control, hierarchy, value consensus, structuralism, macro theory and socialisation

What are the two key mechanisms that Functionalists use for social solidarity and community cohesion?

socialisation and social order

What must we always remember about Functionalism and crime?

no specific functionalist criminology exists with its own individual interpretations of: crime statistics, the source of criminality and potential policy solutions.

What are Durkheim’s two key ideas?

Crime is inevitable, crime is functional

What was the function of punishment for Durkheim?

Durkheim agued punishments main function was to ‘heal the wounds done to the collective sentiment’ (Justice for those affected or hurt by the crime)

What were the two possible functions of deviance, identified by A Cohen

Deviance provides a harmless expression of discontent. It acts as a safety valve. And, certain deviant acts also act as a warning to indicate an aspect of society is malfunctioning.

Criticism of Durkheim?

Durkheim never explained why some groups are more prone to deviance than others.

What is Merton’s strain theory?

Merton's strain theory argues that society sets approved goals and socially accepted means to achieve them. When individuals cannot achieve these goals through legitimate means, they may resort to deviance or crime as an alternative.

What issue did Merton have with Durkheim’s ideas?

Durkheim never explained why some groups are more likely to commit crime than others. Merton believed that Durkheim's focus on societal functions overlooked the varying opportunities available to different social groups, leading to unequal rates of deviance.

What is the subcultural strain theory

A theory that suggests deviance arises from the norms and values of subcultures that differ from mainstream society, often as a response to strain or blocked opportunities.

What is Cohen’s status frustration theory?

Cohen's status frustration theory argues that working-class boys experience a sense of frustration due to their inability to achieve middle-class success, leading them to form subcultures that reject mainstream values and create alternative definitions of success.

Criticism of Cohen’s status frustration?

Miller argued that opposition to mainstream values was more widespread in the working class because working class values are incompatible with middle class education values. Doesn’t address female offending. Underplays the significance of relationships outside of school, which may play a bigger role in the formation of subcultures.

Cloward and Ohlin’s illegitimate opportunity structures:

the idea that those who make money in an illegitimate way still find it harder than others. They agreed with Merton that there was a legitimate opportunity structure made available through gang membership. However, strain exists in relation to illegitimate opportunity structures explaining why not everyone can easily find a criminal path to gain success.