FUNCTIONALIST, STRAIN + SUBCULTURAL THEORY

Functionalists - The inevitability of crime

Not everyone equally effectively socialised into the shared norms and values, so some individuals prone to deviate. And, with the diversity of society now, diff ppl have subcultures and diff lifestyles, so subcultures may be deviant. Modern societies have anomie, as they are more diverse.

Durkheim - Positive functions of crime(Boundary maintenence)

Crime produces a reaction from society, unititng its members into condemning the wrongdoer, reinforcing the value consensus, and social solidarity. e.g through courtrooms shaming, and the media.

Durkheim - Positive functions of crime(Adaptation and change)

All change starts with an act of deviance, individuals with new ideas values and ways of living must go against the weight of social control, so the crime is necessary.

Durkheim - Positive functions of crime(Safety valve)

Allows for the moral release of certain things, such as prostitution allowing for the release of men’s sexual frustrations without threatening nuclear family, and porn channelling sexual desires such as adultery.

Albert Cohen - Positive functions of crime(Warning)

Warns if an insitution is not functioning properly, high rates of truancy may tell us the education system is not functioning properly.

Durkheim - Positive functions of crime(Deviance as a valueble part of society)

Insitutions manage nd regulate deviance rather than eliminating it entirely, with festivals and misbehaviour that is ok in certain contexts, so that people can cope with the strains life.

Durkheim - Positive functions of crime(Criticisms)

Talks about the positive effects of crime, but not the negative ones, and just bc the pos ones exist doesnt mean thats why crime exists in the first place.

Merton’s strain theory -  The American Dream

The idea that you can work legitamately, meritocratically to achieve a m/c life with a family, and a good life. But, disadvantaged groups dont have these same opportunities resulting in strain between the cultural goal of success and the legitimiate ways to achieve them, resulting in pressure to use illegitimate ways to achieve them.

Merton’s strain theory - Deviant adaptations to strain

Conformity - Accept cultural goals and achieve them legitimately.

Innovation - Accept goals but use ‘new’ illegimitate ways to achieve them.

Ritualism - Reject the goals, but have internalised the means so they follow them for their own sake.e.g dead-end office jobs

Retreatism - Reject goals and means and ‘drop out’ of society.

Rebellion - Reject societies goals and means replacing them with their own to bring change or a counterculture.

Merton’s strain theory - Criticisms

-Only accounts for utilitarian crimes and not violent ones.

-Assumes there is value consensus.

Subcultural strain theory - Albert Cohen(Status frustration)

W/C boys face anomie in m/c dominated school system, experiencing cultural dep and lacking the skills to achieve, leaving them at the bottom of official status hierarchy. So, they experience status frustration, facing a problem with adjustment to the low status they were given. So, they respond by rejecting mainstream M/C values and join subcultures.

Subcultural strain theory - Albert Cohen(Alternative status hiearchy)

Subcultures values are spite, malice, hostility and contempt for those outside it, turning the mainstream upside down, so what the mainstream condemns, they praise. e.g attendance, vs truancy. Subculture offers diff status hiearachy in which they can achieve, winning status for deviant actions.

H:Assumes W/C boys have value consensus for m/c values, may never share these values and therefore not see themselves as failures.

Subcultural strain theory - Cloward + Ohlin(Why subcultures are made)

w/c youths are denied legitimate opportunities to achieve, with everyone adapting to ‘innovation’. Key reasons why subcultures are made is due to unequal access to legit ways of achieving, and unequal access to illegitimiate opportunity structures. e.g not everyone who fails in school has an equal chance of becoming a crime lord.

Subcultural strain theory - Cloward + Ohlin(Three subcultures)

Criminal subcultures - provide youths with apprenticeship for career in utilitarian crime, arising in places with stable crime and solid adult role models, allowing for training and association.

Conflict subcultures - arise in areas of high population turnover, resulting in high levels of social disorganisation and preventing a stable criminal profession from arising. Violence happens with loosely organised gangs, allowing for young men to release frustration and they are given a alt source of status done by winning ‘turf’.

Retreatist subculture - Any place, people turn to drugs and retreat due to them failing both legitimate and ilegitimate opportunity structures.

Subcultural strain theory - Cloward + Ohlin(evaluation)

Ignores crime of the wealthy and the old, focusing on the lower class youth.

Institutional anomie theory - Messner + Rosenfeld

American Dream’s pressure encourages anomic cultural environment in which people adopt an ‘anything goes’ mindset in order to pursue wealth. In the west, economic goals valued more than any other institutions, e.g schools gearing ppl up for labour market.