Sociology theorists (Crime and Deviance)

Durkheim - functionalist theory

The inevitability of crime

• Sees crime as inevitable

• Reasons - 1. not everyone is equally effectively socialised into society’s shared norms and values 2. In modern societies there’s diversity of lifestyle and values. Groups develop their own subcultures. What they see as normal, society may see as deviant.

Positive functions of crime

1. Boundary maintenance - crime produces a reaction from society, uniting its members in condemning the wrongdoer and reinforcing their commitment to shared norms and values.

2. Adaptation and change - All change starts with an act of deviance. E.g. authorise often persecute religious visionaries.

Davis

Prostitution acts as a safety valve

Polsky

Porn channels sexual desires, prevents adultery

Cohen

Deviance helps to identity if an institution is functioning eg if truancy is high it means the school system needs to change

Merton - strain theory

The American dream

• Americans are expected to pursue this by legit means. They’re told society is meritocratic and everyone has opportunities

• This is false, many groups are disadvantaged. E.g poverty, poor schooling and discrimination in employment

• The resulting strain produces frustration, this creates a pressure to resort to illegitimate means

Deviant adaptations to strain

• Conformity - accepting approved goals and striving to achieve them legitimately

• Innovation - accepting the goal but using illegitimate means

• Ritualism - giving up on the goal but following the rules eg working a dead end job

• Retreatism - rejecting the goals and the legit means eg addicts and tramps

• Rebellion - rejecting goals and means but replacing them with new ones to bring revolutionary change eg political radical

Cohen - status frustration

Agreed with Merton that deviance is largely. Results from their inability to achieve society’s goals by legit means. However, he criticises Merton on 2 grounds:

• Merton sees deviance as an individual response to strain, ignoring the fact that much deviance is committed in or by groups

• Merton focuses on utilitarian crime, doesn’t explain other types

Cohen focuses on WC boys. They face anomie in MC dominated school. Suffer from CD and lack skills needed to achieve. Left at the bottom of the official status hierarchy, causing status frustration. They resolve this by turning to or making delinquent subcultures

Alternative status hierarchy

• Subcultures invert the values of mainstream society. E.g. in anti-school subcultures, boys gain status from vandalising property and truanting

• For Cohen, subcultures’ function is to offer the boys an alternative hierarchy in which they can achieve

• This offers an explanation for non utilitarian crime

• However, assumes WC boys start off with the same goals as MC boys

Piliavin and Briar (1964)

Found that police decisions to arrest a youth were mainly based on physical cues (such as manner and dress)

Cicourel - negotiation of justice

• Young middle class people favoured by the justice system

• Seen to have more of a future, a good kid who made a mistake

• Parents more likely to be able to negotiate with control agencies