Functionalist Perspective

What is the functionalist view of society?

Society is a system of interconnected institutions based on shared norms and values, which work together to maintain social order.

What is the functionalist view of crime?

Crime is inevitable and can perform positive functions for society, although too much crime can threaten social stability.

Why is crime inevitable according to Durkheim?

Everyone is differently socialised, so some people will inevitably reject society's norms and values.

What is the collective conscience?

The shared norms and values that bind members of society together and create social solidarity.

How does crime perform boundary maintenance?

Crime allows society to publicly reinforce its boundaries by punishing offenders and showing which behaviours are unacceptable.

How does punishment contribute to social solidarity?

Punishing offenders reminds people of shared values and brings law-abiding members of society together against deviance.

How can crime promote social change?

Some behaviour initially labelled deviant can challenge existing norms and eventually become accepted, allowing society to adapt.

What is the functionalist criticism of too little crime?

If there is too little deviance, society may become rigid because there is less opportunity to challenge outdated norms.

What is the functionalist criticism of too much crime?

Excessive crime can weaken social solidarity and create anomie, threatening social stability.

What is anomie according to Durkheim?

A state of normlessness where society's norms and values become weak or unclear.

How does Merton develop Durkheim's concept of anomie?

Merton argues that anomie occurs when society strongly promotes success goals but does not provide equal legitimate means of achieving them.

What is conformity in Merton's strain theory?

Accepting both society's goals and legitimate means of achieving them.

What is innovation in Merton's strain theory?

Accepting society's success goals but using illegitimate means, such as crime, to achieve them.

What is ritualism in Merton's strain theory?

Giving up on society's success goals while continuing to follow legitimate means.

What is retreatism in Merton's strain theory?

Rejecting both society's success goals and legitimate means, withdrawing from mainstream society.

What is rebellion in Merton's strain theory?

Rejecting existing goals and means and attempting to replace them with alternative ones.

What is Cohen's status frustration theory?

Working-class boys experience frustration because they cannot achieve middle-class success through legitimate means, leading some to form delinquent subcultures.

What is value inversion?

The reversal of mainstream values so that behaviour normally considered wrong becomes a source of status within a deviant subculture.

What is Cloward and Ohlin's opportunity theory?

Different groups have unequal access to both legitimate and illegitimate opportunity structures, producing different types of deviant subculture.

What is a criminal subculture according to Cloward and Ohlin?

A subculture providing opportunities for organised crime, usually where established criminal role models exist.

What is a conflict subculture?

A subculture where violence is used to gain status because stable criminal opportunities are unavailable.

What is a retreatist subculture?

A subculture based on escaping from society, often through drug use, when individuals fail in both legitimate and illegitimate opportunity structures.

What is a strength of functionalism's explanation of crime?

It shows that crime can have wider social functions rather than simply being a problem caused by individual pathology.

What is a criticism of functionalism's explanation of crime?

It can appear to justify crime by focusing on its positive functions rather than the harm experienced by victims.

What is the Marxist criticism of functionalism?

Functionalism ignores unequal power and assumes shared values when Marxists argue that laws may reflect ruling-class interests.

What is the interactionist criticism of functionalism?

It treats crime as an objective reality rather than examining how behaviour becomes defined and labelled as criminal.