Functionalist Theory of Crime and Deviance Merton and Durkheim | Flashcards

Overview on Durkheim suggests that every society

Durkheim suggests that every society shares a set of core values, which he called the collective conscience (core shared values of society). The more behaviour differs from these core values, the more likely it will be seen as deviant. 

A strong collective conscience, backed up by a fair legal system that compensated those harmed by deviant behaviour and punished offenders, forms the basis of society.

What are the 2 main principle of Structuralist theory?

• Socialisation – Values and a shared culture internalised by its members, who know right and wrong

• Social control – in the form of rewards and punishments

What does Durkheim argue about the functions of crime in society?

Durkheim argues that crime and deviance has both positive and negative functions for society.

Overview on Durkheim’s theory on Crime and Deviance

According to Durkheim, crime – or at least a limited amount of crime – is necessary for any society. The basis of society is a set of shared values that guide our actions – the collective conscience. The collective conscience provides a framework with boundaries, which distinguishes between actions that are acceptable and those that are not. The problem for any society is that these boundaries are unclear and they change over time. It is in clarifying the boundaries and the changes that a limited amount of crime has its place. 

Durkheim suggested ways in which crime serves a positive function

1. Reaffirming the boundaries

2. Changing the law

3. Social cohesion

4. Kingsley Davis (1973)

5. Albert Cohen (1993)

Reaffirming the boundaries | Positive function

Every time a person breaks the law and is taken to court, the resulting court ceremony and publicity in the newspapers, publicly reaffirms (confirms) the shared values of society and makes the boundaries of acceptable behaviour clear to the public. This is particularly clear in societies where public punishments take place – for example, when a murderer is taken out to be executed in public.

Changing the law | Positive function

Some individuals or groups deliberately set out to defy laws, known as functional rebels because they help to change the collective conscience and laws. Examples include: homosexuality, political prisoners fighting for justice – Nelson Mandela, On the other hand, changes in attitudes can lead to increasing laws, such as dangerous dogs, smoking.

Social cohesion | Positive function

Durkheim points out that when particularly horrific crimes have been committed, the entire community draws together in shared outrage, which strengthens people’s sense of belonging to the community. This was noticeable in the July 2005 London Underground bombings and the murder of Baby P. 

What does Kingsley Davis (1973) suggest?

Kingsley Davis (1973) suggested that crime was useful as a safety valve which allowed minor criminality or deviance to avoid bigger problems. For example the institution of marriage could be stabilised by married men buying the services of prostitutes.

What does Albert Cohen (1993) suggest?

Albert Cohen (1993) suggested that crime could boost employment and the economy by creating jobs, such as the police. He also believed it could act as an early warning device showing that society was going wrong.

Durkheim’s Theory on negative aspects of crime

While a certain, limited amount of crime may perform positive functions for society, according to Durkheim, too much crime has negative consequences. Crime moves from the functional to dysfunctional when there are problems with the collective conscience – Anomie and Egoism

Negative aspects of crime: What is anomie?

Anomie means normlessness, basically where people have weaker norms and values. It occurs during periods of great social stress or change (revolution or rapid economic or social change), the rules governing behaviour becomes weaker and less clear cut, collective conscience is weakened, resulting in higher levels of crime and deviance. For example, Covid-19 and The Economic Recession of 2008.

Negative aspects of crime: What is egoism?

Egoism occurs when the collective conscience becomes too weak to restrain the selfish desires of individuals. If individuals are not successfully socialised to accept collective values, they end up putting their own selfish interests before those of society as a whole and commit crime. Weaker norms and values.

Overall…

Anomie and Egoism can be countered by strengthening the collective conscience – for example teaching moral values in school.

What happened during The London Riots?

Between 6 and 10 August 2011, several London boroughs and other cities and towns across England suffered widespread rioting, looting and arson.

The first night of rioting took place on 7 August 2011 after a peaceful protest in Tottenham, following the death of Mark Duggan, a local man from the area, who was shot dead by police on 4 August 2011. Police failed to notify Duggan’s family of his death and no senior police officer was available to meet the protest, creating anger at perceived disrespect. The protesting crowd outside the police station set light to two police cars, and the pictures of this circulated on social media attracted other people to the area – what started as a relatively peaceful protest quickly descended into a riot involving mass looting.

The following days saw similar scenes in other parts of London with the worst violence taking place in Brixton, Chingford, Peckham, Enfield, Croydon, Ealing and East Ham. The city centre in Oxford Circus was also attacked. From 8 until 10 August, other cities in England including Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool, along with several towns, saw what was described by the media as ‘copycat violence’.

The riots were characterised by rampant looting and arson attacks of unprecedented levels. As a result, David Cameron returned early from his holiday in Italy and other government leaders also ended their holidays to attend to the matter. All police leave was cancelled and Parliament was recalled on 11 August to debate the situation.

There were a total 3,443 crimes across London linked to the disorder, including 5 deaths and at least 16 others injured as a direct result of related violent acts. An estimated £200 million worth of property damage was incurred, and local economic activity was significantly compromised.

The riots have generated significant on-going debate among political, social and academic figures about the causes and context in which they happened. 

How can you what caused riots; link it to anomie and egoism.

The riots could be argued to be caused by societies frustration towards the governments lack of action. The riot in 2011 as a result of an injust killing was the main reason for this, but the pending frustration from the last incident in 2008; the economic recession could also have fueled frustration between people as the rapid economic change in 2008 as well as the lack of change against the injustice on the 4/08/11 fueled the motivation to create a social change. Unfortunately, as their lack of trust in the government, judicial system and the overall police department grew the stress increased which lead to the riot arguably setting out of hand as more people joined in. The more crime committed and the more people who committed it and got away with during this for example, theft looting, vandalism etc. The more crimes where committed. This dysfuntion creates a weaker norm and value in society.

How can the London Riots be explained by Functionalism? 

According to Merton's theory there are 5 different forms of behaviour. those relevant to the riots were innovation and rebellion.

• There was a breakdown of the collective conscience, illustrated by the violent protests and looting during the riots.

• Informal social control and formal social control were no longer functioning.

What positive functions would Functionalists believe the London riots had? 

1. Social Solidarity: During times of crisis or conflict, people often come together to support each other and rebuild communities. The riots could have strengthened bonds among community members as they united to cope with and recover from the aftermath.

2. Social Change: Functionalists might argue that the riots served as a catalyst for identifying and addressing underlying social issues such as inequality, poverty, and lack of opportunities. By bringing these issues to the forefront, there could be efforts to implement positive changes in society.

3. Social Cohesion: In the aftermath of the riots, there could be increased collaboration between different societal institutions such as the government, law enforcement, community organizations, and citizens to prevent future occurrences and improve social cohesion.

AO3: Evaluation of Durkheim’s Theory (Functionalism)

• Positives/Strengths

• Negatives/Weaknesses

Positives/Strengths

• Newburn (2013) argues that Durkheim is useful as he was the first to suggest that some level of crime is normal in society.

• Functionalist ideas about positive functions direct attention to the ways in which deviance can have hidden functions for society – not everything that is bad, is bad for society.

• Taylor, Walton and Young (1973) are Neo-Marxists and they argue that crime itself is not functional, it is just the publicising of crime and public punishment that helps unite society.

• Newburn (2013) argues that Durkheim identified that crime was linked to the values of society and these values, and therefore crime, could change.

Negatives/Weaknesses

• Functionalism does not explain why crime exists in the first place – just because crime has a positive function, this does not mean society actually created crime in advance with this intention.

• Functionalism does not explain the correct amount of deviance for it to be beneficial or which crimes are and are not.

• Newburn (2013) acknowledges that Durkheim ignores the issue of power as he stresses the belief that the law reflects the interests of the majority of the population and exaggerated the extent that there was a collective conscience in society.

• Functionalism assumes crime has positive roles for society, but ignores how it affects individuals – particularly the victims. ‘Functional for whom’.

In conclusion

This is a basic summary of what this flashcard contains

Durkheim - A functionalist’s Theory

Durkheim's theory of the collective conscience proposes that every society shares core values, and deviance occurs when behavior strays from these norms. He argues that a fair legal system reinforces these values through rewards and punishments. Crime, according to Durkheim, serves both positive and negative functions for society. Positive functions include reaffirming boundaries, prompting legal changes, and fostering social cohesion. However, excessive crime leads to anomie, a breakdown of norms, and egoism, where individuals prioritize self-interest over societal values.

Summary on the London Riots. Do you remember what happened?

The London Riots of 2011 can be linked to anomie and egoism. Frustration with government inaction, fueled by economic recession and perceived injustice, led to societal unrest. The breakdown of trust in institutions exacerbated the situation, resulting in widespread violence and looting. This breakdown reflects a weakened collective conscience and ineffective social controls.

Functionalists perspective on Crime and Deviance linked to Merton’s theory

Functionalism, as exemplified by Merton's theory, suggests that deviance can serve various functions in society. The riots can be understood as forms of innovation and rebellion, indicating a breakdown of the collective conscience and social controls. However, Functionalists would argue that the riots also had positive functions, such as fostering social solidarity, prompting social change, and promoting collaboration among societal institutions.

Evaluation

In evaluating Durkheim's theory, strengths include:

• His recognition of the normalcy of crime in society and his emphasis on the role of collective values.

However, weaknesses include:

• The failure to explain the origins of crime and the neglect of power dynamics.

What do functionalists generally focus on when it comes to crime?

Functionalism's focus on the positive functions of deviance may overlook its negative impact on individuals, highlighting the need to consider whose interests are served by deviant behavior.

Overall, Is Durkheim’s theory still valuable and accurate?

Overall, Durkheim's insight into the relationship between crime and societal values remains valuable despite these criticisms.