Functionalist Theory of Crime

• According to Functionalistsm crime and deviance disrupts social stability, however, Functionalists still regard crime as inevitable and beneficial.

• According to Durkheim, crime is ’normal and an integral part of society’

What do Functionalists suggest is the cause of crime?

1. One cause of crime is that not everyone is socialised equally and in the same way. This means that there are bound to be some people in society who deviate from the law and social norms.

2. Another cause of crime is that there is a large diversity in the lifestyles that people choose to live. This means that some people will develop their own subcultures. This had lead to, in modern and complex society, rules governing behaviour becoming less clear and weaker.

What do Functionalists regard as the FIVE functions of crime?

1. Boundary maintenance - Crime and punishment acts as a deterrent to deter people from breaking the law as they see the punishments that people are given for breaking the law and so are put off. Punishment reaffirms societies shared rules.

2. Adaption and change - Crime can be used to bring about needed change in society as if new ideas are always suppressed then society will remain stagnant. Crime allows for change and crime can lead to social change.

3. Crime can also help young adults cope with the strains of transitioning from childhood to adulthood and the difficulties that come with that transition.

4. Cohen also states that crime acts as a signal for possible changes to legislation and policies. Crime also acts as a signal to show that a system of institution is not working.

5. Davies stated that prostitution was a safety valve for the release of men’s sexual frustrations without any possible threat to the nuclear family.

What is the AO3 for the Functionalist theory of crime?

1. An advantage of the Functionalist theory of crime is that crime flags for potetial changes that need to happen in legislation or society as unhealthy levels of crime can be altered by social engineering e.g. introduction of new laws an government policy.

2. The functionalist theory also defeats the view that criminals are biologically predestined to commit crime.

3. A disadvantage of teh functionalist theory of crime is that although it states that crime can act as a signal to show that changes in institutions, policies and legislation is needed, there is no way of knowing what amount of crime is just right for society.

4. Another disadvantage of the functionalist theory of crime is that the usual intentions of crime aren’t necessarily to strengthen social solidarity as the Functionalist theory suggests. The usual intentions behind crime is that it benefits those who are committing the crime.

Merton - Strain Theory of Crime

• People engage with deviant behaviour when they are unable to achieve socially approvaed goals by legitimate means.

• Mertons theory combines ’Structural Factors’ (which is societies unequal opportunity structure) and ‘Cultural Factors’ (which is the strong emphasis on success and goals, and the weaker emphasis on using legitimate means to achieve those goals).

• Therefore according to Mertons Strain Theory, deviance is a result of a strain between: the goals that a culture encourages individuals to achieve and what the structure of society allows those individuals to achieve legitimately, the means that society gives to the individuals to achieve their goals legitimately.

• For example, the ideology of the ‘American Dream’ tells Americans that their society is meritocratic (fair). The reality is very different - many groups of people are denied the opportunities to achieve the American Dream legitimately.

• The strain between culturlal goals of money success and the lack of legitimate opportunities to achieve ir produces frustration whoch in turn creates a pressure to resort to illegal means, such as crime, to achieve those goals.

What are the five ways Merton states that people will adapt when faced with a strain?

1. The first way that Mertons states that people will adapt when faced with a strain is ‘Conformity’. This is non-deviant and non-criminal conformist citizens. These individuals accept the culturally approaved goals and strive to achieve them legitimately, without crime.

2. The second way that Merton states people will adapt when they are faced with a strain is, ‘Innovation’. This is when individuals use socially unapproved or unconventional means to obtain culturally approaved goals. For example: individuals may deal drugs or steal in order to achieve financial security.

3. The third way that Merton states that people will adapt when they are faced with a strain is ‘Ritualism’. This is when individuals give up achieving the goals they had first started out with but still stick to the means that they have available to them. For example, teachers who had a goal of working their way up to becoming head teacher has now given up on that goal, but has still stuck to the means of being a regualr teacher and just works until retirement.

4. The fourth way that Merton states that people will adapt when faced with a strain is ‘Retreatism’. This is when individuals who both have given up on/rejected the goals and legitimate means and becomes a drop out who has given up on most things altogether

5. The fifth way that Merton states that people will adapt when faced with a strain is ‘Rebellion’. This is when individuals reject existing social goals and means but substitute them for new ones and create a new society.

What are the advantages and disadvantages (AO3) of Mertons Strain Theory of crime?

1. An advantage of Merton’s Strain Theory of crime is that Merton shows how both normal and deviant behaviour can arise from the same mainstream goals (e.g. goals of having money can lead to normal behaviour, people getting jobs and working for their money or deviant behaviour, people who may drug deal or steal).

2. Another advantage of Mertons Strain Theory of crime is that Merton explains the patterns shown in Official Statistics such as trends that show that crime is higher amongst the lower classes and they have fewer opportunities to achieve their goals legitimately.

3. A disadvantage of Merton’s Strain Theory of crime is that official statistics cannot be taken at face value as upper classes also commit crime such as fraud that often go unnoticed.

4. Another disadvantage of Merton’s Strain Theory of crime is that all lower classes experience strain but they do not all deviate from the law or social norms.

5. A third disadvantage of Merton’s Strain theory of crime is that Marxists argue that Merton ignores the power of the ruling class to make and enforce laws in ways in which criminalise the working class

6. A fourth disadvantage of Mertons Strain Theory of crime is that it only accounts for utilitarian crime and not violent,state or white collar crime.

Cohen’s Subcultural Strain Theory

• Cohen argued that working class youth believe in the success goals of mainstream culture, but they have little opportunity to attain these goals by the approved means. They are denied status in mainstream society and experience ‘status frustration’.

• Cohen argues that they react to this situation of being denied status by developing an alternative distinctive set of values which is the deliquent subculture. This subculture is a reaction to, and deliberate reversal of, accepted forms of behaviour. An example is the delinquent subculture may steal which replaces working hard to obtain things, and vandalism which replaces respect for other peoples property.

• Cohen then argues that committing crime gives working class youth an opportunity to achieve status in their peer group which they are denied in the wider society

What are the advantages and disadvantages (AO3) of Cohen’s Subcultural Theory of crime?

1. One disadvantage of Cohens Subcultural Theory of crime is that it focuses to much on working class boys and doesn’t look at any other groups such as working class girls or possibly ethnic groups within the working class.

2. A second disadvantage of Cohen’s Subcultural Theory of crime is that Cohen ignores the crimes that are committed by those that are in power such as white collar crime.

3. A third disadvantage of Cohens Subcultural Theory is that Cohen assumes that there is value consensus in the first place. What about if the working class boys didnt share the same goals as mainstream society in the first place and so don’t see themselves as a failure.

4. A fourth disadvantage of Cohens Subcultural Theory is that Matza suggests that most young boys drift in and out of deviant behaviours.

5. A fifth disadvantage of Cohens Subcultural Theory of crime is that not all working class youth respond in the same way to status frustration.

6. An advantage of Cohens subcultural Theory is that it helps to explain why non-utilitarian crime is committed by working class youth.

Cloward and Ohlin’s Theory of crime

• Cloward and Ohlin argue that different subcultures will respond in different ways to the lack of legitimate opportunities.

• Cloward and Ohlin also argue that subcultures emerge as a result of theyr unnequal access to illegitimate means and opportunities to commit crimes. They argue that different neighbourhoods provide different illegitimate opportunities for young people to learn criminal nskills and develop criminal careers.

1. A criminal subculture provides youth with an ‘apprenticeship’ for a career on utilitarian crime. They arise only in neighbourhoods with a longstanding and stable criminal culture with an established hierarchy of professioanl adult criminals.

2. A conflict subculture arises in areas of high population turnover (areas where people are constantly moving in or out). This results in high levels of social disorganisation and prevents a stable professional criminal network developing. The absence of the criminal network means that the only illegitimate opportunities are in loosely organised gangs.

What are the advantages and disadvantages (A03) of Cloward and Ohlin’s Theory of crime?

1. A disadvantage of cloward and ohlins theory of crime is that it assumes that all crime is working class crime and ignores the crimes that are committed by the wealthy.

2. Another disadvantage of cloward and ohlin is that it ignores the wider power structure, including who makes and enforces the laws as these people can make laws that criminalises the working class.