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Durkheim's Functionalist Theory of Crime (Criticisms of Durkheim…
Durkheim's Functionalist Theory of Crime
Crime is inevitable and universal
In every society, some individuals are inadequately socialised and prone to deviate.
In modern societies, there is highly specialised division of labour and a diversity of subcultures
Individuals and groups become increasingly different form one another, and the shared rules of behaviour become less clear
Durkheim calls this anomie
The functions of crime
Boundary maintenance
Crime produces a reaction from society, uniting its members against the wrongdoer and reinforcing their commitment to the value consensus
Adaptation and change
For change to occur, individuals with new ideas must challenge existing norms, and at first this will appear as deviance
If this is suppressed, society will be unable to make necessary adaptive changes and will stagnate
Functionalists identify further positive functions of deviance
Safety valve
Davis argues that prostitution acts to release men's sexual frustrations without threatening the nuclear family
Warning light
Cohen argues that deviance indicates that an institution is malfunctioning
High truancy rates may indicate problems with the education system
Criticisms of Durkheim
Durkheim claims society requires a certain amount of deviance to function but offers no way of knowing how much is the right amount
Durkheim and other functionalists explain crime in terms of its function. But just because crime does these things doesn't necessarily mean this is why it exists in the first place.
Functionalism assumes crime performs positive functions for society as a whole, but ignores how it might affect individuals within it.