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Functionalst strain and subcultural theories - Coggle Diagram
Functionalst strain and subcultural theories
Durkheims functionalist theory
See crime as inevitable and universal
Not everyone is socialised equally into societies shared norms and values
There is diversity of lifestyles and values especially in complex modern societys
different groups develop their own subculture and there norms and values may be seen as deviant
Modern societies tend towards anomie and the rules of governing become weaker and less clear cut
Weakness of shared collective culture leads to higher levels of deviance
Durkheims Positive functions of crime
Boundary maintenance
Crime produces a reaction from society uniting its members for the punishment of the wrongdoer and reinforcing their commitment to shared norms and values
Adaptation and change
For Durkheim all change starts with an act of deviance Must be some scope to challenge authority
Signals malfunctioning of the system
Too much crime threatens to tear the bonds of society apart
Too little means that society is repressing and controlling its members too much
Other functions of crime
Davis argues that prostitution acts as a safety valve for the release of mens sexual frustrations without threatening the nuclear family
Polsky argues that pornography channels sexual desires away from adultery benefiting the family
Cohen argues that deviance is a warning that an institution is not functioning properly
Criticisms of Durkheim
Argues that society requires a certain amount of deviance but does not specify how much
Explain the existence of crime in terms of its supposed function but this doesn't mean society creates crime with the intention of strengthening solidarity
Fails to see how it might impact individuals differently
Cannot explain why some are more deviant than others
Crime doesn't always promote solidarity
Mertons strain theory
Argue that people engage in deviant behaviour when they unable to achieve socially accepted goals by legitimate means
Combines two elements
Structural factors, unequal opportunity
Cultural factors, strong emphasis on success
Deviance is the result of strain between two things
The goals that a culture encourages us to achive
What the institutional structure allows them to achieve legitimatly
The American Dream
This ideology tells tells Americans that there society is meritocractic
However, in reality many disadvantaged groups are denied the opportunity to achieve legitimately
Resulting strain between the cultural goal of money success and lack of legitimate opportunities creates frustration and pushes people to turn to illegitimate means
Strain to anomie
Deviant adaptations to strain 5 types
Conformity, accept the goals and strive to achieve them legitimatly (m/c)
Innovation, accept the goal but use new illegitimate means to achieve
Riutalism, give up on goals but follow the rules for their own sake
Retreatism, reject both goals and legitimate means and become drop outs
Rebellion, reject goals and means and create new ones in desire for revolutionary change
Evaluation of merton
Structural
Can explain different patterns of deviance his work which led to subcultural theories
Criticisms
Cannot explain where the rules came from
takes official statistics at face value, w/c over represented
Too deterministic
Marxists argue it ignores the powers of the ruling class
Assumes there is a value consensus for money
Only accounts for utilitarian crime
Ignores the role of group deviance
Not easily applicable to a post modern pick and mix society
Subcultural strain theories
See deviance as the product of a delinquent subculture with different values from those in mainstream society. Reject the majority view
Provides an alternative opportunity structure for those who cannot achieve for legitimate means (w/c)
Albert Cohen, Status frustration
Agrees with Merton that deviance is largely a lower-class phenomenon, results from being unable to achieve through legitimate means
Criticises Merton on two grounds
Sees deviance as an individual response ignoring group crime
Focuses on utilitarian crime and ignores crimes with no economic motive
Focuses on w/c boys argues that afec anomie in m/c schools due to cultural deprivation
As a result the boys suffer status frustration and reject the schools values creating a delinquent subculture
Offers alternative statues hierachy
One strength is that it offers an explanation for non utilitarian deviance
However, assumes w/c start off by sharing m/c goals
Cloward and Ohlin
Explain w/c crime in terms of being denied opportunity
Note that not everyone may turn to innovation, may turn to violence, look for an illegitimate structure
3 subcultures
Criminal subculture
Gives youth opportunities for apprenticeships in utilitarian crime
Arise of neighbourhoods with longstanding crime and professional adults
Conflict subculture
Arise in areas with high population turnover, high levels of disorganisation
Opportunities for young people in loose networks
Violence releases frustration and gains status
Retreatist subculture
double failures who also failed in criminal subcultures
Many turn to illegal drug use
Evaluation
Provides an explanation for different types of w/c crime
Fails to consider white collar
Not everyone gets sucked into the illegitimate subculture
Assumes not possible to belong to more than one subculture
Women have more blocked opportunities
Focuses on w/c crimes
Walter B Miller
Argues not everyone has the same success goals
Argues w/c has its own values and subcultures, focal concerns
Trouble
Toughness
Exitement
Smartness
Fatalism
Autonomy
W/c do not value m/c success so no frustration
Criticisms
Ignores females
Many m/c adopt focal concerns
Not all w/c adopt
Sykes and Matza
interactionmist critique
young people drift in and out of deviance
Young people less skilled in suppressing subterranean values and use techniques to justify deviance
Travis Hirschi control theory
Attatchment
Commitement
Involvement
bELIEF
Postmodern view
Argue it falls down when looking for a rational explanation of crime
Katz people engage as it is exiting
People attracted by flirting with danger