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Functionalism and Crime: - Coggle Diagram
Functionalism and Crime:
Durkheim:
Reasons for crime:
- Socialisation -> not everyone is equally socialised into the norms and values of society.
- Subcultures -> subgroups of society may have their own sets of norms and values.
- Anomie -> society goes through a period of rapid social change and therefore people aren't sure about what the norms and values are.
Functions of crime:
- Boundary maintenance -> The Soho murders led to DBS checks
- Adaption and change -> Suffragettes civil unrest led to the expansion of the franchise
- Safety valve -> Davis argues for prostitution for the benefit of the family
- Warning to society -> Lee Rigby
Merton's strain theory:
The American dream culture emphasises wealth and success and although people have a desire to succeed, there is often a lack of legitimate opportunities to achieve these goals.
The resulting strain between the cultural goal of money and success and the lack of legitimate opportunities to achieve it produces frustrations.
Deviance is a result of strain between two things; the goals that a culture encourages individuals to achieve and what society allows them to achieve legitimately.
Evaluation of Merton:
- Some people have alternative lifestyles and reject society but don't necessarily commit crime.
- Not every crime fits the category, such as no financial gain (rape).
- People may have achieved goals but still commit crimes e.g. Mathew Perry.
- Not everyone achieves goals through traditional means of education e.g. Richard Branson
- Does the law apply to everyone equally e.g. Dominic Cummings
- Do all people who feel the most strain commit crime, not everyone who is poor commits crime and people who feel no strain commit crime.
- Merton doesn't explain why crime and deviance caused by groups?
Evaluation of Durkheim:
- Does crime always promote social solidarity or might it lead to a breakdown in society? -> 9?11 led to Islamophobia, #metoo has led to toxic masculinity.
- Do some crimes have no benefit to society? -> Rape
- What about different groups of individuals in society?
Merton's strain types:
- Conformity -> 'normal people' who work hard for their goals
- Innovators -> committing crime for goals (Utilitarian crime)
- Retreatists -> the underclass who reject mean and goals
- Rebellion -> want a new system so rebel against the current one
- Ritualism -> continue to accept the means with no chance of reaching the goals
Cohen:
These delinquent subcultures invert mainstream societies norms and values, and do the complete opposite.
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