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Outline and asses functionalist explanation of crime and deviance . Mariama&Shania

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Outline and asses functionalist explanation of crime and deviance . Mariama&Shania

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| Functionalists believe that the norms and values play and important role in the structure of society, if people deviate from these norms and values it would result in society being in a state of anomie where there is a lack of social cohesion. Durkheim is the founder of functionalism and saw crime as an integral part of a healthy society. Durkheim suggests that there a certain benefits of crime in society: ·         Anomie - society being in a state of chaos or normalness where there’s no agreed rule and there’s a variety of different norms and values. Durkheim says this is damaging for society. Socialisation is important for preventing anomie (people understand what is acceptable and non-acceptable) (London riots 2011) ·         Reinforcing boundaries – due to social change, boundaries have become unclear. Acceptable behaviour must be learned and unacceptable behaviour identified and deviance punished. Durkheim says that boundaries would be reaffirmed further if there was public punishments – capital punishment ·         Social solidarity – argues crime brings people together – members of society experience outrage together – ‘public temper’. There’s a collective conscience (example London riots 2011 – clean up) ·         Safety valve –deviance allows individuals to let off steam and prevent cases of higher levels of deviance – preventing potential rape cases. Example – pornography allows sexual desires to be let off without the involvement of another person
| Merton and strain theory. Merton argues that the real cause of crime lies in the relationship between culture and the social structure of society. Institutions (media) socialise individuals into believing that material success is the real goal. There aren’t clearly defined means to these goals and the routes to these goals regulates behaviour.  Modes of application (5 different responses to goal of success): 1)   Conformity – adhere to both goals and normative means and achieving his through accepted channels. 2)   Innovation – they accept goals nut reject normative means of achieving success and turn to deviant. Those of lower strata choose this path. 3)   Ritualism – individuals see the goals of society as unrealistic towards them because not everyone can have wealth so they reduce their goals. 4)   Retreatism -  dropping out of society due to not achieving success and societies goals (example, being homeless) 5)   Rebellion – replace society’s goals with their own goals which are deviant.  Links with New Right – right realism. As functionalists believe society is meritocratic, those who work hard should be rewarded accordingly. Right realists also agree with this idea and in regards to crime, poor socialisation is the cause of crime. People who do not learn society’s norms and values thus involving themselves unto unacceptable, deviant behaviour. Durkheims beliefs of public punishment to reaffirm boundaries links in with the agreement that right realists have with harsh punishments and strict forms of control – zero tolerance approach (no chances = capital punishment)  Subcultural theorists Cloward and Ohlin, see deviance as a reaction to problems in achieving the values of mainstream culture and this links with Merton’s modes of application because individuals see societies goals as unachievable so they lower their own personal goals. Also, some individuals replace society’s goals with their own goals.
| Evaluation of Durkheim: -      He didn’t explain why individuals commit crime if we all share a value consensus -      Doesn’t consider negative effects of deviance on individuals -      He sees all crime as positive when that is not the case -      Doesn’t explain why certain race group complete more crime -      Neglects the fact that all crimes are dysfunctional (example, rape) -      Marxist says he underestimates the level of conflict and inequality as he ignores the concept of power and who makes laws Evaluation of Merton: -      He assumes that the universal goal in USA is financial success but there are many other goals such as family and love to display deviant behaviour -      He explains that result in economic gain but doesn’t explain sexual or violent crimes -      Fails to explain juvenile and minor crimes -      White collar crimes and corporate rimes arise from access to opportunities -      Fails to explain who benefits from capitalist system

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Outline and assess functionalist explanation of crime and deviance.

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Outline and assess functionalist explanation of crime and deviance.

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Jeremy, Chimdi, Valerie

Knowledge and Understanding
Durkhiem: ·
-Crime and deviance can only be explained by looking at how society are organised.
-Created by society rather than individual. ·
-Crime and deviance inevitable and integral part of society. ·
-Crime increased in industrial society because of complexity of modern life.
-Less sense of community, social control and consensus. ·
- Crime and deviance facilitate the learning of boundaries and maintenance of social order.
Merton (1938): ·
-Resources and opportunities not fairly distributed within capitalist society ·
-Access to education and work blocked by economic and social disadvantages ·
-Crime and deviance occurs because goals are emphasized more than acceptable means to get them. ·
-Different responses to goal of success: Conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion

Interpretation and Application
Durkhiem: ·
-He says that crime and deviance is always going to be inevitable and a essential part of a health society, because people are always going to test boundaries. ·   -Value consensus – have the same shared norms and values in a society, reinforces boundaries so that people stick to themselves rather than be deviant to society. ·  -Social Solidarity – the senses of cohesion felt in society, members of society should all feel a part of society as a whole. ·
-Certain events like national events, sporting events, football etc.. All help to bring together collective consciences. Collective conscience – idea that people should share a set of values, ideas of right and wrong thus whoever steps out of line know that it is wrong because everyone is on the same page.
-Society has rules and boundaries of what is acceptable behavior, if not punishments and sanction from social order are delegated to those who stray beyond the boundaries.

Merton:
-Idea of anomie and ‘strain’ that moderns society goals can create. -Argues that there are, culturally defined goals from different people and any social structure. This is designed to regulate the behavior of member in society, reinforcing to conform to norms and values.
-Crime ad deviance occur when goals are emphasized more than acceptable means, for example in the media individuals believe that material success is the real gold. ·  -Resources and oppourtunities are not fairly distributed evenly because those at the bottom may experience strain to their goals and affect their legitimate means of achievement (education/work) ·
|  Durkhiem: ·
- He never explains why certain social groups commit crime ·         He reflects the fact some crimes are dysfunctional. Some crimes are always dysfunctional for society e.g rape and genocide which encourages us to question the harmonious nature of functionalist theory ·
-Doesn’t consider the negative impact of crime e.g victims ·         Functionalists are often criticised for looking at life through tinted glasses

Evaluation and Analysis
Merton: ·
-Merton has challenged for his assumption that the goal of financial successful success is universal in the USA. It could be argued that there are many other goals as such as family and love to display deviant behaviour.   ·         Merton does not explain why some individuals commit crimes yet others conform retreat or rebel.
-Mertons theory explains that result in economic gain , but he doesn’t explain sexual or violent incomes.
-White Collar crimes and cooperate are crimes arise from access to opportunities rather than the blocking of them ·         Merton to ask who benefits from the Capitalists system and especially the laws that underpin it.
-Steven Box suggests that the ruling class benefit the must from the way laws are set up.

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Outline and assess Subcultural theory explanations of crime and deviance.

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Outline and assess Subcultural theory explanations of crime and deviance.

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Subcultural theories of crime and deviance focus on the influence of peer groups on young people's norms and values which form within a subculture. Official statistics suggests that the typical criminals are young working class males.

POINT Albert Cohen (1955) – Delinquent subcultures, form as a result of 'status frustration' and the inability to obtain mainstream middle class values such as financial success and a good job. Because they can not obtain these mainstream values they choose to rebel, and instead form their own values.

EVIDENCE-  Delinquent Boys

EXPLANATION- He recognises the pressures to conform to a peer group and argues that working class boys are able to gain status in delinquent subcultures by conforming and participating in delinquent actions such as vandalism.

Miller (1958) - Miller takes from Cohen's idea of 'status frustration' and argues that working class boys have their own 'focal concerns' which are values which have

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(Karolina and Amina)       Outline and assess functionalist exaplanation of crime and deviance

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(Karolina and Amina)       Outline and assess functionalist exaplanation of crime and deviance

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Outline what functionalism is: INTRO

· Consensus structuralist theory in which it sees the source of crime and deviance located in the structuralist theory. Believes that society causes individuals to commit crime.

POINT-Outline Durkheim:

· Crime is a normal part of every healthy society

·  Crime is inevitable- not everyone being committed/socialised into general values of society

· Without deviance society would stagnate (break down) if too many people do not learn or have different values, it leaves society in a state of chaos – state of anomie.

· Social solidarity – refer to the sense of cohesion within society which means the sense of belonging.

· Safety Valves – allowing an individual or group to ‘let off steam’ to prevent worse deviance

Application:
· Davis Study of prostitution (1961) – Safety Valve

· Durkheim (state of anomie) – London Riot

Evaluation
· Marxist argue that he underestimates level of conflict and inequality in modern societies as he seems to ignore concept of power.

· Ideas about balance between a functional and an anomic society has been very influential which can be applied to the modern society.

· However, didn’t explain why individuals commit crime.

POINT Outline Merton:

·  He believed that anomie is individual rather than collective

·  In some societies there is a ‘ strain towards anomie’ as the goals is to become more important than the means

· Exaplain the five modes of adaption ; conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism and rebellion

APPLICATION
· Give examples for each mode of adaption. For example, retreatism – drug addicts are looked down in society (outcasts)

Evaluation
· Steven Box suggest that ruling class benefit most from the ways laws are set up

·  Merton fails to ask who benefits from the capitalist system and especially laws that underpin it

·  Summer claims that Merton has uncovered main causes of crime in modern society

·   His theory fails to explain sexual or violent crimes

Comparison
Subcultural Theory -
Cloward and Ohlin directly influence by Merton.
Argues there is greater pressure on members of the working class to deviate from norms and values of main stream culture due to restricted opportunities to succeed through legitimate opportunity structures.

Conclusion
Assessing functionalist views on crime and deviance, i disagree because not all laws are designed for the protection of social orders. Marxists, such as Chambliss or Gordon, would argue that the powerful make laws to protect their own interests.

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Outline and assess Subcultural theorists explanation of crime and deviance (40)

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Outline and assess Subcultural theorists explanation of crime and deviance (40)

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Introduction
Eudora and Chloe

Sub cultural theorists believe that deviance is  the result of individuals conforming to the norms and values of a social group to which they belong,. They focus on the influence of the peer group and they tend to accept the view of the `Typical Criminal` which is young , white , male and working class. In this i will assessing the sub cultural explanation of crime and deviance.

Sub cultural
Cohen
Point : Working class boys are aware of mainstream values for example success in school and understand that middle class boys can gain status if they achieve these things . The working class boys would will then recognize themselves as inferior therefore creating status frustration.

Evidence: Delinquent subcultures

Application : The Delinquent boys

Miller: Working class boys have their own focal concerns (being in trouble , freedom) this has the potential to lead them into deviant behavior explaining why levels of deviance are higher among the working class.

Compare: Functionalist (Merton`s strain theory)

Offers value to delinquency and can be used to explain a range of crime.

Evaluate : Not all working class are criminals.

Point - Subcultures are formed by working class youths as a response to the strains created by their social class and lack of opportunities.
Evidence:  Sub cultural theorists Cloward and Ohlin point out that deviance is a reaction to the problems in achieving the values of mainstream culture.
(compare with Merton's Strain theory)

Evidence
Application : Subcultures such as Delinquent boys (Cohen)

Evaluation  : Katz ( explanations that focus on social characteristics (social class , Gender and Ethnicity) alone fail to take into consideration of the seductive nature of crime)

(Analysis and Link back to question  after each point)
( Repeat this structure with other theories :
- Functionalism
-  New Right
- Cultural Criminology

Conclusion

Which one do you agree with the most? : Cultural Criminology

why? Brings a postmodern view to an understanding of delinquent subcultures.
- Katz (1988)
- Lyng (2005)

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Outline and assess functionalist explanation of crime and deviance (40)

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Outline and assess functionalist explanation of crime and deviance (40)