Functionalist Perspective

• How do Functionalists argue we should look at crime?

  By the way societies are organised
• What causes crime according to Functionalists?

  Society
• Who said crime is ‘inevitable' and a ‘normal' aspect of life?


  Durkheim
• Crime rate is higher/lower in advanced, industrialised countries.

  HIGHER
• According to Durkheim, why do modern societies have greater potential for C&D?

  • Weaker consensus/community/s. control + punishment in modern societies
  • Ppl experience 'MORAL AMBIGUITY' + confusion about how they should behave
• What did Durkheim say that anomie does to society?

  Anomie damages society
• When is anomie more likely to occur?

  During social upheaval
• What is an example of social upheaval?

  Industrialisation
• How can anomie be prevented?

  By having a small amt of crime that is punished appropriately
• Why does Durkheim say that crime is inevitable?

  1. Ppl test boundaries
  2. Not everyone is committed to value consensus
• In what 5 ways does Durkheim consider crime to be functional?

  1. Reinforces v. consensus
  2. Stims. +ve change in societal values
  3. Promotes social cohesion
  4. Acts as safety valve
  5. Provides jobs
• What is an example of crime providing jobs?

  Prostitution
• Which Functionalist discussed prostitution?

  Kingsley Davis
• According to Davis, how does prostitution allow sexual regulation? 


  • Acts as a controlled environment of meeting sexual needs outside the societal norms of marriage/monogamy
  • Can reduce sexual crimes
• According to Davis, how does prostitution preserve marriage + the family structure?


  • Provides outlet for those who aren’t satisfied w/ their marital relationship
• According to Davis, how does prostitution help economic function?

  • Provides income for those who have no other livelihood
  • Contributed to economy via circulating money
• According to Davis, how does prostitution preserve social function?

  • Allows society to control its member's sexual behaviour
• Durkheim AO3: Why is theoretical data unreliabl?

  Based on opinion
• Durkheim AO3: He only focuses on why ppl conform, rather than c_____ crime. 


  Commit crime
• Durkheim AO3: How does he contradict himself?

  He said that crime REINFORCES social norms + PROVOKES social change
• Durkheim AO3: Why can the idea that crime acts as a safety valve be debated?

  Victims of violent crimes may not agree that the crimes they experienced would strengthen collective sentiments
• Durkheim AO3: What do Marxists say Durkheim underestimates?

  The level of conflict in a society
• Durkheim AO3: What did he fail to explain?

  Why certain s. groups commit crime
• What is anomie?


  Lack of value consensus + feeling of ’normlessness’
• How did Merton DISAGREE w/ Davis & Moore about meritocracy?


  • D&M argued that Western societies were meritocratic > they’re fair bc ppl get ahead based on their own merit
  • Merton disagreed - said means of achieving success are distributed unfairly amongst s. groups + others face greater barriers
• What does Merton mean by ‘Strain’ in relation to crime?

  Crime is caused by ‘Strain’ between societal goals v. legitimate, institutional means of achieving them
• +VE Merton AO3: What kind of statistics does Merton use?

  Official statistics
• -VE Merton AO3: What is the problem w/ the way Merton interprets official statistics?

  He takes them at ‘face value’, even though they OVER-REPRESENT WC crime
• -VE Merton AO3: He is criticised for being too d____________, bc not all WC youths experience ‘Strain’.

  Deterministic
• -VE Merton AO3: Which Marxist likened Merton’s modes of

  adaptation to playing a slot machine but

  questions who put the machine there in the first

  place, implying that capitalist ideology is to blame?


  Taylor
• -VE Merton AO3: What 2 kinds of crime does he fail to explain?

  Violent + sexual crime