Functionalism AO3

• +Labelling theory supports the functionalist view of crime.
• +Law isn’t set in stone; it’s actively constructed and changes over time to adapt to the society.
• +Law enforcement is often discriminatory.
• +Research shows that we can’t trust crime statistics.
• +Attempts to control crime may make situations worse.
• +Agents of social control may be one of the major causes of crime.
• -It’s deterministic; not everyone accepts their labels.
• -Assumes offenders are just passive and doesn’t recognise the role of personal choice when committing crime.
• -Ignores actual victims of crime.
• -Emphasises the negative sides of labelling rather than the positive side.
• -Fails to explain why acts of primary deviance exist, focusing mainly on secondary deviance.
• -Structural sociologists argue that crime can’t just be a product of labelling and interactions.