Durkheim, Functionalism

• Saying that the underlying cause of criminal behaviour is the structure of society
• Moral instruction, sentencing and prison are used as warning for society
• Crime brings people together and creates social cohesion
• Mass media promotes crime as a bad thing and poses criminals in a bad light to society
• Functionalism

  Focuses on the structure of society and examines the structure of society and looks at how unequal the system is
• Crime and disorder are linked
• Functions of crime in society

  • Reaffirming social boundaries
  • Change and reform
  • Strengthening social cohesion
  • Safety value
• Safety value - an example of this being prostitution as it is used a a way to release mens sexual frustration without threatening the nuclear family