Emile Durkheim

• Durkheim believed crime is functional and only becomes dysfunctional when the rate is too high or too low.

  If societal collective voices (sentiments) challenge the norms, there may be a reason to change.
• Anomie - lack of the usual social or ethical standards in an individual or group. (Social instability resulting from a breakdown of standards and values.) - E.g. homosexuality, women’s right.
• The more anomie, the higher the crime rates
• Why is crime considered functional?

  1. Strengthens social cohesion & willingness of members to cooperate.
  2. Crime maintains boundaries in society uniting people around consensus.
  3. Has an economic motive - creates jobs in criminal justice system.
• Crime being functional example


  The abduction of Shannon Matthews in 2008 when members of the Moorside estate united to express their views of the crime, organising searches, marches and other public displays of boundary maintenance.
• Advantages of Functionalist Theory

  1. Functionalists accept the reality of life we experience by accepting they crime is inevitable.
  2. Acknowledges in some ways that capitalist societies are unequal, but everyone has the opportunity to achieve (meritocracy).
  3. A state of anoime and changes that have come from rebellion is acknowledged by Merton and Durkheim.
• Disadvantages of Functionalist Theory

  1. Overlooks the fact that although crime might be functional for society and criminals, it is dysfunctional for victims.
  2. Durkheim suggests that crime/deviance strengthens social solidarity but overlooks how it can isolate people.
  3. Durkheim and Merton argue crime is inevitable and good for society but fail to say how much crime is too much.