CRIME - AQA A LEVEL SOCIOLOGY

• functionalist theory of crime 


  the functionalists believe that all social phenomena play a positive role in society, including crime.

  • anomie (DURKHEIM)
  • safety valve for behaviour (DAVIS)
  • pornography & prostitution (POLSKY)
  • warning sign. (CLINARD AND COHEN)
  • aspirations in life/american dream (MERTON)
• ANOMIE (DURKHEIM)

  Durkheim suggested that crime was inevitable in society, and a certain amount is necessary for society to function.

  TOO LITTLE CRIME - SOCIAL STAGNATION

  TOO MUCH CRIME - ANOMIE (confusion over acceptable behaviour)

  However, he doesn't quantify the amount of crime required for it to be beneficial to society, how much is too much, how much is too little?

  There are three positive functions to crime and deviance"

  1. boundary maintenance
  2. social cohesion
  3. promote change in society
• SAFETY VALVE FOR BEHAVIOUR (DAVIS)


  minor criminal behaviour and deviance can act as a safety valve preventing greater or more deviant behaviour from occurring. individuals may commit these deviant and low level criminal acts as a release for their urges, preventing them from committing more severe crimes and facing the consequences of them.
• PORNOGRAPHY AND PROSTITUTION (POLSKY)


  Polsky illustrated this by looking at pornography. He states that crimes such as prostitution provide a safe way to release sexual frustrations and desires, thus preventing more serious sexual offences such as rape.
• WARNING SIGN (CLINARD AND COHEN)

  Clinard and Cohen suggested that criminal and deviant behaviour acts as a warning sign that there is dysfunction in society that needs to be addressed. this is different to adaptation and change where people commit a specific crime to achieve a specific change. the warning sign is more generalised. for example, an increase in teen pregnancy could indicate a change needed in the education system.
• FUNCTIONALIST EVALUATION #1

  1. as a macro-approach, the functionalist theory ignores the impact of crime on the victim
  2. durkheim nor any subsequent sociologist has quantified how much crime is beneficial, not state how much crime is necessary for the smooth functioning of society, and also that too much crime leads to anomie and too little to stagnation.
• FUNCTIONALIST EVALUATION #2

  1. crime also doesn't always lead to solidarity or social cohesion. in fact, it can lead to ostracisation and isolation for both the victim and the criminal e.g., sexual assault
  2. marxists would argue that the positive functions of crime and deviance are only positive for the ruling class.