Durkheim

• Claims

  • social structure theory, Functionalism - Anomie Theory
  • society is like a body: skin is rules and norms, brain is government and the law, heart is family and friends, lungs are healthcare and the NHS
  • without crime, society would be dysfunctional
  • crime is a normal and integral part of society
• Components

  • boundary maintenance: punishment and reinforcement
  • adaptation and change: society develops
  • social cohesion: the community comes together
  • high crime rates men people lose their connection to society
  • can lead to a collapse of social order, anarchy
• Credibility

  • demonstrates deviancy and crime can create positive social change
  • looks at crime as an inevitable part of society
  • not all crimes are functional
  • lacks scientific credibility
  • never states how much crime is necessary
  • reductionist
• Application

  • James Bulgar: led to social cohesion and society developing, led to the age of criminal responsibility being reduced
• Refuting Evidence

  • Marxism: Capitalist Theory
  • Becker: Labelling Theory, doesn't consider why some people get labelled as criminal and others don't
• Supporting Evidence

  • Parsons 1950: individuals must be taught to abide by the rules, punishment is necessary to reinforce social norms, rules and values
  • Hirschi 1969: the role of people's commitment to their community, beliefs and wider society in encouraging them to abide by set laws