Functionalism

• Functionalism


  View of society as a stable structure based on shared norms, values and beliefs about right and wrong, producing social solidarity or integration
• Functionalists (e.g. Emile Durkheim)

  • Most people conform to society's shared norms
  • Socialisation and social control help to achieve this solidarity
• Some crime is inevitable

  Not all individuals are adequately socialised, meaning that some are likely to deviate, leading to a weakening of the shared norms (Durkheim's concept of anomie)
• Socialisation


  How norms and values are transmitted in society through agencies of socialisation such as the family and the media
• Social control


  Sanctions that are in place in order to reinforce positive behaviour and punish behaviour that goes against socially accepted norms and values
• Functions of crime

  • Boundary maintenance
  • Social change
  • Safety valve
  • Warning light
• Whereas crime is generally seen in a negative light as an unnecessary inconvenience for society, functionalists believe that crime actually performs important functions in society
• Boundary maintenance


  Shows right from wrong by making an example out of those who are wrong (e.g. media attention, court appearances)
• Social change


  The change within human interactions and relationships as a result of a change in cultural or religious beliefs
• Safety valve


  Acts of deviance which cannot be removed from society, as this could prevent more serious problems
• Warning light


  Something that draws attention to the need to address dysfunctional elements within society
• In 1955, Cohen described the warning light function of crime as "something that draws attention to the need to address dysfunctional elements within society"
• Case of Shannon Matthews


  • Shannon, a 9-year-old girl, went missing in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire in 2008. It was later discovered that her mother and her boyfriend's uncle had organised the kidnapping. Both were given 8-year prison sentences for the crime.
• A functionalist may believe that the convicts in the Shannon Matthews case could be seen as anomies, showing their lack of recognition towards society's norms due to their weakened understanding of the normal