experiences of modern life have impacted social cohesion, and led to the development of anomie ( drifting away from the norms and values of society )
durkheim suggests the crime is a normal part of a healthy society and it performs a positive function
suggests that crime is inevitable, proposes that a certain level of crime is desirable
boundary maintenance:
social reactions to criminal and deviant behaviours help to reinforce the value consensus of society
extreme forms of crime e.g. murders, help to unite others in society to condemn those who have committed the crime
reinforces the collective conscience of society by promoting adherence to the moral code
as people condemn wrong doers, it leads to a collective agreement that the behaviour is wrong and should not be repeated ( acts as informal social control )
Adaptation and change:
deviant behaviours is a way of people demonstrating that attitudes are changing towards he established social order
as smaller groups begin to deviate, they attract the following of others, due to this the norms and values of society begin to change
e.g. civil rights movement USA, began with sit ins or protests in white only establishments, the movement gained momentum, which led to the appeal of the jim crow laws
other functions - Polsky and davis:
prostitution and porn reduce tension, by reducing tension in these ways in prevent turning to more criminal matters