durkheim

    Cards (6)

    • 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
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