1.1 - Functionalist, Strain and Subcultural Theory

• What is Durkheim's view on crime?

  • Durkheim suggests that every society shares a set of core values which he calls the collective conscience. The more behaviour differed from these values, the more likely it is viewed as deviant.
• What are the positive aspects of crime?

  1. Reaffirming the boundaries - every time a person breaks a law and is taken to court, the publicity reaffirms the existing values in society (execution in public)
  2. Changing Values - some individuals purposely defy the laws that are wrong. Known as functional rebels because they help to change the collective conscience to help society to function better (Nelson Mandela)
  3. Social Cohesion - Durkheim points out that when horrific crimes are committed, the entire community draws together and there is a sense of belonging
• What are the positive aspects of crime?

  4 - Warning - Clinard says crime acts as a warning/alarm to deter others

  5 - Boosts employment - Cohen argues that crime boosts the economy as it provides jobs (police, prison wards)
• What are the negative aspects of crime?

  1. Anomie - occurs when there are periods of social change/stress and collective conscience becomes unclear. In this situation, there is uncertainty over what behaviour is deemed as acceptable.
  2. Egoism - when the collective conscience becomes too weak to restrain their selfish desires. Not socialised to accept collectivist values and commit crimes
• Evaluation of Durkheim -

  1. Newburn argues Durkheim has paid too little attention to how the powerful can deem acts as criminal.
  2. Durkheim exaggerates the collective conscience as not everyone agrees with the laws and morals put together.
  3. Taylor, Walton and Young - not the crime that helps society but the publicity helps to unite and deter.
  4. Durkheim was vague in identifying which crimes are beneficial. Murder/sex crimes are not beneficial.
• What is Merton's strain theory?

  • Merton views of crime is that they are a product of dysfunction in society. Suggested that society was structurally unequal and the inability of some members to achieve the 'american dream' led to a strain of anomie
• What are the five adaptations as a response to the strain?

  1. Conformity - individual continues to adhere to both goals and means, despite the likelihood of success.
  2. Innovation - individual accepts the goals of society but we have different ways to achieve those goals (through crime)
  3. Retreatism - individual fails to achieve success and rejects both goals and means
  4. Ritualism - an individual who immerses themselves in their daily routine but lost sight of material success
  5. Rebellion - both socially sanctioned goals and means are rejected and different ones are substituted.
• Evaluation of Merton -

  1. Valier argues there are a variety of goals in society rather than common goals (happy family life over financial success)
  2. Taylor, Walton and Young - underestimates middle and upper class crime and overestimates working class crimes.
  3. Criticised for failing to explain crimes that do not produce material rewards and for ignoring the role of subcultures.
• What is the illegitimate opportunity structure?

  • Cloward + Ohlin agree with Merton that there is a lack of opportunities in the legitimate structure
  • But there are also opportunities for some subcultures in the illegitimate opportunity structure
• What are the three subcultures according to Cloward + Ohlin?

  Criminal, Conflict, and Retreatist
• What characterizes the Criminal subculture according to Cloward + Ohlin?

  • Local criminal subculture exists
  • Successful role models are present
  • Offenders can rise in the criminal hierarchy
  • Examples from similar backgrounds who became successful criminals
• What defines the Conflict subculture in Cloward + Ohlin's theory?

  • No local criminal subcultures
  • Gangs recruit youth into their service
  • Gangs often engage in violence
  • Violence is used to achieve respect as a substitute for qualifications
• What is the Retreatist subculture according to Cloward + Ohlin?

  • Occurs when individuals fail in both legitimate and illegitimate structures
  • Individuals are considered double failures
  • Retreat into drugs and alcohol
• Evaluation of the illegitimate opportunity structure -

  • Khan + Ruggiero stress that large scale organised crime is limited in the UK and what there is tends to be loose knit networks rather than structured organisations
  • There is no discussion whatsoever about female deviancy and crimes commited by the higher class
  • Difficult to accept there is only 3 distinctions as some may overlap with each other
• What is the status frustration theory?

  • Cohen argues that w/c youth believe in the success goals of mainstream culture, but their experiences of failure in education, living in deprived areas means they have little opportunity of approval means
  • They feel they are denied status in mainstream society and experience status frustration. They react to this by developing delinquent subcultures.
  • Deliberate reversal of accepted behaviour (stealing replaces hard work, vandalism replaces respect for property)
  • Achieve some status from peer groups which they are denied in society
• Evaluation of status frustration theory -

  • Box suggests that it is only minority offenders who have accepted mainstream values and then turned against
  • Miller - limited explanation as it based on w/c education and environment in w/c lives/schools
  • Limited - ignores female delinquency
• Critiques of subcultural theory -

  • Matza argued that most of the time people control their deviant desires and only rarely emerge. People suspend mainstream values but do not reject them all together.
  • Most individuals 'drift' in and out of subculture values, conforming to mainstream values
• What is the postmodernist view towards subcultures?

  • neo-tribes
  • Maffeoli was unhappy with the view that subcultures have defined values. He suggested it as better to think of subcultures in terms of 'occasional gatherings'
  • Neo-tribes were referred to as flexible and open minded. He suggested that instead of being committed to criminal activity, there were occasional deviant behaviour
• What are the 3 types of subcultures according to Marshall?

  1. Peer groups/'crews' - unorganised group of young people who come together and meet at the same place. Any behaviour is not due to anger from society
  2. Gangs - youth gangs in Britain have a focus on offending and violence.
  3. Organised criminal groups - these are the most serious type of group who are heavily involved in serious crime.