Functionalist

• What are the 4 types of positive functions of crime?

  • boundary maintenance and social cohesion 
  • Adaptation and change 
  • warning sign 
  • safety valve
• What does Boundary Maintenance & Social Cohesion mean (Durkheim)?

  Crime always society to reinforce what is acceptable behaviour in society as the public nature of the punishments shows people what will happen for breaking the rules. Very serious crimes can also led to society coming together to condemn the perpetrators.
• What does Adaption and Change (durkheim)?

  Some social deviance is necessary to allow society to move forward and progress. Without some deviant and criminal behaviour society will become stagnant and die.
• What does warning sign mean (Clinard/cohen) ?

  An increase in a certain type of crime or deviant behaviour can be an indication that something in society is not functioning as it should be and a change needs to occur.
• What does safety valve (davis/Polsky)?

  Some minor crimes and acts of deviancy can actually prevent larger more serious crimes. For example Polsky suggests that accessing pornography can prevent more serious sexual crimes.
• What are some evaluations of the positive functions of crime?

  • Marxism – Ignores the role that the powerful have in shaping what is criminal and deviant as well as the role of social inequality..

  • Durkheim ignores the impact that crime has on the individual victims instead focuses on the impact on society.

  • Doesn’t quantify how much crime is beneficial to society.

  • Crime doesn’t always lead to solidarity but can cause isolation of both victim and criminal.
• What’s the strain theory (Merton)?

  Based around the idea of the American Dream in the 1950’s, Merton believed that crime is a response to the strain placed on people to achieve the goals and values of society.
• What are the 5 types of rebellion?

  • conformity 
  • Innovation
  • Ritualism
  • Rebellion
  • Retreatism
• What does conformity mean?

  Accepting the goals set out and agreed by society as well the means to achieve them
• What does innovation mean?

  Accepting the goals set out and agreed by society but choosing alternative means to achieve them.
• What does ritualism mean? 

  Following the means to achieve the goals of society but believing that you will never actually achieve them.
• What does rebellion mean?

  Rejecting the goals of society and creating your own as well as the means of achieving them.
• What does retreatism mean?

  Reject the goals of society and the means of achieving them but do not replace them with their own goals or means.
• What are the evaluations on the strain theory?

  • Over exaggerates the importance of monetary success.

  • Underestimates the amount of crime committed by those who have achieved societal goals.

  • Doesn’t explain why groups choose the response they do.

  • Fails to explain non-utilitarian crime
• What’s the bond theory (hirshi)?

  Asks not why people commit crime but why they don’t commit crime. This idea suggests strong bonds with society stops people from committing crime.
• What are the 4 bonds ?

  • belief 
  • Attachment
  • Involvement
  • Commitment
• What are the evaluations of hirshis bond theory ?

  Assumes all people are naturally bad and it is society that keeps people good. Doesn’t explain why the bonds are weak or strong, or how they become so, You can have strong bonds but still be deviant – sexuality
• What’s status frustration (cohen)?

  Young people get frustrated by their inability to achieve social goals which lead to status so turn to crime to achieve status.
• Evaluation of cohens strain theory?

  Willis – W/C boys do not share the same ideas of status as M/C boys.

  Ignores female delinquency

  Only discusses youth crime.
• What’s Illegitimate Opportunity Structures – Cloward and Ohlin?

  Criminal subcultures which socialise young people into criminal activity.

  Conflict Subcultures where there is little social cohesion.

  Retreatist Subcultures those who fail to gain access to the other two subcultures.
• Evaluations of Illegitimate Opportunity Structures – Cloward and Ohlin ?

  Assumes the official statistics on crime are accurate. Over exaggeration of the criminal opportunities available to the young.
• What’s Focal Concerns – Miller?

  W/C have a different set of values or focal concerns to the rest of society which include hyper masculinity which can lead to criminal behaviour appearing normal.
• What’s evaluation of Focal Concerns – Miller?

  Not all W/C are criminals

  Matza – Sub culture membership is often short lived