* Although Durkheim raises valid points, criticisms can be found. * For Durkheim society requires a certain amount of deviance to function successfully, but he offers no way of knowing how much is the right amount. * Functionalists explain the existence of crime in terms of its supposed function, for example, to strengthen solidarity. But this doesn’t mean society actually creates crime in advance with the intention of strengthen solidarity. In other words just because crime does these things is not necessarily why it exists in the first place. * Functionalism looks at what functions crime serves for society as a whole and ignores how it might affect different groups or individuals. For example seeing a murderer punished for his crime might be functional in reinforcing the feeling of solidarity among the rest of society but it obviously isn’t functional for the victim. * An example of this is the murder of Trayvon Martin. Trayvon Martin was walking to the store to get a snack when he was shot and killed by the neighbourhood watch captain George Zimmerman. Zimmerman called 911 to report Trayvon Martin "lurking" in the neighborhood and proceded to follow him when the 911 operator told him not to. He then approached Martin there was a scuffle and Zimmerman shot Martin. It was discovered after the shooting that Martin was visiting his father in who lives in the neighborhood. He was only carrying a bag of skittles and a drink. This crime united much of America
