Assess the usefulness of functionalist and sub-culture theories in our understanding of crime and deviance today (21 marks)
Durkeim …
Social Solidarity – achieved by society having 2 main mechanisms
1) Socialisation – instils a shared culture of society’s norms & values and act in the way society requires
2) Social Control – rewards for conformity and punishments for deviance (helps people behave the way society wants you to)
Society fulfils 2 important positive functions -
1) Boundary Maintenance – purpose of punishment is to reaffirm societies shared rules and reinforces solidarity… Crime produces a reaction of society all together (April Jones – useful as represents crime & deviance today)
2) Adaptation and change – All change starts with an act of deviance… Challenges the norms of society… Shows what’s wrong with society (Bham Bombings – still being used today, shows usefulness)
fails to explain how much deviance is required for society to function
He fails to distinguish types of crime; some are more harmful to society than others
Merton … Strain Theory
People engage with deviance when they are unable to achieve socially approved means by legitimate ways (get frustrated, and act out to criminal means instead)
2 elements of Merton’s theory …
1) Structural factors – societies unequal opportunities structure
2) Cultural factors – the strong emphasis on success goals and the weaker emphasis on using legitimate means to achieve them
Deviance result of strain between 2 things …
1) the goals that a culture encourages individuals to achieve
2) what the institutional structure of society allows them to achieve legitimately
EG – American Dream (Log Cabin to President) – emphasises money and success through education and hard work, but American isn’t meritocratic
Merton’s 5 adaptions of strain:
Conformity – accept goals & want to achieve legitimately – most MC & Americans
Innovation – except the goal of money success. But use illegitimate means (theft and fraud) e.g. Johnson Brothers
Ritualism – give up on the goals, but have internalised on legitimate means so follow the rules anyway
Retreatism – individuals reject both goals & legitimate means and drop out of society e.g. tramps & drug addicts
Rebellion – replace existing goals and means with new ones with the aim of bringing about social change (Hippies and political radicals)
Official statistics tend to over represent WC crime so it seen as a WC phenomenon
Assumes there is a value consensus – everyone strives for money success, when some may not share this goal
Subculture theories …
Merton … (NOT a subcultural theory, but all other sociologists theories are based on his, basis of other theories
Cohen … Status Frustration
Agrees with Merton –
