functionalist perspective on C+D

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  • Created by: laura5576
  • Created on: 18-09-17 13:13
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  • Functionalist perspective of crime and deviance.
    • Durkheim
      • he states that C+D performs 4 main functions for society.
        • 1: boundary maintenance: when a criminal is prosecuted is reassures people that society is still functioning, re-affirms people of their norms and values.
        • 2: adaption and change is a normal part of a healthy society and without it, it would should that society's norms are too strong. if new ideas were supressed change would never occur, e.g. homosexuality.
        • social solidarity: C+D makes integration of society as people come together to go against offenders. e.g. London riots.
        • prevents other crimes: is smaller acts of C+D are challenged it can prevent larger acts of C+D. for example being warned for smoking weed can prevent an individual from class A drugs.
      • states that C+D is a normal, inevitable, integral part of a healthy society and having a " crimeless society is contradictory in its terms."
      • states two reasons why crime exists in society.
        • 1: not everyone is equally and effectively socialised into the same norms and values.
        • 2: in a modern society there is a diversity in lifestyles.
      • uses the concept of ANOMIE: which means normlessness and says this happens when there is rapid social change so old norms become outdated/unclear and people become increasingly different, cultures weaken, higher deviance. this is common in a modern society.
    • Davis
      • C+D acts as a " safety valve" since there is conflict between a mans instinctual needs for sexual satisfaction and society's need to ensure the family is not disrupted by men having affairs. therefore prostitution is functional.
    • Clinard
      • states that C+D acts as a warning function to show a warning that there is a gap in society, this can lead to making society more efficient, making C+D functional as it can make society better.
    • evaluation
      • negative: functionalist explain the benefits of C+D and not why it happens in the first place
      • negative: fuhctionalists say a certain amount of C+D is beneficial for society but don't state how much.
      • negative: they say C+D Is functional but not whose it functional for? e.g. a criminal prosecuted is functional for members of society but not for the criminal themselves.
      • negative: C+D brings integration but it doesn't always, it can have the opposite affect./

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