Sociology - Theories on Crime and Deviance - Functionalist Theory

Emile Durkheim

One of the earliest sociologists to look at crime and deviance (1938)

Argued that crime has four key characteristics

• Inevitable - crime will always exist, it can be reduced but never eliminated
• Universal - crime exists in every society
• Relative - crime is a social construct, criminal behaviour varies from society to society and over time
• Functional - a limited amount of crime and deviance can actually benefit a society

Merton

Argued that many types of crime exist because society shares the same "American Dream", but not everyone can achieve these things lawfully.

A strain exists between the goals and ambitions of people and their ability to acheieve them.

Merton argued there were five different ways to respond to the "American Dream"

• Conformity - the response of the majority, means going to school, gaining qualifications and trying to acheive the "American Dream" by…