Topic 1 : Functionalism, strain and subcultural theories

Functionalists strain and subcultures

Durkheim’s functionalist theory

·         The nature of society

·         Inevitability of crime

·         Anomie

·         functions of crime

·         Boundary maintenance

·         Adaptation and change

·         Other functions of crime

·         Evaluation

The nature of society

·         Society is based on mutual  agreement and unity. Society is fair and meritocratic – everyone has the possibility to succeed and be socially mobile – everyone wants to have high life chances!

·         Durkheim highlights the fact that within a class based society some people are able to achieve more than others. This is still useful because all of society’s roles get filled up (no matter how high/low they might be. This is known as role allocation.

Inevitability of crime

•      The inevitability of crime provides jobs, government money (fines), and enables people to know what's right and wrong.

•      For Durkheim ‘crime is normal…An integral part of societies’.

•      There are at least 2 reasons why crime is found in all societies:

1.      Diversity of lifestyles and values. Different groups develop their own subcultures which may have deviant aspects.

2.      Not everyone is equally socialised nto the shared norms and values, so some people deviate – LINK Murray – single parent families, W/C, black families.

E.  Ignores mental health – biological reasons – mental state drink/drugs/emotions.

Anomie

•      When people experience inequality and barriers to their life-chances they begin to experience anomie (normalness). As a result of this anomie they turn to crime/deviance in order to gain the things that they have been prevented from achieving.

•      Anomie, and the resulting deviant behaviour, breaks down social solidarity and weakens value consensus. This is described as the erosion of societies norms and values.

•      Deviants are those who experience anomie and as a  result go against society’s value consensus. Deviants therefore are somehow  ‘different’ to ‘normal’ people. > anyone can dip into deviance and go back to normal.

•      Functions of crime – Boundary maintenance

•      Crime produces a reaction from society – uniting its members against wrong doers and reinforcing shared norms  and values.

•      The function of punishment is to reaffirm societies shared rules and reinforce social solidarity. This may be though the rituals of the court room which dramatize wrongdoing and publically stigmatise the offender.

•      Cohen – The media  plays an important part in the ‘dramatization of evil’ – the media often create folk devils: examples:

•      Teenagers

•      W/C benefit cheats

•      Black/Hispanic communities

•      Muslims – Islamophobia

Functions of crime – Adaptation and change

•      All change starts with an act of deviance – there needs to be a challenge to existing norms and values – examples : Rosa Parks, suffragettes

•      There cannot be too much or too little deviance there needs to be the ‘right amount’.

Functions of crime –…