Durkheim's functions of crime
The Inevitability of Crime Functionalists see too much crime as destabilizing society. They also
see crime as inevitable and universal, and every known society has
some level of crime and deviance
Durkheim “Crime is normal... An integral part of all healthy societies”
Two reasons why crime and deviance is found in all societies:
Poor socialisation- so some individuals may be prone to
deviate
Diversity of lifestyles and values- different groups develop
their own subcultures with distinctive norms and values and
what the subculture regards as ‘normal’
Durkheim argued that modern society tend towards Anomie
(normlessness). This means the breakdown of social bonds between
an individual and their community.
This is because modern societies have a complex, specialised division
of labour, which leads to individuals becoming different from one
another.
This weakens the shared culture or collective conscience and results
in higher levels of deviance
Positive Functions of Crime Boundary maintenance
-Crime produces a reaction from society, uniting it’s members in
condemnation of the wrongdoer and reinforcing their commitment to
the shared norms and values
-For Durkheim, this explains the function of punishment. This is not to
make the wrongdoer suffer, nor to remove crime from society.
Durkheim argues the purpose of punishment is to reaffirm society’s
shared rules and reinforce social solidarity
-This can be done through courtrooms, which dramatises wrongdoing
and publicly shame and stigmatises the offender. For example, the
metoo movement of Harvey Weinstein
The Inevitability of Crime Functionalists see too much crime as destabilizing society. They also
see crime as inevitable and universal, and every known society has
some level of crime and deviance
Durkheim “Crime is normal... An integral part of all healthy societies”
Two reasons why crime and deviance is found in all societies:
Poor socialisation- so some individuals may be prone to
deviate
Diversity of lifestyles and values- different groups develop
their own subcultures with distinctive norms and values and
what the subculture regards as ‘normal’
Durkheim argued that modern society tend towards Anomie
(normlessness). This means the breakdown of social bonds between
an individual and their community.
This is because modern societies have a complex, specialised division
of labour, which leads to individuals becoming different from one
another.
This weakens the shared culture or collective conscience and results
in higher levels of deviance
Positive Functions of Crime Boundary maintenance
-Crime produces a reaction from society, uniting it’s members in
condemnation of the wrongdoer and reinforcing their commitment to
the shared norms and values
-For Durkheim, this explains the function of punishment. This is not to
make the wrongdoer suffer, nor to remove crime from society.
Durkheim argues the purpose of punishment is to reaffirm society’s
shared rules and reinforce social solidarity
-This can be done through courtrooms, which dramatises wrongdoing
and publicly shame and stigmatises the offender. For example, the
metoo movement of Harvey Weinstein
