Crime & Deviance
TOPIC 1- FUNCTIONALIST, STRAIN AND SUBCILTURAL THEORIES
Durkheim’s Functionalist theory
- In order to achieve social solidarity- society has 2 mechanisms:
A) Socialisation- instils the shared culture into its members, helps to ensure that individuals
internalise the same norms and values- and they feel its right to act in way that society
requires
B) Social control- mechanisms include rewards for conformity, and punishments for
deviance- helps to ensure that individuals behave in the way society expects
THE INEVITABILITY OF CRIME
- Functionalists see too much crime as destabilising society- but crime is inevitable and
universal
- Every known society has some level of crime
- A crime-free society is a contradiction in terms
- Durkheim- ‘Crime is normal… and integral part of all healthy societies’
- 2 reasons why crime is found in all societies
1. Not everyone is equally effectively socialised into the shared norms and values, so some
individuals are prone to deviate
2. In complex modern societies- there is a diversity of lifestyles and values- different groups
develop their own subcultures and distinctive norms and values – and what the
members of the subculture regard as normal, mainstream culture may see as deviant
- In Durkheim’s view, modern societies tend towards ANOMIE (normlessness), the rules
governing behaviour become weaker and less clear-cut
- This is because modern societies have a complex, specialised division of labour, which leads
to individuals becoming increasingly different from one another- this weakens the shared
culture or collective conscience and results in higher levels of deviance
THE POSITIVE FUNCTIONS OF CRIME
1. Boundary maintenance
- Crime produces a reaction from society, uniting its members in condemnation of the
wrongdoer and reinforcing their commitment to the shared norms and values
- This explains the function of punishment, the purpose of punishment is to reaffirm society’s
shared rules and reinforce social solidarity
- Can be done through the rituals of the courtroom, which dramatize wrongdoing and publicly
shame and stigmatize the offender- reaffirms the values of the law-abiding majority and
discourages others from rule breaking
- Cohen, examined the important role played by the media in this ‘dramatization of evil’
In this view, media coverage of crime and deviance often creates ‘folk devils’
2. Adaption and change
- Durkheim, all changes start with an act of deviance- individuals with new ideas challenge
existing norms and values- will appear as deviance
TOPIC 1- FUNCTIONALIST, STRAIN AND SUBCILTURAL THEORIES
Durkheim’s Functionalist theory
- In order to achieve social solidarity- society has 2 mechanisms:
A) Socialisation- instils the shared culture into its members, helps to ensure that individuals
internalise the same norms and values- and they feel its right to act in way that society
requires
B) Social control- mechanisms include rewards for conformity, and punishments for
deviance- helps to ensure that individuals behave in the way society expects
THE INEVITABILITY OF CRIME
- Functionalists see too much crime as destabilising society- but crime is inevitable and
universal
- Every known society has some level of crime
- A crime-free society is a contradiction in terms
- Durkheim- ‘Crime is normal… and integral part of all healthy societies’
- 2 reasons why crime is found in all societies
1. Not everyone is equally effectively socialised into the shared norms and values, so some
individuals are prone to deviate
2. In complex modern societies- there is a diversity of lifestyles and values- different groups
develop their own subcultures and distinctive norms and values – and what the
members of the subculture regard as normal, mainstream culture may see as deviant
- In Durkheim’s view, modern societies tend towards ANOMIE (normlessness), the rules
governing behaviour become weaker and less clear-cut
- This is because modern societies have a complex, specialised division of labour, which leads
to individuals becoming increasingly different from one another- this weakens the shared
culture or collective conscience and results in higher levels of deviance
THE POSITIVE FUNCTIONS OF CRIME
1. Boundary maintenance
- Crime produces a reaction from society, uniting its members in condemnation of the
wrongdoer and reinforcing their commitment to the shared norms and values
- This explains the function of punishment, the purpose of punishment is to reaffirm society’s
shared rules and reinforce social solidarity
- Can be done through the rituals of the courtroom, which dramatize wrongdoing and publicly
shame and stigmatize the offender- reaffirms the values of the law-abiding majority and
discourages others from rule breaking
- Cohen, examined the important role played by the media in this ‘dramatization of evil’
In this view, media coverage of crime and deviance often creates ‘folk devils’
2. Adaption and change
- Durkheim, all changes start with an act of deviance- individuals with new ideas challenge
existing norms and values- will appear as deviance
