CRIME and DEVIANCE:
FUCTIONALISM:
A good and functioning society requires a certain degree of crime and deviance for it to
evolve, challenge right and wrong and make progress.
DURKHEIM:
A world where no one did anything wrong would be:
- Stagnant, no evolution or questioning
- Dysfunctional (anomie, = no norms/chaos, cause of rapid change, breakdown in
political authority etc. E.g. Rosa Parks)
- Slightest misdemeanour would be seen as catastrophic.
THE COLLECTIVE CONSCIENCE: Shared emotions and views e.g. attitude towards terrorism.
There are two results, NO EFFECT/AN EFFECT e.g. public punishment may restore ‘social
equilibrium’.
BOUNDARY MAINTENANCE: what is deemed as acceptable or not. This is constantly
changing e.g. attitudes to homosexuality (1969 = same sex couples). Society can, Shift the
line, Relax the line or Enforce the line. The shift is a result of public pressure.
Anomie would be the dysfunction. This is the collect of no norms, chaos. This can be caused
by a rebellion/breakdown in political authority. E.g. caused by a civil war/rapid change in
technology.
Kingsley Davis: we need a degree of deviance as it serves as pressure releases which avoids
total anomie, = Safety Values. An example given, Prostitution serves families as men can
release pressure and then return home as a father/husband. This therefore keeps the family
functional.
Criticism: need for prostitute shows the dysfunction in the nuclear family.
Travis Hirsch: RIGHT WING, CONTROL THEORY. All functioning societies have police.
REWARDS SANCTIONS
School: stickers, Police: fines,
FORMAL reports. imprisonment.
Work: pay rise. School: detention.
Family: Family:
INFORMAL Birthdays, Grounding.
compliments, Friends:
micro-affirmation. isolate/ignore
Hirschi states Informal control is more influential than formal control. But informal
control only is effective if there are BONDS OF ATTACHMENT. E.g. = parents, friends. This
is more effective as e.g. Police are not in your personal life. HOWEVER: Hirschi, Control
Theory: crime creates more issues and it therefore counter intuitive.
FUCTIONALISM:
A good and functioning society requires a certain degree of crime and deviance for it to
evolve, challenge right and wrong and make progress.
DURKHEIM:
A world where no one did anything wrong would be:
- Stagnant, no evolution or questioning
- Dysfunctional (anomie, = no norms/chaos, cause of rapid change, breakdown in
political authority etc. E.g. Rosa Parks)
- Slightest misdemeanour would be seen as catastrophic.
THE COLLECTIVE CONSCIENCE: Shared emotions and views e.g. attitude towards terrorism.
There are two results, NO EFFECT/AN EFFECT e.g. public punishment may restore ‘social
equilibrium’.
BOUNDARY MAINTENANCE: what is deemed as acceptable or not. This is constantly
changing e.g. attitudes to homosexuality (1969 = same sex couples). Society can, Shift the
line, Relax the line or Enforce the line. The shift is a result of public pressure.
Anomie would be the dysfunction. This is the collect of no norms, chaos. This can be caused
by a rebellion/breakdown in political authority. E.g. caused by a civil war/rapid change in
technology.
Kingsley Davis: we need a degree of deviance as it serves as pressure releases which avoids
total anomie, = Safety Values. An example given, Prostitution serves families as men can
release pressure and then return home as a father/husband. This therefore keeps the family
functional.
Criticism: need for prostitute shows the dysfunction in the nuclear family.
Travis Hirsch: RIGHT WING, CONTROL THEORY. All functioning societies have police.
REWARDS SANCTIONS
School: stickers, Police: fines,
FORMAL reports. imprisonment.
Work: pay rise. School: detention.
Family: Family:
INFORMAL Birthdays, Grounding.
compliments, Friends:
micro-affirmation. isolate/ignore
Hirschi states Informal control is more influential than formal control. But informal
control only is effective if there are BONDS OF ATTACHMENT. E.g. = parents, friends. This
is more effective as e.g. Police are not in your personal life. HOWEVER: Hirschi, Control
Theory: crime creates more issues and it therefore counter intuitive.
