10573872
Description
Mind Map by Zaiba Butt, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Zaiba Butt
over 6 years ago
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THEORIES OF CRIME: Functionalism
- Functionalists have a normative view of deviance,
with an agreed distinction of what acceptable
behaviour is and what is deviance. Durkheim claimed
crime is inevitable in every society and therefore can
be functional. If crime is regulated, so that it does not
spiral out of control, it can be beneficial in
maintaining the value consensus.
- Durkheim claims
that there are two
reasons why crime
is inevitable in all
societies:
- 1) Socialization is not always
effective – whilst the majority
will be law abiding, as the
modernist world evolves
towards a more individualistic
society, there will be increasing
numbers of people who deviate
from the accepted laws of our
community.
- 2) Development of subcultures – again, as society
becomes more individualistic, different groups of
individuals begin to emerge who have different
goals to the rest of society which could lead to
more criminal activity.
- 2) Development of subcultures – again, as society
becomes more individualistic, different groups of
individuals begin to emerge who have different
goals to the rest of society which could lead to
more criminal activity.
- 1) Socialization is not always
effective – whilst the majority
will be law abiding, as the
modernist world evolves
towards a more individualistic
society, there will be increasing
numbers of people who deviate
from the accepted laws of our
community.
- Durkheim’s 2 functions of crime:
- 1) Boundary maintenance – When people
commit crime, they are punished by the
criminal justice system. This reminds
other citizens of the value consensus
which therefore strengthens its
effectiveness.When the value consensus is
threatened, communities unite against
the new common enemy (the offender).
This could be linked to the ‘Functional
pre-requisite’ of ‘Integration’.
- 2) Adaptation and change – All change starts with
deviance or in extreme cases, criminal activity.
Inidividuals must be able to think differently if
society wants to evolve further. Furthermore,
Criminal activity can sometimes show that a
current social policy has lost its function in society.
Once the crime has been dealt with, new policies
can be passed to prevent such events from
re-occurring. You could link this to ‘Structural
differentiation’.
- 1) Boundary maintenance – When people
commit crime, they are punished by the
criminal justice system. This reminds
other citizens of the value consensus
which therefore strengthens its
effectiveness.When the value consensus is
threatened, communities unite against
the new common enemy (the offender).
This could be linked to the ‘Functional
pre-requisite’ of ‘Integration’.
- Studies that support Durkheim:
- 1) Social Order- Functionalist, Kingsley Davis
agrees that a certain amount of deviant
behaviour can be beneficial to the
maintenance of social order. Davis uses the
continuation of prostitution as evidence to
support his claim. In his opinion, the use of
prostitutes can act as a ‘safety valve’ for men
to release their sexual tension and
frustrations without threatening their
marriage.
- 2) Crime is encouraged– the criminal justice
system encourage a small amount of crime
deviance to ensure that it performs its vital
functions. Erikson claims that some social
situations will allow normal citizens to commit
slightly deviant acts in order to vent frustrations
(such as at a sporting event or music festival)
when the same acts in other situations may be
punished more harshly. Also, without crime,
there wouldn’t be a criminal justice system and
therefore many people would lose their
functions.
- 2) Crime is encouraged– the criminal justice
system encourage a small amount of crime
deviance to ensure that it performs its vital
functions. Erikson claims that some social
situations will allow normal citizens to commit
slightly deviant acts in order to vent frustrations
(such as at a sporting event or music festival)
when the same acts in other situations may be
punished more harshly. Also, without crime,
there wouldn’t be a criminal justice system and
therefore many people would lose their
functions.
- 1) Social Order- Functionalist, Kingsley Davis
agrees that a certain amount of deviant
behaviour can be beneficial to the
maintenance of social order. Davis uses the
continuation of prostitution as evidence to
support his claim. In his opinion, the use of
prostitutes can act as a ‘safety valve’ for men
to release their sexual tension and
frustrations without threatening their
marriage.
- Studies that criticise Durkheim:
- 1) ‘Dysfunctions’ - Functionalists, like
Durkheim only focus on the functions of
crime and ignore the negatives. This could be
applied to theories of domestic abuse where
women are left emotionally scarred for life
after an act of abuse. You could link this to
Betsy Stanko’s study of the ‘Sexual Terrorists’
from the families and households module.
- 2) Marxists- criticise the Functionalist view
of crime and deviance as they have a
relativistic view. This means that in their
view, there is not a shared view of what is
acceptable and what is deviant, instead it is
the Bourgeoisie who determine the laws of
our society. Stephen Box claims that the
Bourgeoisie write the law to ensure that
their activities (corporate crime) are just
seen as immoral rather than criminal and
therefore are not targeted by the criminal
justice system. Instead, the law is written to
punish the proletariat in order to prevent
them from starting a revolution.
- 2) Marxists- criticise the Functionalist view
of crime and deviance as they have a
relativistic view. This means that in their
view, there is not a shared view of what is
acceptable and what is deviant, instead it is
the Bourgeoisie who determine the laws of
our society. Stephen Box claims that the
Bourgeoisie write the law to ensure that
their activities (corporate crime) are just
seen as immoral rather than criminal and
therefore are not targeted by the criminal
justice system. Instead, the law is written to
punish the proletariat in order to prevent
them from starting a revolution.
- 1) ‘Dysfunctions’ - Functionalists, like
Durkheim only focus on the functions of
crime and ignore the negatives. This could be
applied to theories of domestic abuse where
women are left emotionally scarred for life
after an act of abuse. You could link this to
Betsy Stanko’s study of the ‘Sexual Terrorists’
from the families and households module.
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