Crime (FUNCTIONALISM)
General
Functionalists believe crime is inevitable; poor socialisation and inequality lead to absence of norms and values. Also believe crime is positive as allows boundary maintenance, and good for adaptation and change.
Durkheim - Crime is Inevitable
Poor socialisation results in not everyone being taught norms and values. Crime is inevitable due to inequality.
Durkheim - crime is positive
'Boundary maintenance' - crime is functional in the right amount. When people are punished for crime, it teaches rest of society not to go against norms and values (strengthening boundaries and preventing further crime).
Davis
Crime is positive in a different way then Durkheim says - prostitution has positive functions because it allows men to express sexual frustration without threatening nuclear family.
Durkheim - Adaptation and change
Crime can be functional because it allows social adaptation and change; for society to adapt norms and values when needed, a criminal act has to take place for them to change.
Merton - 'Strain theory'
States that crime is caused by failure to achieve goals of the American dream through legitimate means.
Merton - Five responses
1) Conformism - accept goals using legitimate ways.
2) Innovation - aim for goals using illegitimate.
3) Ritualism - reject goals but use legitimate.
4) Retreatism - reject both goals and use illegitimate.
5) Rebellion - replace goals with own.
Cohen - 'Status Frustration'
W/c boys fail to succeed in m/c school environments - form delinquent subcultures going against m/c norms and values - they try succeed in subculture by rising in the hierarchy (which they have more chance of succeeding in). This explains why people commit non-utilitarian crimes.
Cloward and Ohlin - 3 types of subculture
1) Criminal - ‘apprenticeships’ for crime which exist in areas with stable criminal cultures, with hierarchies of professional criminals (e.g. drug dealers).
2) Conflict - in areas of high population with social disorganisation and loosely organised gangs (e.g. postcode/turf wars).
3) Retreatist - formed of people who fail both legitimate AND illegitimate means and turn to drug use (e.g. ‘junkies’).