A document which includes a summary of all the key sociology theories and their ideas on Crime and Deviance with simplified ideas from sociologists, their analysis and evaluation (Strengths and weakness) as well as analysis and evaluation of the main theories as well. (Functionalists, Marxists, Fem...
Functionalist views:
Functionalists assume that everyone shares a set of common norms and values known as a collective
consciousness. These shared values maintain the balance of society. They believe that crime and
deviance is a thing in order to:
- Bring people together so that they can reinforce their ideas of what is right or wrong
through the application of social controls and sanctions
- Provides people with work and purpose so the police and probation services exist because
crime exists
Essentially crime is good and has a function within society (Durkheim) leads to social regulation,
social integration and social change.
Good from crime: money from jobs created, better security e.g. 9/11 USA, research into knowing
what and why they commit crime, film creations
An example of the good of crime: Suffolk stranger Ipswich murders 2006 where 5 women were
murdered. Police nationally changed their approach to policing sex work and the association of chief
police officers: noticing the danger and vulnerability that sex workers face and come forefront to
therefore, brought greater attention to the vulnerability of sex workers
Durkheim on deviance: there are 3 types of criminals
- Genetic criminals- have a biological reason for their crime
- Functional rebel- act to identify a strain of social system
- Skewed deviant- who are improperly socialised
Crime and deviance exist in all societies therefore, they have a function (Durkheim)
1) Crime as a ‘safety valve’ so people can express their disconnect or satisfy needs safely
2) Crime as a form of warning- that some element in society is not working well allowing
society to respond/deal with the issue
3) Crime as creative and good for society- promoting social change e.g. famous people being
imprisoned attracting attention to what is and isn’t acceptable
4) Crime sets boundaries- know what is and isn’t acceptable
5) Crime strengthens social bonds- people unite in the face of horror and feel closer to the
ones they share feelings with
6) Crime can initiate social change
Assessments of Durkheim theory:
, - Overlooks the individual nature of crime as he doesn’t consider that some crime may not be
‘normal’ as in the past society turned a blind eye on domestic violence doesn’t mean that
the type of abuse was acceptable
- Doesn’t account for different conviction rates between different social groups
Merton’s social strain theory: criminal behaviour results from the organisation and culture in which
we live in e.g. the western values of being successful, wealthy and competitive (American dream) yet
poverty and discrimination means that despite hard work it is harder to achieve.
- Therefore, the idea that people engage in deviant behaviour when they cannot achieve
socially approved goals with the ‘strain’ being the desperation to achieve the goals
Those least likely to achieve via accepted routes will look for other ways of achieving social values
which may lead to crime: so how do they respond to strain:
- Conformity: people cope by following the rules in hope for success
- Innovation: people commit to their social values but seek alternative ways of achieving
wealth and success e.g. theft
- Ritualism: people just ‘go through the motions’ without real expectations and gain
satisfaction in other ways
- Retreatism: people reject the goal and the methods, so they may become drug addicts or
turn to alternative lifestyles
- Rebellion: people aim to replace shared values with alternatives and may even use violence
to get there
Assessments of Merton’s theory:
- Limited direct research evidence to support the theories
- Overlooked criminal subculture with values at variance to wider society (e.g. criminal gangs
or drug-abusing youth cultures) he only focuses on individuals
- Theory doesn’t explain why crime is committed by rich and powerful people
Cohen functional subcultural theory: he criticised Merton and looked at working class delinquent
boys and argued that deviance is not individual but collective. His criticism of Merton were
specifically that:
- w/c males are particularly linked to crime and gang culture
- much delinquent and criminal behaviour is not about acquiring goods or wealth but is
destructive, including self-destructive
- Merton’s analysis is ‘monocultural’ as he assumes that everyone shares the same value but
some groups within society have different value systems and these are subcultures
Cohen: w/c boys form cultural values in response to dominant culture as they are judged by m/c
standards in schools and thus cant compete which leads to status frustration as they think they cant
succeed therefore, turn to crime like vandalism to reject the values.
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