Paper 3 - Crime and Deviance

Paper 3 - Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods

Crime and Deviance

• crime, deeviance, social order and social control. 

Theory and Methods 

• consensus. conflict, structural and social action theories.

TOPIC 1 - FUNCTIONALISM & CRIME

In Summary

Functionalists believe that crime is inevitable in society; poor socialisation and inequality result in the absence of norms and values being taught. In addition, functionalists believe crime is positive for society because it allows bounday maintenance, and allows scope for adaptation and change.

Durkheim

Crime is inevitable - Poor socialisation results in not being taught the same norms and values. The inevitability of crime stems from the inequality that exists in society.

Crime is positive - 'Boundary maintenance' is te concept that crime is functional in society when there is the right amount. When people are punished for committing crimes, it teaches the rest of society not to go against norms and values, in turn strengthening boundaries and preventing further crime.

Davis agrees with Durkheim in that crime can be positive, but in a different way. He believes prostitution provides positive functions becuase it allows men to express sexual frustration withiout threatening the nuclear family. 

Adaptation and change - Some crime can be functional for society because it allows social adaptation and change; this means that for society to have norms and values that change as a form of rationalism, a criminal act must take place.

Merton

Merton's 'strain theory' states that crime is caused by the failure to achieve the goals of the American Dream:

Conformism - accepting the goals and legitimate means to achieve them 

Innovation - subscribe to the goals of the American dream but use illegitimate means to achieve them 

Ritualism - reject the goals but conform to the means 

Retreatism - reject both the goals of the American dream and subscribe illegitimate means 

Rebellion - replace the goals and means with their own 

Cohen

Cohen's  'status frustration' theory focuses on working-class boys in schools who fail to succeed in middle-class environments, and in turn, form delinquent subcultures that go against middle-class norms and values. Subsequently, working-class boys try to succeed within subcultures by trying to rise in the hierarchy, which they have more chance of succeeding in. This explains why people commit non-utilitarian crimes.

Cloward & Ohlin

Cloward and Ohlin develop Cohen's status frustration theory by suggesting there are 3 types of subcultures:

Criminal subcultures provide 'apprenticeships' for utalitarian crime. The exist in areas with stable criminal cultures, with hierarchies of professional criminals (e.g. drug dealers).

Conflict subcultures exist in areas of high population turnover. There is social disorganisation and only loosley organised gangs (e.g. postcode/turf wars).

Retreatist subcultures are formed of people who fail in both legitimate AND illegitimate means and may turn to illegal drug use (e.g. 'junkies').

TOPIC 2 - INTERACTIONISM THEORY

In Summary

Interactionists focus on the social construction of crime, whereby an act only becomes deviant when labelled as such, through societal reaction. However, not every deviant act or criminal…