Functionalism, Crime and Deviance: Explaining the Normative Approach and Durkheim's Perspectives

1. Using what we’ve looked at so far try and explain this diagram

2. 13th September Functionalism, Crime and Deviance 1. The Normative Approach2. Durkheim’s F.I.N. (F.I.N: crime is Functional-Inevitable-Normal)

3. The ‘normative’ approach • Functionalism provides a normative definition of crime and deviance. • That means – it is action which consists of a violation of social norms. • It presents an image of society in which exist shared norms and values. The deviant is the person who breaks these shared norms and values. • Fundamental to the functionalist philosophy is the idea that society is underpinned by consensus. • Durkheim claims that society shares a set of ‘core values’ (ie the collective conscience). • The more behaviour deviates from these core values the more likely such behaviour is seen as ‘deviant’

4. Sociological Implications • If there are core values in society it has implications for how crime and deviance is researched and studied. • Using this model, sociologists must explain why only some people act in a deviant manner. • It focuses on how dysfunctionalbehaviour within social institutions (family, education mass media, religion etc..) make some people into criminals/deviants - people who conform have been ‘properly socialised’.

5. Crime is Functional • Crime is functional for society. • Boundaries of acceptable behaviours are made known by the arrest of those who transgress/break the rules. • Strengthens social bonds between people and reaffirms values when they are drawn together by horrific crimes. • Public opinion on crime acts like a gauge and can cause change in the law (eg Megan’s law-USA and Sarah's Law-UK)

6. Crime is Inevitable • It is impossible for everyone to be equally committed to the norms and values to society. • “Even in a society of saints a distinction would be made between what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour.” • “Because there are differences between people, there will always be those who step over the boundary of acceptable behaviour.” Do you agree with Durkheim’s ideas so far? Why?

7. Crime is Normal • There is no society where there is no crime. • Abnormal levels of crime occur in times of social upheaval – the power of the collectiveconscience is weakened and a state of anomie develops as people look after their own interests rather than respecting their neighbours. • Individualism can therefore be seen as a source of crime and\or deviance.

8. The negative aspects of Crime • Durkheim does acknowledge that the collective conscience can fail especially in times of social strain and change. Durkheim called this situation anomie. When the collective conscience weakens and a state of anomie exists, there is an increase in crime. Anomie

9. Using your new found knowledge on the Durkheim perspective of crime explain this diagram Anomie A little crime Totalitarianism High crime levels (explain why) No crime (explain why)

10. Task: look at the following examples and explain how they provide a positive function to society • Smoking • Riots • Paedophilia • Public hanging • Drunkenness • Ian Huntley murder case • Joyriding • September 11th bombings • The burning of the poppies on Remembrance Day

11. Durkheim – Key ideas • Crime is inevitable and necessary to society. • Crime has positive functions. • The perfect amount of crime will keep society healthy and avoid anomie (Normlessness) Crime and society Society is only healthy when social order is maintained through the police and courts. We need a small amount of crime to remind us of what we believe in. Only a small minority will be self-interested and commit crime. • Positive functions of crime • Re-marking social boundaries – affirms social norms and values. • Media coverage – as a warning to others. • Social bonds – strengthened as we unite in disapproval. • Safety Value – a little bit of deviance reduces more serious problems – Prostitution – Kingley Davis. • Malfunctioning society – theft, drug use and truancy alert us to other social problems in society. Functionalism on crime • Criticisms • What is the perfect amount of crime? • Explaining the functions of crime doesn’t explain what caused them in the first place. • Murder maybe functional for society but what about the victim? Society of saints Imagine there was no crime or deviance, even the most slight slip like coughing without putting your hand over your mouth would become a crime.

12. Functionalism evaluated 1 • Demonstrates the useful purpose served by crime (ie highlights inconsistencies within the social structure, reinforces the collective conscience etc..) • Offers an explanation that emphasizes a social (as opposed to a physiological/psychological) dimension to crime. • Explains the reason for unhealthy levels of crime which could be altered by socialengineering (eg introducing new laws, governmental policies etc..). • Avoids biological/psychological theories which refer to ‘sick’ individuals.

13. Functionalism evaluated 2 • Does not explain individual motivations and why only some people commit crime. • It assumes harmony and that the law reflects the interests of the majority, in doing so it ignores the issue of power (ie who has it and who hasn’t) • Over emphasis on the degree of consensus in society. • May result in a pessimistic approach regarding the control of crime (more laws, stricter policing, harsher sentencing etc…)

14. 20th September Merton and strain theory Learning objective To examine Merton’s ideas on Crime and deviance

15. The American dream

16. Robert K. Merton • Durkheim’s had fundamental influence on Merton’s Social Structure and Anomie (1949) theory. AKA Strain to Anomie Theory Argues that crime and deviance is caused by the inter-relationship between: The cultural goals set by society (eg acquisition of money, wealth, status, power in western/capitalist society) The chances and means of achieving such goals. Merton's theory highlights the inconsistencies in the American Dream ideology.

18. Criticisms • Why don’t all lower class people turn to crime? • Can only account for utilitarian crime (money) what about gang violence, rape and Graffiti? • What about other factors like class, gender, ethnicity and sexuality?

19. Weakness Merton - Key idea People engage in deviant behaviour when they are unable to achieve socially approved goals. 1. The goals of society – American Dream Deviance is the result of the strain between 2. Your legitimate means of achieving them 1. Conformity Most of America not criminal or deviant Five adaptations Strain produces frustration which creates a pressure to deviate, what Merton calls the strain to anomie. Deviant adaptations Innovation Criminal behaviour as an adaptation Retreatism Habitual drug users and alcoholics Explanation lower class and ethnic minorities are more likely to commit criminal acts because of their position in the social structure. Ritualism People in dead end jobs. Rebellion Karl Marx and Martin Luther King

20. Weaknesses  Synoptic links Methods: It accepts official statistics on crime and therefore would stresses the advantages/uses of them. Theories/perspectives Simple here, it’s functionalism! Other topics Education Durkheim - integrative and regulative function of schools. Merton - blocked opportunities result from material deprivation … and cultural deprivation…. This lowers chances of educational success which creates pressures to commit crime. • Merton has been criticised on a theoretical level. Functionalist subcultural theorists criticise Merton for individualising deviance. They claim that Merton sees deviance as an individual response to anomie, and therefore does not adequately account for the collective (group) nature of crime & deviance. This suggests that Merton only offers a partial view on crime and deviance.