Functionalism & Crime lesson 2

1. Functionalism & Crime lesson 2 Complete the gap fill activity to summarise what we covered last lesson about Durkheim Anomie- confusion over right and wrong behaviour (the norms of society)

2. Merton – strain theory The Pursuit of Happiness – why did we watch this clip? Do not write anything from the following slides – really listen!!!!

3. Adaptations to strain • Conformity: • Individuals accept the culturally approved goals and strive to achieve them legitimately. This is most likely amongst middle class individuals who have good opportunities to achieve.

4. Adaptations to strain • Innovation: • Individuals accept the goal of money success but use “new” illegitimate means such as theft or fraud to achieve it.

5. Adaptations to strain • Ritualism: • Individuals give up on trying to achieve goals but have internalised the legitimate means and so they follow the rules for their own sake.

6. Adaptations to strain • Retreatism: • Individuals reject both the goals and the legitimate means and become drop outs. In this category Merton includes vagrant, tramps, chronic drunkards, etc.

7. Adaptations to strain • Rebellion: • Individuals reject the existing society goals and means but they replace them with new ones in a desire to bring about a revolutionary change.

8. Adaptations to strain • Rebellion • Retreatism • Ritualism • Innovation • Conformity Now note down each method of coping with the ‘strain’ Briefly explain how people who take this approach behave.

9. How could one criticise the work of Merton? • Looking at the types and levels of crime that occur in Modern Britain could one conclude that Merton’s theories are correct? • Do many people in Britain suffer from Anomie?

10. Evaluation of Merton • Merton shows how both normal and deviant behaviour can arise from the same mainstream goals in the pursuit of financial success: one legitimately and the other illegitimately. • Merton also through the strain theory can give a better explanations for statistics although mainly taking them at face value stereotyping mainly the working class, thus rendering it a working class phenomenon. • It fails to look at the power of the ruling class which favours the rich and criminalises the poor.

11. Social control • Social control is highly linked with the concept of crime and deviance and manifest itself in two forms: • Formal social control: what is practised by specific social agencies which have the role of maintaining order in society. • Informal social control: more subtle form of control which is manifested in the social interaction in which we engage in everyday.

12. Task • Read the handout on “The Wayward Puritans” and on your table discuss the following. • In what way did the Puritans contribute to the maintenance of social order, • What enabled the Puritans to have such high levels of social control, • Why would other members of society follow the concept of Puritanism?