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Functionalist and Subcultural Theories of Crime (1) Year 13: Paper 3 Crime and Deviance- SOCIOLOGY Year 13: Paper 3 Functionalist and Subcultural Theories of Crime (1) Key features of Functionalist Theory MERTON- Strain Theory:Anomie Key Vocabulary Consensus theory, structural, society vs individual, social 1 Boundary Crime reminds order is maintained through socialisation of a shared set of Anomie Crime and deviance 1 1 and strain were the result of a maintenanc people of the norms and values- the central value system. e rules theory strain / gap between the approved goals of Adaptation Crime helps us DURKHEIM society and the 2 and change improve the approved means of law/create new laws Inevitability of Crime is dysfunctional but is also achieving them. 1 crime inevitable-due to inadequate Social Communities are socialisation and subcultural norms 5 • Conformity 3 cohesion drawn closer and values. 2 Responses • Innovation eg crime together to strain • Ritualism eg coasting 2 negative Anomie- normlessness Anomie/ Normlessnes-gap • Rebellion eg activism 4 Strain between goals 2 aspects of Egoism-collective conscience is too • Retreatism eg drop and means of crime weak-leads to selfish desires. out success 3 3 positive Boundary maintenance, adaptation and Egoism Giving in to functions of change and social cohesion 5 selfish desires crime (see key vocab for more detail) CRITICISM of MERTON Conformity Following the Key Study Suicide 6 norms of society 4 Weakness Over exaggerates the 1 importance of monetary Innovation Accept goals, CRITICISM of DURKHEIM success. 7 reject means eg crime 1 Strength Newburn-Suggests crime is normal 2 Weakness Underestimates the amount of crime 8 Ritualism Accept means but committed by those who not goals eg Strength Linked crime to social values-allowed coasting 2 for change have achieved societal goals. Rebellion Reject means and 3 Strength Influenced strain theory 9 goals –create 3 Weakness Doesn’t explain why own eg activism Weakness Marxist-ignores power of ruling class to groups choose the 4 response they do. Retreatism Reject means and create laws. 10 goals eg drugs Weakness Doesn’t quantify how much crime is 4 Weakness Fails to explain non- 5 beneficial to society utilitarian crime Part of sociological explanations of crime, deviance, social order Strength Influenced strain-based Weakness Crime does not always lead to and social control- also see 6 cohesion-can cause isolation 5 subcultural theory Hirschi and Sucultural Theories Crime and Deviance- SOCIOLOGY Year 13: Paper 3 Functionalist and Subcultural Theories of Crime (2) STRAIN-BASED SUBCULTURAL THEORY STRAIN-BASED SUBCULTURAL 1: COHEN THEORY 2: Key Vocabulary CLOWARD and OHLIN 1 Key idea Looks at deviance amongst young 1 Status fail to adjust to boys.They face anomie in a middle- 1 Agree with Explain working-class Frustration your low status class school system. They develop Merton crime in terms of goals given by wider status frustration which leads to and means. society the creation of subcultures 2 Disagree with Delinquents have their Illegitimate The subculture 2 opportunity Key concept: they fail to adjust to the low status Merton own set of subcultural offers deviant 2 structure Status they are given by wider society. values. opportunities to frustration gain status from 3 Blocked They develop an peers. 3 Delinquent Resolves frustration as it inverts opportunities illegitimate opportunity subculture mainstream values. structure due to a lack Subculture A culture within the 3 wider culture that develops of opportunities. inverts mainstream Illegitimate The subculture offers deviant 4 3 types of Criminal –hierarchical values. 4 opportunity opportunities to gain status from subculture Conflict- violent Criminal Local, hierarchical structure peers. Retreatist-Individual- eg 4 subculture structure eg mafia Drugs CRITICISM of COHEN Conflict Based on violence Strength Explains deviance as a group CRITICISM of CLOWARD and 5 subculture to compete for 1 response- Merton only looked at OHLIN scarce resources individual responses to anomie. eg gang 1 Weakness HOBBS (98) and Weakness It assumes that young working-class RUGGIERO and KHAN Retreatist Lacking access to 2 delinquents desire mainstream values (2007) Networks are now 6 subculture the other two - only developing delinquent values less-organised and more subcultures when they fail to achieve. loose-knit. people take the individual Weakness BOX (81) may only apply to a Weakness There may be overlap 3 2 between the 3 subcultures. response of minority of offenders. dropping out eg 4 Weakness Feminists: Ignores female offending 3 Weakness Ignores female offending drug habit. Weakness Only discusses youth crime. 5 Part of sociological explanations of crime, deviance, social order and Weakness WILLIS- working class boys don’t social control- also see other Theories of Crime 6 share same idea of status as middle class boys. Crime and Deviance- SOCIOLOGY Year 13: Paper 3 Functionalist and Subcultural Theories of Crime (3) SUBCULTURALTHEORY 3: SUBCULTURALTHEORY 4: POSTMODERNIST CRITIQUE MILLER –Focal Concerns MATZA-Techniques of neutralisation MAFFESOLI Need to consider a 1 Neo-Tribes subculture in more Disagrees He claimed the Key idea adopts an interactionist critique of fluid terms 1 with strain- lower working-class 1 subcultural theory. based were socialised into Young people ‘drift’ into and out 2 KATZ Crime is a pursuit of theories deviant subcultural of deviance. Seductions thrills. values he called They are less skilled in suppressing LYNG Crime is the result ‘focal concerns’ subterranean values 3 Edgework of risk-taking. They use techniques of 6 Focal Smartness, trouble, neutralisation to justify their 2 Concerns that toughness, actions-leads to crime and deviance. Key Vocabulary lead to crime excitement, and deviance autonomy, fate 2 Techniques of • Denial of responsibility eg. “It Focal concerns Values shared by neutralisation wasn’t me, it was the drink!” 1 working class • Denial of victim: Victim was the males that lead to CRITICISMS of guilty party eg. Led me on crime SUBCULTURALTHEORY 3: • Denial of injury: The victim was Subterranean Deviant values we MILLER –Focal Concerns not really harmed eg. Petty theft 2 values all share but that • Condemnation of cannot be easily Strength Howard Parker condemners: Being picked on suppressed by 1 (1974) • Appeal to higher loyalties: Had young people found evidence of to ignore the rules to support the Neo-Tribe Postmodernist these amongst family or friendship group. 3 term used to working-class define subcultures youth in Liverpool SUBCULTURALTHEORY 4: MATZA-Techniques of neutralisation Edgework Describes risk- Weakness However, David 2 4 taking behaviour in Downes (1966) Strength Shows that criminality is not a postmodern world found limited 1 permanent state evidence of Seductions of People commit Weakness Only useful in explaining the behaviours 5 subcultural values in Crime crime to pursue 2 of young people. thrills. his study of Only useful in explaining delinquent working-class youth behaviours. in East London Techniques of Used by young 6 neutralisation people to justify their deviance. Part of sociological explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control- also see other Theories of Crime.
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