and - SOCIOLOGY Year 13: Paper 3 Functionalist and Subcultural Theories of Crime (1) Key features of Functionalist Theory MERTON- Strain Theory: 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 2 Disagree with Delinquents have their Illegitimate The 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