Assess the View That Crime Is Functional - 1683 Words

s Assess the view that crime is functional, inevitable and normal. (33 marks) Within the sociological perspectives of crime and deviance, there is one particular approach which argues that crime is functional, inevitable and normal. This sociological perspective, Functionalism, consists of Emile Durkheim’s work on crime and deviance. His main argument was that ‘crime is normal’ and that it is ‘an integral part of all healthy societies’. This perspective views crime and deviance as an inevitable feature of all societies which is universal. However, Durkheim did argue that too much crime can lead to the destabilisation of society. Durkheim identified three positive aspects of crime which make it a functional component of society. He done†¦show more content†¦Merton stated that each and every society sets goals and also establishes socially-approved means of obtaining these goals. When individuals are not able to meet these standards through the means which have been inaugural rated, they turn to other options which can involve crime and deviance. This shows that, according to Merton, crime can fulfil a dysfunctional role within society. The options which he identified were conformity, innovation, rebellion, ritualism and re-treatism. These responses to the socially approved goals and means can sometimes lead to criminal activity and subsequently, a dysfunctional society. Firstly, conformity is when an individual adheres to both the goals and the means despite the limited chances of success. This can result in a functional society as all of the socially approved concepts are accepted and adopted within the persons life, thus, excluding crime. Secondly, innovation refers to when goals are accepted but individuals find different ways to achieve them. These methods are often criminal. For instance, if an individual wants the socially approved goal of owning those aspects which make him/her of a higher reputation, they can turn to organised theft and in some cases, white collar crime. Ritualism refers to when an individual uses the means but loses sight of the goals whereas retreatism refers to when the individuals rejects both the goals and the means. Individuals who are dependentShow MoreRelatedUsing Material from Item a and Elsewhere, Assess Sociological Views of Crime Reduction Strategies.841 Words   |  4 Pagesitem A and elsewhere, assess sociolog ical views of crime reduction strategies. (21 marks). There are numerous different types of strategies for crime reduction. These include crime prevention tactics which are suitable for whole societies, and also forms of punishment which are suitable for individuals. Crime prevention strategies include situational crime prevention, environmental crime prevention, and social and community crime prevention. Ron Clark describes situational crime prevention as ‘a pre-emptiveRead MoreSociology A2 Revision 2012 34479 Words   |  18 PagesWednesday 13th June, am Unit 4 exam: Tuesday 19th June, pm Easter Revision: tbc A2 Syllabus: AQA Sociology GCE (new specification) Unit 3: Mass Media (SCLY3) Worth 20% of your final A Level Written paper, 1 hour 30 minutes 60 marks available Unit 4: Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods (SCLY4) Worth 30% of your final A Level Written paper, 2 hours 90 marks available Timetable Use your revision checklists to draw up a timetable for revision leading up to the exam. Make sure you cover everythingRead MoreRehabilitation Is Essential For Human Life1669 Words   |  7 Pagesdepending on the reason why an individual is being rehabilitated. Rehabilitation can occur subsequent to a variety of events including injuries, disease, drug abuse and crime related cases. This paper concentrates on rehabilitation in corrections. Most of the people who are in correctional facilities might have been perpetrators of crime. Placement in a correctional institution means subjection to a completely new environment. This new environment furthers the need for rehabilitation as it has the potentialRead MoreFunctionalism and Crime and Deviance Essay913 Words   |  4 Pagesand elsewhere, assess the usefulness of functionalist approaches in explaining crime (21 Marks) Item A Functionalist sociologists focus on how far individuals accept the norms and values of society. Central to their study of crime is the attempt to understand why people break the rules of society. Despite their focus on the importance of shared norms and values, functionalists see a small amount of crime as necessary and beneficial to society. The publicity given to crime highlights theRead MoreChild Shift1748 Words   |  7 Pagespersonal and public interest which has become the drive upon which the research will be carried out. As a tertiary level student that lives and has been cultured within the assessed environment (Jamaican society), my interest has been stimulated to assess the factors surrounding the nature of this negative lifestyle pattern. This article has highlighted my sensitivity to this situation due to personal reflections (to some extent); analytical efforts will be made to completely understand this criticalRead MoreRehabilitation and Recidivism1436 Words   |  6 Pagesrate of recidivism in criminal offenders. There has been great controversy over whether anything works to reduce recidivism and great hope that rehabilitation would offer a reduction in those rates. In this paper I will introduce information and views on the reality of whether rehabilitation does indeed reduce recidivism. Proposed is a quasi-experiment, using a group of offenders that received rehabilitation services and an ex post facto group that did not? I intend to prove that rehabilitationRead MoreAssess the functi onalist theory of crime and deviance1813 Words   |  8 PagesAssess the functionalist view of crime and deviance. [21 marks] This essay will detail the functionalist perspective of crime and deviance. Functionalist theories began to emerge after the industrial revolution in the 18th century. This period was called the enlightenment, and brought about scientific belief as opposed to the feudalist beliefs of religion. Religion no longer had such a powerful impact on peoples’ lives. The aim of sociological theories such as functionalism is to cure social illsRead MoreSpy Camer Spy Surveillance1295 Words   |  6 PagesTechnology, through the times, has offered many options in protecting the society from crimes and other evil-doings. However, with industrialization, the proliferation of computers and complex political and social systems, our society needs a heightened level of security. Police and military personnel continue guarding us against criminals and terrorists. However, there is the need for individuals to consult other security services and private eyes to conduct their own investigations an d protectRead MoreDefinitions Of The Self Essay : Aggressive Criminal Behavior2237 Words   |  9 PagesApproaches to the self essay: Aggressive Criminal Behaviour This essay will compare and contrast two opposing approaches to self; the biological view of ‘the embodied self’ with the social constructionist theory. In doing this it will discuss how each approach relates to various aspects of the predisposition between nature and nurture as a binary. It also aims to outline and evaluate how each approach attributes etiologies to aggressive criminal behavior using examples from theorists such as DiLallaRead MoreFamily Roles and Relationships: Examining the Contribution of Feminist Sociologists1732 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Using material from Item 2B and elsewhere assess the contribution of feminist sociologists to an understanding of family roles and relationships. In this essay I will be assessing the contribution of feminist sociologists to an understanding of family roles and relationships. There are different roles in families such as: Conjugal; where both the partners share task such as housework and childcare, the opposite of this would be segregated roles; where the couples have separate roles, the male