Different theories have different perspectives on crime. Some say it can have positive effects on society and some say these effects are negative. I will be focusing on the functionalists ideas on crime. The main functionalist ideas are that all members of society share the same values and similar goals. They also believe in a value consensus which is that social institutions work together to create a harmonious society. They believe that society functions for the good of everybody.
Functionalist sociologists such as Emile Durkheim regard crime as a necessary and positive part of society. They believe that crime is inevitable and we can only all share the same collective sentiments to a certain extent. They argue that there will always be crime and deviance because in a society you can never have everybody exactly sharing the same values. Also the more perfect that society is the smaller the acts are that is regarded as deviant e.g. streaking. In the world we live in today a crime free society is impossible. For this to be possible we will all have to be clones and saints sharing the same norms and values. Functionalists say that deviance in many aspects of society is extremely positive, because it causes social progress through change. For example, this can be seen in Nelson Mandela, and apartheid. Functionalists see punishing criminals as a way to reinforce shared social values. By punishing criminals and publicising it reminds society’s members of what is right and what is wrong.
Another functionalist sociologist Albert Cohen suggests that society has a ‘safety valve’ which can help maintain the social order. He claims that some forms of deviance act as this safety valve which helps to protect the greater social order e.g. men visiting prostitutes may help to preserve a marriage. However, deviance can also indicate that an aspect of society is not functioning properly e.g. at the moment in UK there is a very high volume of youth violence, this may indicate that families and schools are not operating well.
Robert Merton suggested that if everybody shares society’s goals of high achievement too strongly it can be the cause of deviance. This is because not everyone can achieve society’s goals. Another idea of Merton’s is the ‘American dream’. This states that everyone has an opportunity to go from a ‘log cabin’ to the ‘White house’. However, in reality this is hardly possible for the vast majority of citizens and can lead to innovation; he suggests that most people conform and achieve their status through education and so on. However some individuals cannot achieve through normal social means, so they ‘innovate’ which mean that they turn to crime to achieve the same social goals.
In some respects the functionalists’ theory of crime and deviance offer a valid explanation. However, this theory is widely criticised in many ways by different theorists and many people will disagree on the idea that crime is a positive part of society.
Robert Merton suggested that if everybody shares society’s goals of high achievement too strongly it can be the cause of deviance. This is because not everyone can achieve society’s goals. Another idea of Merton’s is the ‘American dream’. This states that everyone has an opportunity to go from a ‘log cabin’ to the ‘White house’. However, in reality this is hardly possible for the vast majority of citizens and can lead to innovation; he suggests that most people conform and achieve their status through education and so on. However some individuals cannot achieve through normal social means, so they ‘innovate’ which mean that they turn to crime to achieve the same social goals.
In some respects the functionalists’ theory of crime and deviance offer a valid explanation. However, this theory is widely criticised in many ways by different theorists and many people will disagree on the idea that crime is a positive part of society.
