An example of functionalist theory would be that crime has a specific function in society. While this isn't inherently illegal, many were doing it for illegal reasons, like dodging taxes. Create flashcards in notes completely automatically. strengths and weaknesses of general theory of crime. Social Construction of Health and Illness, Representation of Social Class In The Media, Distribution of Wealth, Poverty, and Income in the UK, Theoretical Approaches to Welfare Providers, We will explore the Marxist perspective on. Three examples of these focal concerns where toughness (physical prowess), excitement (risk-taking) and smartness (being street-smart) Charles Murray: Underclass Theory Durkheim urged his readers to imagine a society without crime. Each theory identifies social structures as the root of deviant behaviour and explains responses to these structures as serving a function to either broader society or communities of subculture. Another key difference between functionalist and Marxist theories of crime rests on causation. Sociological theories are very useful in the study of criminal behavior because unlike psychological and biological theories they are mostly macro level theories which attempt to explain rates of crime for a group or an area rather, criminal behavior theories that attempt to . When people commit crimes, theyre responding to a societal structure that they dont feel integrated into. Its reasonable to be confused about what feminist sociologists have to say about Marxist theories of crime. Its 100% free. The impacts upon the deviant after being labelled as such. Functionalism is useful in showing which deviance is integral to society; It provides an important and interesting analysis that shows that crime can actually have hidden functions for society; Therefore suggesting that not everything is bad in society is bad for society; Disadvantages The existence of laws protecting the ruling class is slightly more obscure in more developed countries than in third-world countries. William Chambliss (1976) stated that property ownership laws were first set up by the state so that wealth would stay in the family among the ruling classes. In B. S. Turner (Eds. The strengths of functionalism include its emphasis on stability and order, its holistic approach, and its ability to explain social change. Some primary ideas of the Marxist approach to criminology include the following: Capitalism is inherently criminogenic - it creates an environment that both encourages crime and makes it easier to commit. The functioning of a healthy society also relies on a value consensus, achieved when all members of society are cohesively integrated into a shared system of norms and beliefs. Merton's strain theory proposed that people commit deviance because they're responding to pressure from society. The Strength and weakness of functionalism theory is one of the most popular assignments among students' documents. Durkheim and other functionalists explain crime in terms of its function (e. in order to strengthen solidarity). The typical delinquent is probably a young, working-class male. Cohen accepted Mertons explanation that the generally valued forms of success are impossible for many groups to attain. Something that I consider to be both a strength and a weakness in my social work career is my gentle and reassuring manner. Strain theory Why do people engage in crime according to strain theory? There aren't many studies to back up the Marxist claim that corporate crimes are much more harmful than working-class crimes. Status frustration theory, a subcultural theory, was developed by Albert Cohen in the 1950s. Corporate crimes tend to be more leniently dealt with (if theyre ever prosecuted at all), while financial crimes committed by the poor are almost always pursued by law enforcement. A strength of the functionalism theory is socialisation and how social order is achieved through it. Interactionism and crime: strengths and weaknesses. Some examples of financial crimes committed by the capitalist class are: StudySmarter is commited to creating, free, high quality explainations, opening education to all. One of the strengths of functionalist theory is that it provides a clear and concise explanation of how society operates and maintains order. Marxism is a conflict structuralist theory in sociology, pioneered by Karl Marx and Friederich Engels (1848). It seeks to explain crime by looking at the nature of society, rather than at individuals. The form of success their culture values isn't achievable through legitimate means, so they turn to crime to achieve those goals. The behaviours that delinquent subcultures value are those that wider society tends to condemn. Social control is implemented by the bourgeoisie (ruling class) upon the proletariat (working class), based on the premise of economic determinism. For example, laws that protect. How has the Marxist view on crime been extended? Lerne mit deinen Freunden und bleibe auf dem richtigen Kurs mit deinen persnlichen Lernstatistiken. Deviance occurs through social pressures. The first one was the most 'traditional'. Functionalism, as one of the key perspectives in sociology, allows us to reconsider whether the structures of society are working for everyone. Selective enforcement refers to the disproportionate prosecution of working-class criminals. Well close with an evaluation of the Marxist theory of crime and deviance, diving into particular strengths and criticisms of this perspective. The prevalence of crime and deviance is explained by Marxists as being the result of the very nature of capitalism, the key feature of which is the maximisation of profit through private ownership over the means of production. Why do people commit crime, according to Merton? Create the most beautiful study materials using our templates. Create beautiful notes faster than ever before. When a crime occurs and and individuals are punished it becomes clear to the rest of society that the particular action concerned is unacceptable. Specifically, they believe that the maximisation of profits and private ownership as ultimate forms of success, in conjunction with the individualism that this encourages, is what leads people to commit crimes. Functionalism being a macro-scale approach is therefore seen as a strength as it allows functionalist sociologists to observe society, and its institutions, as a whole. Following this, Marxists argue that the capitalist system encourages. According to Chambliss (1976), laws that protect property ownership rights are much more loosely implemented than those that protect trade unions. Working class culture emphasised six focal concerns (or core values) which encouraged criminal behaviour amongst working class youth. Another key difference between functionalist and Marxist theories of crime rests on causation. Their reactions and actions towards them are according to their understanding of such. Functionalists such as mile Durkheim argue the three main functions of crime are: What does mile Durkheim believe about crime? This essay will go on to show the origins of labelling theory, the theory itself and will show its strengths and weaknesses using various case-studies and examples. safaree net worth 2021 forbes strengths and weaknesses of general theory of crime. This can look like working hard, getting a promotion, and becoming successful in the 'traditional' way. . Radical criminology takes on both micro and macro evaluations, emphasising the importance of studying the state-level management of the criminogenic capitalist society and lower-level interactions between, for example, the police and deviants. It was this egoism that served as an indirect cause of criminal or deviant activity. crimes committed by the rich and the poor). There is a shared sense of anger towards the breach of morals that the criminal has committed. Strain theory was pioneered by Robert Merton (1949). Everything you need for your studies in one place. money. One of the main problems with this aspect of Durkheims theory is that he did not specify precisely how much crime a society needed, or what types of crime! old people not going out due to fear of street crime. In Durkheims own words punishment serves to heal the wounds done to the collective sentiments. It referred to the sense of discouragement that young, working-class males felt as a result of being defined as failures and denied respect from the rest of society. Set individual study goals and earn points reaching them. Instead, he argued that the environment which the capitalist system creates makes people more egoistic, and therefore more capable of committing crimes. And not all criminals are stigmatised, as some people gain status for taking part in crime, particulary younger people, Marxists argue the law is only there to protect the interests of the ruling classes, and is not a reflection of the needs of the whole of society, as Durkheim argues, Merton assumes society is based on materialistic needs, and that crime is commited for material gain i.e. No products in the cart. A few theorists in functionalist criminology use the concept of 'subcultures' to explain the prevalence of crime. Social change: the penal system should be reformed to reduce police brutality by, for example, making punishments against violent police officers more severe. What is the functionalist theory in simple terms? Cohen looked specifically at how this is the case for young, working-class males who tend to experience status frustration. We'll follow that by looking at the functionalist view on crime as both unpreventable and beneficial, as argued by. Durkheim went a step further and argued that a certain amount of crime was functional for society. Get Revising is one of the trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. Symbolic interaction has various strengths and weaknesses as a sociological perspective. Another important function of crime is in the fact that it can bring about social change. Functionalism Society is made up of 'building blocks' - living organism. Not only are laws created in favour of the ruling class, say Marxists; they are also enforced more strictly among the poor. For example, laws that protect trade unions are much more loosely implemented than the laws which govern property ownership rights. Let's go through Durkheim's key points about the role of crime in society. The functionalist view on crime explains the existence of crime as being the result of the structure of society (rather than as a result of individuals themselves). Marxism . Now that we've reminded ourselves about functionalism, we will specifically look at the functionalist view on crime. Theres no objective way of knowing how much crime is beneficial to society, or how much is excessive and has the potential to lead to a dysfunctional society. Functionalism is a consensus perspective whereby society is based on shared values and norms into which members are socialised. A theory of service delivery that focuses on the individual strengths instead of weaknesses. So, male, working-class delinquents engage in deviant behaviours to gain each others respect - but also as a means to strike back at the society which has rejected these young men by framing them as failures. ), Cambridge Dictionary of Sociology (pp. Willem Bonger (1916) was one of the first criminologists to apply Marxs theory of crime to his own study. The bourgeoisie must disguise the reality of harsh exploitation that the working class is subjected to. Status frustration theory explains the prevalence of non-utilitarian crime - crime that is committed without the goal of material gain. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Functionalist View on Society Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the functionalist view on society. Cloward and Ohlin make up for Cohen and Merton's theory by addressing and explaining working-class delinquency that's unrelated to monetary gain. People are led to a state of anomie by a strain between the types of successes that society values, and the lack of means by which to achieve those successes. Identify your study strength and weaknesses. The strength of the functionalist theory is that it a macro level structural theory which uses an organic analogy- using the body as a way to describe the different parts within society. It provides a very harmonious view of society and the family. For the final response paper, I will share what I learned about four specific criminological theories. Explain a key limitation of Cloward and Ohlin's (1961) Opportunity Structure theory. - Tends to be deterministic. The functionalist perspective on crime and deviance disregards biological and psychological explanations, making it less deterministic. This is the idea that societys most significant relationships are those which are based on economic factors, while all other types of relationships are shaped by the form of the economic relationship. A further action performed by the criminals is to provide a constant test of the boundaries of permitted action. This can lead to necessary legal reform which ends up benefiting the community and its members. Functionalism can be defined as the aStructural-consensus theorya. What is a neo-Marxist critique of the traditional Marxist view on crime? The strengths and weaknesses of this philosophy show some sets of benefits and drawbacks, creating a system of government that is prone to abuse, that is why Marx to fix its flaws. An explanation is deterministic when it assumes that people have no control when it comes to their own behaviour. Let's look at a few. - Implies that without labelling, deviance wouldn't exist. This theory of Karl Marx views sports as being built on the foundations of economic power. 2 - Wealthy people benefit from more lenient laws, and less frequent prosecution when guilty. What is an example of how crime is used for social regulation? strengths and weaknesses of general theory of crime. . Traditional Marxism points out the problems with the capitalist system, but falls short in providing a solution or an alternative. It could be that some crimes may be so harmful that they will always be, Secondly, Durkheim is suggesting that the criminal justice system benefits everyone in society by punishing criminals and reinforcing the acceptable boundaries of behaviour. This is called economic determinism. Get Revising is one of the trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. 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