Functionalist Perspective of Crime & Deviance (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology): Revision Note
Exam code: C200
The functionalist approach to crime and deviance
Durkheim (1858-1917)
Crime is inevitable and universal — it exists in all societies and therefore must serve important social functions
It’s not possible to define crime by harm alone because what counts as criminal varies between cultures and over time
According to Durkheim, crime is functional because it:
reinforces shared values by reminding society of moral boundaries
promotes social cohesion by uniting people against deviant behaviour
encourages social change, as challenging norms can lead to reform
When crime levels are too high, society becomes unstable; when too low, it becomes repressive
Anomie
'Anomie' means a state of normlessness — when shared norms and values break down
E.g., the 2011 UK riots illustrated anomie when social order temporarily collapsed
The positive role of deviance
Deviance can bring about positive social change
E.g., Rosa Parks’ bus boycott (1955) was deviant but led to civil rights reforms
Therefore, some deviance can be beneficial for society’s progress
Criticisms of Durkheim
Critics argue that Durkheim's ideas apply better to small-scale societies than to large-scale modern societies
It is unlikely that all crimes strengthen shared values – some harm victims and communities
Marxists contend that Durkheim ignores inequality in society because the law serves the interests of powerful groups
Interactionists argue that labelling and social reactions, not shared values, explain deviance
Key thinker: Merton's (1968) strain theory
Building on Durkheim, Merton argued that crime results from the structure and culture of society
In the USA, the ‘American Dream’ encourages everyone to strive for success — wealth, status, and material goods
However, not everyone has equal access to legitimate means (e.g., education or well-paid jobs)
This creates strain between society’s goals and people’s means of achieving them
When norms break down due to this pressure, people experience anomie and may turn to deviance
Response to success goals
Merton argued that there are five ways an individual can respond to the strain of needing to succeed in society
Response to success goals | Explanation |
|---|---|
Conformity | Accepts goals and uses legitimate means (e.g., education, hard work). |
Innovation | Accepts goals but uses illegitimate means (e.g., theft, fraud). Common among the working class. |
Ritualism | Gives up on goals but rigidly follows rules (e.g., low-paid ‘respectable’ workers). |
Retreatism | Rejects both goals and means (e.g., addicts, vagrants). |
Rebellion | Replaces society’s goals and means with new ones (e.g., revolutionaries). |
Criticisms of Merton
According to Albert Cohen (also a functionalist), working-class boys experience status frustration due to educational failure and turn to subcultures, not just material success
Merton's theory does not explain why some people who experience anomie follow the rules while others do not
Merton ignores power inequalities — he doesn’t ask who makes or benefits from laws
Merton fails to explain why women have a lower rate of officially recorded crime than men
He also assumes shared goals and consensus, which may not exist in all societies
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