Component 3 Section B (Crime and deviance): functionalist theories of crime (Durkheim on the functions of crime and anomie, Merton's strain theory) and subcultural theories (Cohen's status frustration, Cloward and Ohlin's three subcultures), with their criticisms.

What this dot point is asking

This statement covers the functionalist and subcultural (consensus, structural) theories of crime: Durkheim on the functions of crime and anomie, Merton's strain theory, and the subcultural theories of Cohen (status frustration) and Cloward and Ohlin (three subcultures), with their criticisms. They explain crime as a product of social structure and blocked opportunity, and are the starting point for the theory debate.

The answer

Durkheim: the functions of crime

Durkheim identified functions of crime:

• Boundary maintenance: punishing crime reaffirms the shared values and reminds everyone of the rules.
• Adaptation and change: today's deviance can become tomorrow's new norm, so some deviance allows society to evolve.
• A safety valve and an early-warning function: deviance can release tension and signal that part of society is malfunctioning.

But anomie (normlessness), especially in times of rapid change, loosens the moral regulation that holds behaviour in check, raising deviance.

Merton: strain theory

Merton adapted Durkheim's anomie into strain theory. Society sets cultural goals (above all material success, the "American Dream") but distributes the legitimate means (good jobs, education) unequally. The resulting strain produces five adaptations:

• Conformity: accept the goals and the means (most people).
• Innovation: accept the goals but use illegitimate means (crime such as theft), the main source of utilitarian crime.
• Ritualism: give up on the goals but follow the rules.
• Retreatism: reject both goals and means (drop-outs).
• Rebellion: replace both with new goals and means.

Subcultural theories

Subcultural theorists asked why groups commit crime and explained non-utilitarian crime:

• Cohen argued working-class boys who fail at school suffer status frustration and respond by forming delinquent subcultures that invert mainstream values, gaining status through non-utilitarian acts (vandalism, truancy) that have no monetary purpose.
• Cloward and Ohlin argued the type of subculture depends on the illegitimate opportunities available. There are three: the criminal subculture (organised utilitarian crime where a criminal career structure exists), the conflict subculture (violence and gangs where it does not), and the retreatist subculture (drug use for those who fail in both legitimate and illegitimate worlds).

Criticisms

These theories are criticised for assuming a value consensus, over-predicting working-class crime, neglecting the crimes of the powerful (white-collar and corporate crime), ignoring that statistics are socially constructed (the interactionist point), and saying little about gender (the subcultures are male).

Examples in context

A strong answer connects Durkheim to Merton to Cohen and Cloward and Ohlin as a developing tradition, distinguishes utilitarian from non-utilitarian crime, and uses interactionist and Marxist points to evaluate.

Try this

Q1. Explain two functions of crime according to Durkheim. [6 marks]

• What the marker wants. Two functions named and developed (AO1): boundary maintenance (punishment reaffirms shared values) and adaptation and change (today's deviance can become tomorrow's norm), or the safety-valve function, each briefly explained.

Q2. Analyse two ways in which subcultural theories develop Merton's strain theory. [12 marks]

• Cue. Two developed points: Cohen explains non-utilitarian crime (which Merton's utilitarian focus misses) through status frustration, and Cloward and Ohlin add that the type of subculture depends on illegitimate opportunity (three subcultures), each explained and linked to the extension of strain theory.