Functionalist Theories of Crime & Deviance - Durkheim | A Level Sociology

Summary

This tutorial video explores Emile Durkheim's functionalist theories on crime and deviance. Durkheim posited that crime is inevitable and even beneficial for society at optimal levels, serving boundary maintenance and fostering social cohesion. He suggested that deviance can act as a catalyst for societal adaptation and change, as seen in movements like civil rights and women's liberation. However, contemporary challenges, such as defining the ideal crime level and the media's role in social change, question the applicability of his theories today.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Emile Durkheim is recognized as one of the founding fathers of sociology and developed theories to explain societal functions and evolution.
• 🔄 Durkheim described society's transition from mechanical solidarity to organic solidarity due to rapid social changes like urbanization and industrialization.
• 🚨 He noted that modern society's experiences, especially after the industrial revolution, led to undesirable effects such as poverty, mental illness, and crime.
• 🔍 Durkheim suggested that crime and deviance are normal parts of a healthy society, with crime being inevitable and even desirable at certain levels.
• 🛑 Crime serves a positive function by maintaining boundaries and reinforcing societal values through collective condemnation of deviant acts.
• 🌐 Durkheim believed that deviance can lead to adaptation and change, as deviation from societal norms can gradually shift those norms over time.
• 🏛 Examples of societal change driven by deviance include the civil rights, gay rights, and women's liberation movements.
• 🚨 Durkheim also proposed that crime can act as a 'safety valve', releasing societal tensions that might otherwise lead to more serious issues.
• 📊 While Durkheim's theories are relevant today, defining an 'optimal' level of crime remains challenging.
• 🤔 Durkheim's theories have been criticized for not fully explaining how crime occurs and for the variable impact of deviant behaviors on social change in contemporary society.

Q & A

What are functionalist theories of crime and deviance?

Functionalist theories of crime and deviance suggest that such behaviors serve a purpose in society, helping to maintain social order and cohesion.

Who is Emile Durkheim and what is his contribution to sociology?

Emile Durkheim is considered one of the founding fathers of sociology. He developed theories to explain how society functions and evolves, particularly focusing on the impact of social changes on social cohesion.

What is the concept of 'organic change' as described by Durkheim?

Organic change refers to the gradual social changes that advance society for the better, such as urbanization and industrialization.

How did the rapid social changes after the Industrial Revolution affect society according to Durkheim?

Durkheim observed that rapid social changes led to a loss of organic solidarity and a shift towards mechanical solidarity, resulting in undesirable effects like poverty, mental illness, and crime.

What is the difference between organic and mechanical solidarity?

Organic solidarity is based on interdependence and shared values, while mechanical solidarity is characterized by a more structured and engineered social order, often through institutions like education.

Why did Durkheim believe crime was inevitable in modern society?

Durkheim suggested that crime is a normal part of a healthy society, as it can serve to reinforce social norms and values.

What is the concept of 'boundary maintenance' in Durkheim's theory?

Boundary maintenance refers to how society reacts to criminal behavior to reinforce the value consensus, thereby maintaining social norms and cohesion.

How does Durkheim view the role of deviance in societal change?

Durkheim saw deviance as a way of demonstrating changing attitudes towards the established social order, which can lead to gradual societal change as new behaviors become the norm.

What are some examples of how crime and deviance can act as a safety valve for society according to Durkheim?

Crime and deviance can act as a warning sign of societal drift and can provide a release for tensions that might otherwise lead to more serious criminal activities.

What criticisms can be made of Durkheim's views on crime and deviance?

Critics argue that defining the optimum level of crime is problematic and that Durkheim offers little explanation for the causes of crime beyond frustration. Additionally, some argue that deviant behaviors have less effect on social change in contemporary society.

How does Durkheim's theory relate to contemporary society?

Durkheim's concepts of boundary maintenance and deviance as a form of social change remain relevant today, as seen in public reactions to various forms of crime and social movements.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Durkheim's Functionalist Theories on Crime and Deviance

This paragraph introduces Emile Durkheim's functionalist theories on crime and deviance. Durkheim, a founding father of sociology, developed theories to explain societal functions and evolution. He observed that rapid social changes post-industrial revolution led to a loss of organic solidarity and a shift towards mechanical solidarity through institutions like education. Durkheim noted that modern society's experiences impacted social cohesion, leading to issues like poverty, mental illness, and crime. However, he suggested that crime and deviance are normal parts of a healthy society, with crime being inevitable and even desirable at certain levels. Crime serves to reinforce societal norms and values, acting as a form of social control and boundary maintenance. Durkheim also proposed that deviance can lead to adaptation and change, as it reflects changing attitudes towards the established social order. He gave examples of the civil rights, gay rights, and women's liberation movements to illustrate how deviance can lead to societal change.

05:01

🔍 Evaluating Durkheim's Theories on Crime and Deviance

The second paragraph evaluates Durkheim's theories on crime and deviance. It acknowledges the relevance of his ideas in contemporary society, particularly his concepts of boundary maintenance and deviance as a form of social change. However, it also points out the challenges in defining the optimum level of crime in society. The paragraph critiques Durkheim's limited explanation of crime causation, attributing it mainly to frustration. It also discusses the diminished effect of deviant behaviors in contemporary society, using examples such as climate change protests and the Black Lives Matter movement, which have not always led to significant social change despite widespread condemnation by the media. The paragraph concludes by questioning Durkheim's argument about society's reasonable reaction to social change, given the media and state's attempts to maintain the status quo.

Keywords

💡Functionalist Theories

Functionalist theories are a perspective in sociology that views society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. In the video, Emile Durkheim's work is discussed as foundational to these theories, emphasizing how crime and deviance can serve as functional for society by maintaining boundaries and promoting adaptation and change.

💡Emile Durkheim

Emile Durkheim is one of the founding fathers of sociology, known for his theories on how society functions and evolves. The video highlights his ideas on crime and deviance, suggesting that a certain level of these behaviors is not only inevitable but also desirable for societal health and evolution.

💡Organic Solidarity

Organic solidarity refers to the social cohesion that arises from the interdependence of diverse and specialized roles within society. Durkheim noted that rapid social changes, such as those following the Industrial Revolution, led to a loss of organic solidarity, shifting towards mechanical solidarity.

💡Mechanical Solidarity

Mechanical solidarity is a type of social cohesion based on similarity and uniformity of values and roles, typically found in traditional societies. The video discusses how modern society has shifted from organic to mechanical solidarity through institutions like education.

💡Anomie

Anomie is a state of normlessness or instability within a society, often resulting from rapid social change. Durkheim suggested that this state could lead to phenomena like crime and deviance, as people drift away from societal norms and values.

💡Boundary Maintenance

Boundary maintenance refers to the process by which societies reinforce their norms and values through reactions to criminal or deviant behavior. In the video, Durkheim argues that crime can serve a positive function by uniting society in condemnation of such acts, thereby reinforcing societal values.

💡Collective Conscience

The collective conscience is the shared moral code and values of a society. Durkheim believed that societal reactions to crime and deviance actively reinforced the collective conscience, as seen in public condemnation of extreme criminality.

💡Social Control

Social control refers to the mechanisms by which society influences and directs individuals' behavior to conform to societal norms. The video illustrates how reactions to crime and deviance act as a form of informal social control, discouraging undesirable behavior.

💡Adaptation and Change

Adaptation and change refer to the process by which societies evolve and adjust to new circumstances. Durkheim saw deviant behavior as a sign of changing attitudes and a catalyst for societal evolution, as new behaviors gradually become the norm.

💡Safety Valve

A safety valve is a mechanism that allows for the release of tension or frustration within a society. Durkheim suggested that crime could act as a safety valve, preventing more serious societal issues by providing an outlet for discontent.

💡Protest Movements

Protest movements, such as the Civil Rights Movement, the Gay Rights Movement, and the Women's Liberation Movement, are highlighted in the video as examples of how deviance can lead to societal change. These movements began with unconventional actions that were initially considered deviant but eventually led to significant societal shifts.

Highlights

Emile Durkheim's theories on crime and deviance in society

Society's evolution through organic change

Impact of urbanization and industrialization on social cohesion

Shift from organic to mechanical solidarity

Unintended consequences of rapid social change

Crime as a normal part of a healthy society

The necessity of a certain level of crime for societal function

Crime leading to societal norm and value decay if excessive

The role of deviance in societal change and growth

Boundary maintenance through social reactions to crime

Reinforcement of collective conscience against criminality

Informal social control as a disincentive for crime

Public reactions to terrorism as boundary maintenance

The 2011 UK riots and public condemnation of rioters

Adaptation and change through deviant behavior

The civil rights, gay rights, and women's liberation movements

Crime as a safety valve and social release

Critique of Durkheim's views on defining optimal crime levels

Durkheim's limited explanation of crime causation

Contemporary society's reduced impact of deviant behaviors

Media and state's role in maintaining the status quo

Conclusion on Durkheim's functional theories of crime and deviance

Transcripts

welcome to this tutor to you sociology

topic video

looking at functionalist theories of

crime and deviance

focusing on the work of emile durkheim

as one of the founding fathers of

sociology emil durkheim developed

theories to explain how society

functioned and how it evolved through

different stages

he suggested that society went through a

process of organic change

gradual social changes that advance

society for the better

for example urbanization and

industrialization both led to social

changes that impacted on where people

lived and where they worked

however durkheim noticed that the rapid

social changes that accompanied the

period after the industrial revolution

had led to many unwanted changes in

society

a society lost the function of organic

solidarity and shifted towards more

mechanical or

engineered solidarity through

institutions such as education

durkheim suggested that the experiences

of modern society had impacted on social

cohesion

with undesirable effects of mass

urbanization such as poverty

mental illness and crime leading society

towards a state of

anime a drift away from the norms and

values of society

however durkheim suggested that the

criminality and deviance that

accompanied these social changes

was actually a normal part of a healthy

and functioning society

he suggested that crime was inevitable

in modern society

and a certain level of crime was

actually desirable for society

too much crime however would lead

society's norms and values to atrophy or

decay

too little deviants and society will be

incapable of change

and eventually growth would stagnate

durkheim therefore argued that society

performs both positive and negative

functions for society

and at an optimal level deviance was

desirable

but how can crime be positive for

society well this is achieved through

boundary maintenance

durkheim suggested that social reactions

to criminal behavior help to reinforce

the value consensus of society

extreme criminality such as the murder

of women or children

would unite others in society to condemn

those that had committed the crime

he actively reinforced people's belief

in the collective conscience of society

that is its moral code as people condemn

wrongdoers it leads to a collective

agreement that the criminal or deviant

behavior is wrong

and should not be repeated it acts as a

form of

informal social control over others

considering deviance

a society's reaction to the crime is

seen as a disincentive

now we can use this example in

contemporary society

public reactions in recent years to

terrorist activities in london and

manchester can be seen as a form of

boundary maintenance

public displays of grief and defiance

against terrorist activities

backed up with media campaigns

reinforces the will of the people to not

let terrorists win

furthermore in the summer of 2011

nationwide riots after the shooting

of mark goggin in london led to public

condemnation of those that were rioting

and looting

media images that displayed the extent

of the damage caused

led to people proposing more extreme

measures to combat rioters

including the use of police water

cannons

this reinforces the collective

conscience that the behavior witnessed

is not to be tolerated in society

and these attitudes are often reinforced

when footage of other protests are shown

on tv

a further positive function of crime and

deviance suggested by durkheim is

adaptation and change

deviant behavior is a way of people

demonstrating that attitudes are

changing towards the established social

order

and durkheim believed that these served

as a positive function

as smaller groups in society deviate

they attract the following of others

and the norms and values of society are

gradually changed

in some instances this occurs quite

rapidly

however is often a gradual process as

these new behaviors become the norm for

more people

and cease to be deviant as society

accepts these behaviors as a new norm

for example the civil rights movement in

the usa began with sit-ins and protests

in white-only establishments

and gained momentum which led to the

repeal of the jim crow laws

the gay rights movement accelerated

after the riots at the stonewall cafe

and the women's liberation movement

gained momentum by using unconventional

means to push for equality with men

a contemporary example of this is the

removal of the statue of slave trader

edward coulston in bristol

which was subsequently followed by the

removal of other symbols of slavery

across the globe

other functions of crime suggested by

durkheim included the idea that

crime acted as a safety valve for

society

that mass demonstrations are a warning

sign that society is drifting towards

anime

whilst others such as polsky and davis

have suggested that some forms of

deviant such as prostitution and

pornography

can act as a form of social release for

society

relieving tensions that otherwise would

be channeled into criminal activities

we need to be able to evaluate

durkheim's views of crime and deviance

firstly durkheim's ideas can be seen to

have relevance to contemporary society

and his concepts of boundary maintenance

and deviance as a form of social change

are part of his lasting legacy to

sociology

however there are problems with his work

defining the optimum level of crime in

society is problematic

how much is too much and secondly

durkheim offers little explanation as to

how crime occurs other than to suggest

it is due to frustrations

we can also argue that in contemporary

society the deviant behaviors seem to

have less effect

than in previous generations for example

protests over climate change have been

met with widespread condemnation by the

media

rather than meaningful social change

similarly black lives matter protests in

the usa

have not always been met with social

change but rather by attempts to nullify

and sensationalize issues

in this instance durkheim's argument

that there will be a reasonable reaction

by society to social change

can be criticized by actions of the

media and the state in attempting to

ensure the status quo

that concludes this tutor to you

sociology topic video on functional

theories of crime and deviance

examining the work of emile durkheim

thanks for watching