Functionalist Theories of Crime and Deviance - Term Paper.
Functionalists focus on the source of deviance in the nature of society instead of biological and mental explanations. Every functionalist concurs that social control systems e. g. the cops are essential to keep deviance in check and for that reason protecting social order. A primary contributor to the functionalist theory of crime is Durkheim.For the structural functionalist, deviance serves two primary roles in creating social stability. First, systems of recognizing and punishing deviance create norms and tell members of a given society how to behave by laying out patterns of acceptable and unacceptable behavior.Again, under the functionalist approach deviance and crime are compared to a safety channel. An example is the case of prostitution where the sexual services are availed without significant threat to the concerned person’s marriage.
Functionalist ignore deviance; they look at society as a whole and ignore individualism. Functionalism is a structuralist approach (also known as a consensus theory) they believe that individuals are shaped by society and social facts.The Functionalist Perspective on Deviance Functionalism claims that deviance help to create social stability by presenting explanations of non-normative and normative behaviors.
Functionalism and Crime and Deviance Essay 913 Words 4 Pages Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the usefulness of functionalist approaches in explaining crime (21 Marks) Item A Functionalist sociologists focus on how far individuals accept the norms and values of society.
