Assess the consensus views to do with crime and deviance
Assess the usefulness of consensus theories for an understanding of crime and deviance in society.
Consensus theories are the theories that believe that every society share the same views, norms and values. The main consensus theories are Functionalism and Subcultural. Functionalism is the theory of how or why society functions and how it remains in a state of stability. It tries to explain the role that all people within society have, from children to criminals, in order to maintain stability. Subcultural theorists, such as Cohen, hold the idea that there is nothing wrong with criminals and those who commit deviant acts. Instead, they support another set of values or a subculture. However, there are views that disagree with these, such as Marxism and Conflict sociologists.
Functionalist sociologists like Durkheim say that crime is normal and important in all societies. He says that there are two reasons why crime and deviance are found in all societies. Firstly because not everyone is equally effectively socialised into the shared norms and values, so some people will be prone to deviate. Secondly that mainly in complex modern societies, there is a diversity of lifestyle and values. Different groups develop their own subcultures with individual norms and values, and what the members of the subculture might think is normal, mainstream might see it as deviant. And that there is a tendency towards anomie. Similarly there is Merton’s strain theory. This is the argument that people deviate when they cant achieve socially accepted goals legally. For example they might get frustrated and resort to crime to get what they want or lash out in anger, or even turn to drugs. Finally there is Hirdchi’s control theory, which explains female crime. He argues that people act rationally and are controlled by being offered rewards in return for abiding to social norms. That people will turn to crime if they do not believe that the rewards will be imminent, and if the rewards
Consensus theories are the theories that believe that every society share the same views, norms and values. The main consensus theories are Functionalism and Subcultural. Functionalism is the theory of how or why society functions and how it remains in a state of stability. It tries to explain the role that all people within society have, from children to criminals, in order to maintain stability. Subcultural theorists, such as Cohen, hold the idea that there is nothing wrong with criminals and those who commit deviant acts. Instead, they support another set of values or a subculture. However, there are views that disagree with these, such as Marxism and Conflict sociologists.
Functionalist sociologists like Durkheim say that crime is normal and important in all societies. He says that there are two reasons why crime and deviance are found in all societies. Firstly because not everyone is equally effectively socialised into the shared norms and values, so some people will be prone to deviate. Secondly that mainly in complex modern societies, there is a diversity of lifestyle and values. Different groups develop their own subcultures with individual norms and values, and what the members of the subculture might think is normal, mainstream might see it as deviant. And that there is a tendency towards anomie. Similarly there is Merton’s strain theory. This is the argument that people deviate when they cant achieve socially accepted goals legally. For example they might get frustrated and resort to crime to get what they want or lash out in anger, or even turn to drugs. Finally there is Hirdchi’s control theory, which explains female crime. He argues that people act rationally and are controlled by being offered rewards in return for abiding to social norms. That people will turn to crime if they do not believe that the rewards will be imminent, and if the rewards