Functionalist theory of crime and deviance Free Essay Example.
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The Functionalist Perspective on Deviance The Functionalist Perspective on Deviance Functionalism claims that deviance help to create social stability by presenting explanations of non-normative and normative behaviors.
Functionalists focus on the source of deviance in the nature of society rather than biological and psychological explanations. Every functionalist agrees that social control mechanisms e. g. the police are necessary to keep deviance in check and therefore protecting social order. A main contributor to the functionalist theory of crime is Durkheim.
To clarify the meaning of both words in the context of this essay; crime is an unlawful criminal act, whereas deviance is a behaviour which is not a social norm (breaking the social rules). Throughout the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century many researchers into the phenomena of crime regarded crime as a social science in which modern scientific methods could be applied to.
Most of the ancient sociologists have come up with different sociological perspectives that try to explain crime and deviance. Emile Durkheim came up with rule of sociological methods that explained crime as part of society norms. Durkheim believed crime to be higher in modernized and industrialized society as compared to less modernized.
In this essay I will be explaining the distinction between crime and deviance within society and be able to provide illustrative examples to acquire an easy understanding of them. Later, evaluate and compare some sociological perspectives and their points of views in terms of crime and deviance as well as recognising limitations about particular methods of measure crime.
Minor crime can release some of the tensions in society that, if not relieved, could lead to more significant problems. Realists. Realist sociologists (of left and right) are concerned with functionalist sociology of crime and deviance which explores deviance as an interesting phenomenon, but does not help solve crime as a really existing problem.