What Is the Functionalist View of Crime?

Durkheim’s term for a state in which people stop following society’s norms and values is:

• Anomie

• Deviance

• Strain

• Socialisation

Durkheim said crime is inevitable because it is found even in societies that have:

• No written laws

• Very harsh punishments

• Total equality

• Large police forces

One positive function of crime, according to Durkheim, is that it can:

• Boost economic growth

• Strengthen police budgets

• Prompt society to rethink and reform unjust laws

• Create more prison jobs

Which sociologist developed strain theory to explain the causes of anomie?

• Emile Durkheim

• Karl Marx

• Howard Becker

• Robert Merton

In Merton’s view, British society measures “success” mainly by the amount of a person’s:

• Money and material wealth

• Personal happiness

• Exam grades alone

• Community volunteering

Strain theory says that when people cannot reach success legally, they may:

• Withdraw from society

• Turn to illegal activities such as drug dealing

• Accept their status quietly

• Pursue more education

Functionalists argue social order exists chiefly because:

• Punishments are severe

• Police surveillance is constant

• Most people are socialised to follow shared norms and values

• Wealth is equally distributed

A key criticism highlighted in the notes is that the functionalist view:

• Overstates capitalism’s role

• Underestimates police influence

Which theoretical perspective blames crime primarily on capitalist inequality?

• Marxism

• Feminism

• Interactionism

• Post-modernism

According to the notes, strain arises when individuals:

• Have no access to schooling

• Are taught to value success but lack legitimate means to achieve it

• Face rapid technological change

• Reject material goals completely