Literature

Functionalism and Crime and Deviance Essay - 913 Words

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. Central to their study of crime is the attempt to understand why people break the rules of society. Despite their focus on the importance of shared norms and values, functionalists see a small amount of crime as necessary and beneficial to society. The publicity given to crime highlights the boundaries of acceptable behaviour. However, the beneficial effects of crime for society are limited; too much crime can indicate problems. Durkheim looks at how crime and deviance is inevitable and needed in†¦show more content†¦Furthermore Durkheim doesn’t specify how much crime is good for society before we fall into anomie. New Right sociologists such as Murray would be critical of this as they believe that subcultures which carry out criminal and deviant acts form an underclass which threatens society on the whole rather than strengthening ‘boundary maintenence.However Durkheim doesn’t state why people commit crimes, another functionalist who did was Merton. Merton developed a ‘strain theory’ building on Durkheim’s work. He said that crime was largely committed as a result of individuals not being able to achieve the goals impressed upon them by society (in his case the American Dream). This led people to turn to unconventional means in order to achieve these goals as they believe that happiness wealth and success are all interchangeable. While Merton does accept that everyone is different, he categorizes people into 5 adaptations to the strain; conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism and rebellion. Merton can be criticized as it is hard to believe that all people fit into 5 distinct categories with no overlaps. Furthermore Merton fails to explain non - utilitarianism crime, lots of crime is committed which does not financially benefit the criminals for example vandalism. Merton also fails to explain crime and deviance that isn’t committed as an individualShow MoreRelatedMarx and Durkheim’s Views C ontributed to our Understanding of Crime and Deviance? 899 Words   |  4 PagesUnderstanding of Crime and Deviance? Karl Marx’s Marxist theory and Emile Durkheim’s functionalist theory were both significant in their own ways and therefore made a large contribution to our perception and understanding of how crime and deviance occurs and is dealt with in society. The Marxist theory on crime was focused on the concept that the huge shift towards a capitalist society was the root cause and driving force behind the formation of social divisions and subsequent increase in crime and conflictRead MoreShould Society Change And Understand Foreign Cultures Before Passing Judgment?1657 Words   |  7 Pagesunderstand foreign cultures before passing judgment? In American society, we have borrowed many ideal of how to deal with crime and the study of crime through a science. This â€Å"scientific approach to studying criminal behavior† (Siegel, 2012, p. 4) is called criminology and the people who conduct these scientific tests, studies and theories are criminologists. Culture and deviance are like oil and water; they simply do not mix well. What is acceptable in Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia may be viewed inRead MoreSociology : Deviance, Conflict, And Symbolic Interactionism Approaches941 Words   |  4 Pagesdefine deviance as a behavior, trait, or belief that departs from a norm and generates a negative reaction in a particular group (153). Deviance can be anything. A certain sociably acceptable act in one culture can be seen as deviant in another culture it does not matter how large or small the act. Sociologist developed three theories to help explain deviance. Sociologists explored the functionalism, conflict, and symbolic in teractionism approaches to deviance. Emile Durkheim studied deviance withRead MoreSociology Is The Study Of Individuals In Groups In A Systematic Way1611 Words   |  7 Pagesscrutinizing theories on the subject ‘crime and deviance’ aiming to outline how each perspective grasps the matter. Before one can observe society, one needs to take into account the ways in which it can be viewed. Perspectives that focus on social systems, are known as macro perspectives. Alternatively, the micro perspective, focuses on social action of the individual. (Taylor et al, 1995). One of The first major perspectives examining society is Functionalism. â€Å"Functionalism begins with the observationRead MoreCrime And Deviance1550 Words   |  7 PagesIn studying crimes and deviance, sociologists look to explain what types of behavior are defined as deviant as opposed to criminal, who defines deviant behaviors, why people become deviant, and how society deals with deviant behavior. Deviance is defined by sociologists are behavior that significantly goes against expected rules and norms. Criminal behavior is behavior that violates the law. Sociology studies groups as opposed to individuals, so when studying crime and deviance, sociologists areRead MoreExplanation to Crime and Deviancy Essay1446 Words   |  6 Pages True Crime or Moral Panic? Evaluate and apply sociological theories relating to crime and deviance Explanations of Crime and Deviancy Crime - an action or omission which constitutes an offence and is punishable by law. Deviance-the fact or state of diverging from usual or accepted standards, especially in social or sexual behavior. Crime and deviance are seemingly effortlessly defined by the Oxford dictionary. However sociological prospectives have differing views on crime and the explanationsRead MoreWhat Deviance Is Today s Society Essay1081 Words   |  5 PagesWhat defines deviance in today’s society? Is it the abnormal things that people don’t usually do or is it just criminal behavior? Deviance has brought up many questions on what could be defined as it. Deviance is usually shaped by society. It can be defined as the violation of established contextual, cultural, or social norms, whether folkways, mores, or codified law (OpenStax 142). Sociologist want to see why deviance has so many different areas and how it effects a group in a society. For exampleRead More How Crime and Deviance Can Be Seen As Functional for Society1723 Words   |  7 Pages Crime and deviance are acts that will elicit dissent from society. They take various forms and involve various concepts and theories. It will be the aim of this paper to explore those that are considered to be functional for society. It was Emile Durkheim who first clearly established the logic behind the functional approach to the study of crime and deviance[1] when he wrote The Rules of Sociological Method and The Division of Labour[2]. In those works, DurkheimRead MoreCritically Discuss Three Sociological Approaches to Explaining Crime1188 Words   |  5 PagesCritically discuss three sociological approaches to explaining crime? One of the most predominant areas of study in sociology is in the explanation of crime and deviance in society. Criminal acts are those which violate established formal laws, whereas deviance refers to the breaking of social norms. Crime and deviance are a social construct as they are decided by the people in a society and can vary greatly depending on the society in question, as well as the time period being studied. In theRead MoreThe Theory, Symbolic Interactionism, And Conflict Theory1040 Words   |  5 Pagesmothers in poverty who turn to prostitution as a mean of support. Theoretical paradigms such as Functionalism, Conflict theory, and Symbolic Interactionism all have similar and different views on how a society should function. An understanding of each paradigm and how they play a role in society will better show the similarities and differences they each possess in relation with each other. Functionalism defines society as a system of interrelated parts. It focus more on society as a whole, not so

Economic Performance and Monetary Policy Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Economic Performance and Monetary Policy. Answer: Introduction: Open market operations (OMO) is used to influence money supply by either the RBA buying or selling securities from or to the other banks. If there is a need to raise the money supply for instance when there is a need to stimulate the economy, the government buys the securities from these banks (Amadeo, 2017). This sell raises the money available for lending by this banks and thus money supply is increased. If on the other hand there is a need to lower the money supply in an economy for instance during a period of high inflation rate, the government sells securities to these banks. In the process of buying, the banks use the money that otherwise could have been used for lending. This reduces the money supply. The reserve ratio is a tool used in the regulation of the money supply by the RBA. It does this by either increasing or reducing this ratio depending on the direction the influence on the money supply is desired. The RBA regulates other banks and does not allow them to lend every deposit they receive but instead requires them to deposit with them a proportion of these overnight deposits (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, 2017). If there is a need to raise the money supply, the RBA reduces the reserve requirement ration so as to leave with the banks more funds for lending; the goal of increasing money supply is attained. Similarly, if there is a need to lower the money supply, the RBA raises the reserve ratio so that banks wont have much funds to led; the money supply is reduced The cash rate is another tool used by RBA in influencing the money supply. It is the interest rate at which other banks borrows from the RBA; through this rate, the RBA is able to influence the interest rate at which banks lend to their borrowers (Layton, Robinson and Tucker, 2011). If there is a need to raise the money supply, the RBA cuts its cash rate, interest rate falls and borrowing increases since borrowing costs has fallen; money supply expands. Similarly, if there is a need to lower the money supply, the RBA raises the cash rate, interest rate increase, demand for money falls and thus money supply decreases. Increase in reserve ratio by the RBA lowers the money supply from MS1 to MS2. This increases the value of money from MV1 to MV2. Since there is a reduction in money availability, the demand in the economy falls and so the price level. The cost of lending money when supply is low rises; the interest rate rises. Governments securities purchase by RBA through OMO increases the money supply from MS1 to MS2. This decreases the value of money from MV1 to MV2. Since there is an increase in money availability, the demand in the economy rises and so the price level. The cost of lending money when supply is high falls; the interest rate falls. Since the economy was already at full employment level YLR, the new supply level is unsustainable and the economy will fall back to the vertical LRASo but at a further lower price P1. This is because demand will remain the same but supply will be higher. The growth of the investment on housing has been great after the recovery from the Global financial recession. The prices of housing in Australia has gone up and many people have diverted their investment to the housing market. The collapse of this market would result in many people falling in troubling situations since most of the investor had used credit money that needs to be repaid back (Zhou, 2017). Default rates will rise since the low income to be received after the fall in housing prices wont be sufficient to cover the initial loan obligations. He also noted that there would be a fall in the aggregate demand as households cut their consumption. According to Morgan (2016), the collapse will result in an increment in the economys unemployment rate. Keane (2017) noted that superannuation balances would fall and also return on investments since share market will also be impacted. However, the reduction of house prices will be good news for the consumers, currently houses are unaf fordable, but will be more affordable after the collapse of this market. One of the major factor behind the rising price of housing is the availability of cheap credit that has resulted in interest rate being too low. Since the RBA couldnt discourage excessive demand by raising interest rate since the low rate is necessary for this economy to grow, the government can increase its spending on increasing the supply of houses. Morgan (2016) also recommended that government should increase the level of foreign investors to boost the supply of houses. Keane noted that interest rate could be increased individually on investment loans. References Amadeo, K. (2017). What Is Monetary Policy? Objectives, Types and Tools 6 Ways to Legally Create Money Out of Thin Air. [Online] The Balance. Available at: https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-monetary-policy-objectives-types-and-tools-3305867 [Accessed 13 May 2017]. Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. (2017). What effect does a change in the reserve requirement ratio have on the money supply? [Online] Available at: https://www.frbsf.org/education/publications/doctor-econ/2001/august/reserve-requirements-ratio/ [Accessed 13 May 2017]. Keane, A. (2017). A property market slump will have a wide impact, hitting the share market and super balances. [Online] Dailytelegraph.com.au. Available at: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/business/economy/a-property-market-slump-will-have-a-wide-impact-hitting-the-sharemarket-and-super-balances/news-story/4e446248e5274786b92923dba2b1b6af [Accessed 13 May 2017]. Layton, P., Robinson, C., Tucker, B. (2011). Economics for today. South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning. Morgan, E. (2016). Australia headed for recession next year, Professor Steve Keen says. [Online] ABC News. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-29/australia-headed-for-recession-next-year,-professor-keen-says/7674154 [Accessed 13 May 2017]. Rittenberg, L. and Tregarthen, T. (2017). Principles of Macro Economics. [Online] FlatWorld. Available at: https://catalog.flatworldknowledge.com/bookhub/23?e=rittenmacro-ch07_s02 [Accessed 13 May 2017]. Zhou, N. (2017). Australian housing market crash could lead to broader downturn, OECD warns. [Online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/mar/03/australian-housing-market-crash-could-lead-to-broader-downturn-oecd-warns [Accessed 13 May 2017]. ncrease in reserve ratio by the RBA lowers the money sup