Analyse Two Functions Of Deviance (10 Marks)

P - durkheim suggests deviance has positive functions: for example boundary maintenance

E/R - this is when society agree on the fact that the crime committed is wrong = strengthens social solidarity as people are united against the wrongdoer

This also deters people from committing the same acts

C - ignores the negative impact of crime

Y - this is a limitation that should be considered when examining durkheim s ideals of the positive functions of deviance as functionalist thinkers tend to look through rose tinted lenses

Paragraph Two

P - A further positive function of crime is that it durkheim suggests all change starts with an act of deviance, thus crime aids social change

E - fighting against laws can sometimes be initially criminal but often changes things for the greater good when people persistently act against it

R - gay rights, people use to practice in private and now they don t as 2014 it was legalised, went through civil partnerships first

C - it is impossible to tell how much the right amount of crime is for the overall effect to be a positive one: what is too much and too little ?

Y - this should be considered as it adds subjectivity and therefore reduced validity to the approach and the idea that deviance is always positive