FUNCTION OF CRIME MYTH

• NCJ Number: 45414
• Journal: Sociological Review Volume: 25 Issue: 2 Dated: (MAY 1977) Pages: 309-323
• Author(s): B ROSHIER
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 15 pages
• Corporate Author: University of Keele
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

THE AIM OF THIS ESSAY IS TO DISPROVE THEORETICAL ARGUMENTS WHICH STATE THAT CRIME (OR DEVIANCE) PERFORMS NECESSARY FUNCTIONS FOR A SOCIETY.

Abstract

EMILE DURKHEIM'S WORKS SHOW THAT CRIME IS NORMAL IN A SOCIETY. THIS HAS OFTEN BEEN TAKEN TO MEAN THAT IT IS FUNCTIONAL. IT IS ARGUED, HOWEVER, THAT DURKHEIM'S ARGUMENT IS THAT CRIME IS INEVITABLE, NOT THAT IT IS ACTUALLY NECESSARY TO THE SOCIETY. TWO SPECIFIC THEORETICAL FUNCTIONS OF CRIME WHICH HAVE EMERGED - THE BOUNDARY-MAINTAINING AND ADAPTIVE FUNCTIONS - ARE CONSIDERED. KAI ERIKSON FEELS THAT CRIMES AND SOCIETY'S RESPONSES TO CRIMES ARE BOUNDARY-MAINTAINING DEVICES IN THAT THEY DEMONSTRATE TO MEMBERS OF A SOCIETY WHERE THE LINE IS DRAWN BETWEEN BEHAVIOR THAT BELONGS IN THE SPECIAL UNIVERSE OF THE GROUP AND BEHAVIOR THAT DOES NOT. HOWEVER, IT IS ARGUED THAT IT IS THE PROCESS OF SOCIAL CONTROL THAT PROVIDES THE BOUNDARY-MAINTAINING FUNCTION FOR SOCIETY, NOT THE DEVIANT BEHAVIOR ITSELF. CHALLENGES TO SOCIAL CONTROL ARE NOT NECESSARY, BUT IF THEY DO OCCUR, PUNISHMENT IS NECESSARY AS A WARNING AGAINST FURTHER CHALLENGE. THE FUNCTION SEEN BY DURKEIM IS ADAPTIVE. CRIME IS FUNCTIONAL SINCE WHAT WE CALL CRIME TODAY INCLUDES FORMS OF BEHAVIOR WHICH WILL BE CRUCIALLY NECESSARY TO FUTURE SOCIETY. THE EXISTENCE OF CRIME ENSURES SUFFICIENT DIVERSITY OF BEHAVIOR AND BELIEF TO ALLOW SOCIETY TO ADAPT TO NEW CONDITIONS. THE ARGUMENT AGAINST THIS POINT OF VIEW IS THAT IT DOES NOT PROVE THE NECESSITY OF CRIME. TO DO THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO SHOW THE NECESSITY FOR SUCH BEHAVIOR AND BELIEFS TO HAVE BEEN FORMERLY DEFINED AS CRIMES. SOCIETY COULD ADAPT TO CHANGE BY SIMPLY ALLOWING A DIVERSITY OF BEHAVIOR, NOT NECESSARILY DEFINING IT AS CRIMINAL. THE FUNCTIONS THEORY WOULD ELIMINATE CAUSAL/CORRECTIVE CRIMINOLOGY, THAT IS, CRIMINOLOGY WHICH AIMS TO DISCOVER THE CAUSES OF CRIME IN ORDER TO STAMP IT OUT. IF CRIME IS FUNCTIONAL, THEN SUCH AN AIM IS MISTAKEN. HOWEVER, IT IS FELT THAT CAUSAL/CORRECTIVE CRIMINOLOGY IS A POSITIVE APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM OF CRIME.