Which of the following is a major difference between the symbolic Interaction list and functionalist perspective on deviance?
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Sociologists use a variety of theoretical perspectives to make sense of the world. These perspectives or theories provide a framework for understanding observations on topics such as deviance. The symbolic interactionist perspective of sociology views society as a product of everyday social interactions of individuals. Symbolic interactionists also study how people use symbols to create meaning. In studying deviance, these theorists look at how people in everyday situations define deviance, which differs between cultures and settings. Show
Theory of Differential AssociationSociologist Edwin Sutherland studied deviance from the symbolic interactionist perspective. The basic tenet of his theory of differential association is that deviance is a learned behavior—people learn it from the different groups with which they associate. His theory counters arguments that deviant behavior is biological or due to personality. According to Sutherland, people commit deviant acts because they associate with individuals who act in a deviant manner. He further explained exactly what one learns from people who commit deviance. He said that the future deviant learns values different from those of the dominant culture, as well as techniques for committing deviance.
Part of Sutherland’s theory is that if people learn deviance from others, the people with whom we associate are of utmost importance. The closer the relationship, the more likely someone is to be influenced. Parents who worry that their children are socializing with an undesirable crowd have a justified concern.
Functionalist believe that crime is actually beneficial for society – for example it can improve social integration and social regulation. The Functionalist analysis of crime starts with society as a whole. It seeks to explain crime by looking at the nature of society, rather than at individuals. There are two main thinkers usually associated with the Functionalist Perspective on Crime: Emile Durkheim and Robert
Merton. This post provides a summary of Durkheim’s Functionalist Theory of why crime is inevitable and functional for society. For Merton’s Strain Theory of Crime please see the link below. Durkheim developed his theory of crime and deviance in The Rules of Sociological Method, first published in 1895. Durkheim argued that crime is an inevitable and normal aspect of social life. He pointed out that crime is inevitable in all societies, and that the crime rate was in fact higher in more advanced, industrial societies. Durkheim theorized crime was inevitable because not every member of
society can be equally committed to the collective sentiments (the shared values and moral beliefs of society). Since individuals are exposed to different influences and circumstances, it was ‘impossible for them to be all alike’ and hence some people would inevitably break the law. Durkheim also imagined a ‘society of saints’ populated by perfect individuals deviance would still exist. The general standards of behaviour would be so high that the slightest slip would be regarded as a serious offence. Thus the individual who simply showed bad taste, or was merely impolite, would attract strong disapproval. Durkheim argues that all social change begins with some form of deviance. In order for changes to occur, yesterday’s deviance becomes today’s norm. Crime Performs Positive FunctionsDurkhiem went a step further and argued that a certain amount of crime was functional for society. Three positive functions of crime include:
Durkheim argued that crime only became dysfunctional when there was too much or too little of it – too much and social order would break down, too little and there would not be sufficient capacity for positive social change. Durkheim’s view of punishmentDurkheim suggested that the function of punishment was not to remove crime from society altogether, because society ‘needed’ crime. The point of punishment was to control crime and to maintain the collective sentiments. In Durkheim’s own words punishment ‘serves to heal the wounds done to the collective sentiments’. According to Durkheim a healthy society requires BOTH crime and punishment to be in balance and to be able to change. Evaluations of Durkheim’s Functionalist View of Crime
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Written specifically for the AQA sociology A-level specification. Related Posts
Sources used to write this post: Haralambos and Holborn: sociology themes and perspectives, edition 8. Post navigationWhich of the following is a major difference between the symbolic interaction and functionalist perspective on deviance?Which of the following is a major difference between the symbolic interactionist (SI) and functionalist perspectives on deviance? SI takes a micro or close-up look at individuals to explain deviance, and functionalism looks at macro-level social systems to explain it.
What is the difference between functionalism and symbolic Interactionism?The main difference between functionalism and symbolic interactionism is that functionalism looks at society as a complex system whose components work together to promote unity and stability whereas symbolic interactionism looks at society as a social construct that relies on human interpretations.
What is the difference between a functionalist perspective conflict perspective and symbolic Interactionist perspective?Functionalist theories dwell on the structures and institutions in society. Symbolic interaction theories, on the other hand, are based on the human interactions with the society, while the conflict theory is based on human interactions and attributes of competition and how they bring about conflict in the society.
What are the differences and similarities between functionalism and symbolic interaction?Functionalism is an example of a macro perspective as it analyses the way society as a whole fits together whereas symbolic interactionism is a micro perspective because it stresses the meaningfulness of human behaviour and denies that it is primarily determined by the structure of society.
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