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Sociological Theory Of Crime

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With the increased number of crime rate since the past few years, efforts are being made to understand the reasons behind it. The significant increase has caused many people to investigate and research regarding the issue, and a lot of people have found that the environment and surrounding, certain experiences and psychological aspects contribute a lot to the making of criminals. This is why, the percentage has increased significantly. A number of theories have been developed in order to understand crime. This paper will discuss the sociological theories which have been developed for understanding the concept of crime.

Critical Evaluation
A number of sociological theories have been formed in order to aid in the understanding of the concept …show more content…

Structural functionalism refers to a framework that sees the society as a complex system which works in promoting stability and solidarity. This approach works both ways i.e. socially, as well as, functionally. It addresses the society as a whole including the social functions. The main elements include norms, traditions, institutions and customs (Cornish & Clarke, 2014, pp. 17). This approach helps in shaping the society as a whole and in understanding the social structures. The main argument of this approach is that the deviant behaviour plays an essential role in construction of the society by helping to adhere to diverse populations in one society. Deviance is a concept which helps in differentiating between right and wrong and between what is acceptable and what is unacceptable. This is an essential function as it helps in understanding the cultural norms and values of a society and then draws a line in order to differentiate between right and …show more content…

It can also be said that deviant behaviour is one of the means for the society to change over time. Deviant behaviour can be seen as harmful for the society which creates an imbalance, but in the process of restoring this balance, the society will adjust to the norms (Faleti, 2006, pp. 16). When norms are changed in response to deviance, the deviant behaviour can ensure in building long-term social stability. Although, it seems that the concept of structural functionalism supports deviance and encourages people to act in a manner which is socially unacceptable, but the concept only explains deviance and how it impacts the

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