Discuss the contributions of Emile Durkheim to the study of crime and criminality. Why is Durkheim important to the study of sociology and criminology? What was Durkheim’s view of society? When is crime likely? What support does he offer?
What will be an ideal response?
Durkheim is one of the fathers of sociology. Durkheim was a functionalist who
believed that crime was functional for society because it set boundaries between what is
right and wrong, reaffirming the collective conscience and increasing solidarity among
law abiding people. Durkheim proposed an early social structural theory of crime.
According to him, primitive societies are characterized by a mechanical solidarity with
strong influences of norms and a shared collective conscience. Modern society is more
organic in solidarity and a weakening of the sense of belonging and the influence of
societal norms. The weakening of norms, or anomie, becomes especially profound
during times of great social change and crime can occur. Anomie can occur during
periods of positive or negative change. In support of his theory, Durkheim offered
evidence of suicide rates being more prevalent in periods of economic change (both
growth and decline).
You might also like to view...
Defending the United States against threats of terrorism requires the coordination of the military, law enforcement, intelligence assets, and ______.
A. fiscal organizations B. natural resources C. emergency management D. environmental agencies
Prosecutors have very little influence over grand juries
Indicate whether the statement is true or false
This principle suggests that the more one comes into contact with offenders, the more likely he is to be victimized.
a. Principle of status quo b. Principle of hierarchy c. Principle of homogamy d. Principle of lex talionis
Aside from killing Osama bin Laden, the US Navy SEALs netted a treasure trove of intelligence, including laptop computers, hard drives, and cell phones
a. True b. False