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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 5 page research paper that, first of all, discusses the consensus/functionalist theory of Emile Durkheim in defining deviance, which compares to the conflict theory of Karl Marx. Then, the writer briefly looks at crime statistics in Great Britain. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
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5 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khgbrcr.rtf
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been systematic study of why individuals choose to violate the norms of their particular culture. This study has given rise to numerous theoretical models to explain the social phenomena of
crime. Two of these are the consensus theory, which is part of the functionalist approach to deviance formulated by Emile Durkheim, and conflict theory, which is associated with the
sociological theories of Karl Marx. In his writing, Durkheim focused on the significance of deviance within a society as a means by which that society could maintain its social
boundaries. In other words, the media, which reports on crime and the ensuing punishment by doing so, educates the public by restating that particular societys rules (Long, 2002). By punishing
violators of societal rules (laws), a particular society reaffirms that its rules are correct, which, by implication, reaffirms the "rightness" of the society itself (Long, 2002). As this demonstrates, according
to this theory, labeling certain acts as criminal performs a distinct function within a society, to which the culture, as a whole, consents. Henslin (1988) agrees with Longs explanation,
but takes it a step further by pointing out that criminal behavior actually serves to define who is and who is not a member of a specific social group through
the process of indicating which individuals abide by the prescribed societal rules and which ones do not. Generally, a community that realizes that one of its members is behaving
in a criminal manner, i.e. in a deviant manner from social norms., will instigate rituals that "mark" that person in some way as to indicate his or her decreased social
status (Long, 2002). This person is usually called upon by the larger society to account for their deviant actions. After the guilt of the accused is ascertained, there is usually
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