Social Criminology – Emile DurkheimIntellectual Backdrop- Thinking inspired by two major eventso French Revolutiono Industrial Revolution- Elemental conceptso Mechanical solidarity (uniformity)o Organic solidarity (diversity/division of labor)- Gemeinschaft (community)/ Gessellschaft (scoriety)Fundamental Assumptions – As seen in Suicide- Context is supremely important- This shapes personal decisions- What matters most is how embedded you are with societyFunctionalism defined- Crime is “normal” it serves as a valued social purposeo Crime serves purpose and is expected- No society has existed crime free- “Imagine society of saints..” (119)The Purpose of Functionalism- Crime is to be regulated and controlled, not eliminated- Crime and deviance are continually redefinedo Defining deviance up (more restrictive law)o Defining deviance down (more permissive law)- Constant balance achieved between deviants and conformistsNormalization Aims- This produces “social solidarity”o Normally defined through contrast with criminality/deviance- The practical benefit is in managing work load- Benefits society through allowing for innovation/adaptationo MLKo Gandhio American Revolutions- Otherwise individuals would be ‘pathologically over controlled’Durkheim’s Legacy- Social Disorganization (Chicago School)- Anomie/ Stain Theoryo Anomie is “normlessness” taking place amid social or economic upheaval- Control Theory- Sociological insight – the sum is greater than the tally of the partso Group dynamics are essential to understanding behavior, individual characteristics are only part of the
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