Understanding Crime: Causes, Theories, and Functionalist Perspectives

This essay provides an in-depth exploration of crime, beginning with its definition and examining the functionalist perspective, which posits that crime, in limited amounts, can be beneficial for society by preventing others from committing similar acts and fostering social change. The essay then delves into various theories, including Strain Theory, which suggests societal pressures can lead to crime; Labelling Theory, which focuses on the impact of societal interactions on individuals' criminal behavior; and Marxism Theory, which highlights how power imbalances and control can contribute to criminal activities. Real-life examples are used to illustrate these theories, and the essay concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding the root causes of crime to develop effective reduction strategies. The essay references several academic sources to support its arguments, providing a comprehensive overview of the subject.

CRIME

Contents
Contents...........................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................2
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................3

INTRODUCTION
Crime can be defined as the act or omission done by an individual violating the Law
forbidding and commanding on it ( Richie, 2018). The following assignment will make
discussion on the reasons behind occurrence of crime and functionalists perspectives of crime. It
will also make focus on various theories and examples from the real life that could give rise to
criminal activities at any place.
MAIN BODY
There are different definitions from the perspectives of different people who had presented
their views on the concept of crime. From the perspective of Sir James Stephen, crime is
considered as the act forbidden by law and revolting to the moral sentiments of society. The
functionalist perspective of crime and deviance is also proposed by Durkheim, according to
which crime is important for the society (Chambliss, 2018). But there are also some conditions
for this point of view also. It says that limited amount of crime is important for the society and it
also have some positive functions such as preventing others from doing the same thing and to
live a happy and prosperous life separate from crime. However, too much crime is also bad for
the society and impacts negatively on others as well. For example, the social regulation and
social integration is supported as all the social changes starts with some deviance but in order to
make changes in the yesterday’s bad work so that the present or future could be made good.
Another theory related to the following concept is “Strain Theory”. According to this theory,
sometimes the society also becomes the reason due to which crimes are done ( Smith and
Malinowski, 2018). As in the condition when the society puts some cultural values and this
makes separate to some people from the society which gives rise to crime. Mainly this occurs in
the people having positive attitudes and a sense of self in the social system.
The Labelling Theory also makes its focus on these criminal activities and the reason of
their occurrence. It is related to the people and the society to which an individual is interacting.
The individual doing the criminal activity is not doing anything but the circle in which the
individual is sitting makes him to do these types of activities (Mars, 2019). So it is important for
an individual to focus and evaluate the people with which an individual is living or interacting.
For example, driving above the speed limit not individually, but with some other persons and on
1

their saying, the individual is driving at high speed than the reason behind this criminal activity
is those persons who made him to do so.
The Labelling Theory of Interactionism states that the behaviour of individual not always
comes from the people in whom an individual is sitting but also from the people of whom the
individual is noticing and learning, the activities which the others are doing and also moulding
them in his own nature. So this is also stated as one of the most important reasons that give rise
to criminal activities ( Loos, 2019)..
According to the Marxism theory which is mainly focused on the power and control in the
hands of an individual which makes him to do these kind of activities. There are some people
who work on relatively higher posts and have high status in the society, due to this power and
control which they have they make use for illegal purposes of their power and control. This also
gives rise to crime and also encourages them to do so as no action is taken in order to stop the
activities done by them.
CONCLUSION
From the above prepared assignment, it has been concluded that the main reason behind the
occurrence of criminal activities is related to the lack of knowledge and the state of mind of an
individual. In addition to this, it is also concluded that there are many theories which are
proposed by many people giving their perspectives on the concept of crime. From these it is
concluded that there are many reasons behind the occurrence of criminal activities. In order to
make reduction in these activities, it is important to understand the reason of their occurrence. As
there are some valid reasons also in which it is important to do the criminal activities.
2

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Chambliss, W. J., 2018. Power, politics and crime. Routledge
Loos, A., 2019. Ornament and crime. Penguin UK.
Mars, G., 2019. Cheats at work: An anthropology of workplace crime. Routledge.
Smith, R. and Malinowski, B., 2018. Crime and custom in savage society. Routledge.
Richie, B., 2018. Compelled to crime: The gender entrapment of battered, black women.
Routledge.
3

4