Question

A. What are the functions of deviance or crime, according to functionalism?

B. Distinguish between formal and informal social sanctions with examples.

Answer 1

A. The functions of deviance according to functionalism are:

• When the members of a society sees deviants being punished for their deviant actions ,it reinforces them to affirms rules and values of that society. Thus, deviance defines and affirms norms and rules by inculcating the idea of what is wrong and what is right in the individual members of the society and they will seek adhere to the norms and values of the society.
• Deviance or crime unifies society to take collective action against it. When any act of deviance as terrorist acts or acts of murder or rape occurs in the society that influences the members, unifies the society and it's institutions to take collective action against it and to prevent any future occurance of such deviance.
• Deviant actions of the minorities due to the oppression of the majority faction of the society leads the majority faction to opt for solution of these deviances in a positive way. Thus, deviance brings positive social change in the society.

B. The formal and informal social sanctions can be distinguished as following:

• Formal social sanctions are applied by the formal institutions of the society,as for example the sanctions applied by the legal and judiciary institutions of the society.Whereas, the informal sanctions of the society is applied by the informal institutions of the society as family, neighborhood etc.
• Formal sanctions have rules and regulations in written form as for example rules of traffic, rules for citizens of any nation etc. Whereas,. Informal sanctions are not in a written form but they're both verbal and non-verbal as for example ridicule, scolding, expression of disapproval etc.
• Formal sanctions are rigid and harsher, as an individual who disobeys traffic rules have to pay penalities etc. Whereas, informal sanctions are softer but more binding. Example, people would follow the norms and values of any rituals more bindingly to conform to their culture and in the fear of getting shunned by the society.