Chicago Theorists on Deviance & Crime

Functionalists used the ecological branch of the Chicago school to advance the idea that social structure profoundly affects the distribution of deviance and crime in society. Both perspectives on deviance and crime are more alike than different, sharing as they do a common metaphor in the biological sciences. Commonalities and differences of each perspective will be examined; in addition, criminal justice examples will clarify the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.

The Chicago school is predicated on the concept that the complex human "ecosystem" tends toward a state of equilibrium. A change in one part of the system will invariably affect a change in another part of the system. Ian Gomme (1993) illustrates the above principle by observing that "The elimination of housing affordable to disadvantaged class and ethnic groups requires both their adaption and relocation" (p. 50). The social d

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ons such as the family, school, and work. Such institutions are more "conflict-ridden" than functionalists allow (Burtch, 1994, p. 18). Behind the white picket fences of an idealized suburbia, familial conflicts rage, out of the functionalist's field of vision. In addition, the nuclear family, as we once knew it in the 1950s, has been supplanted by the modern "extended" family. Yesterday's deviance may be today's norm. Functionalism, despite its flaws, does recognize "that we are increasingly interdependent in society and that developments in one sector--say, an economic depression, escalating rates of interpersonal violence, job actions--have repercussions for other sectors" (Burtch, 1994, p. 18). In addition, Durkheim's willingness to question the validity of the status quo, along with his suspicion of state power, set the stage for more modern sociological research. As norms change, so does our means of measuring them. Some criminal justice examples will illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of the Chicago school and functionalism. In "The Perpetuation of Violence through Criminological Theory," Susan Caulfield is concerned with the implications of using subcultural theories (such as those offered by the Chicago school
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Approximate Word count = 2260
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)

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