Answer to Question 1
Functionalist sociologist Emile Durkheim believed that deviance is rooted in societal factors such as rapid social change and lack of social integration among people. According to Durkheim, as social integration (bonding and community involvement) decreased, deviance and crime increased. For Durkheim, deviance is a natural and inevitable part of all societies. Deviance is universal because it serves three important functions: (1) Deviance clarifies rules. By punishing deviant behavior, society reaffirms its commitment to the rules and clarifies their meaning. (2) Deviance unites a group. When deviant behavior is seen as a threat to group solidarity and people unite in opposition to that behavior, their loyalties to society are reinforced (3) Deviance promotes social change. Deviants may violate norms in order to get them changed, such as acts of civil disobedience (sit-ins and boycotts). Functionalists acknowledge that deviance may also be dysfunctional for society. If too many people violate the norms, everyday existence may become unpredictable, chaotic, and even violent.
Answer to Question 2
c
What functions do gangs fulfill (what needs do they meet)?
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Prove that each of the following real functions f has a discontinuity. For each function, ...