Sociological Perspectives on Functional Deviance

The question asks to identify the sociologist(s) who viewed deviant behavior as potentially having positive or functional aspects for society. This perspective contrasts with the idea that deviance is solely detrimental.

E. Durkheim's Functional View

• Émile Durkheim argued that deviance is an inevitable and normal aspect of social life.
• He proposed that deviance serves several functions:
  • Reinforcing Norms: Punishing deviance reaffirms societal norms and values.
  • Promoting Social Change: Deviant acts can challenge existing norms, leading to necessary social change.
  • Strengthening Social Solidarity: Collective outrage and punishment of deviance can unite the community.
• Therefore, Durkheim saw deviance as functional, contributing to social order rather than solely disrupting it.

A.K. Cohen's Contributions

• Albert K. Cohen built upon Durkheim's ideas, particularly in his work on delinquency.
• Cohen suggested that subcultures, including delinquent ones, could emerge to provide solutions to problems faced by individuals within them.
• He explored how deviance could fulfill certain psychological needs or serve functions for members of these groups, thereby having a functional role within the context of the subculture itself.

Conclusion on Functional Deviance

Both E. Durkheim and A.K. Cohen contributed significantly to the sociological understanding that deviance can possess functional qualities. Durkheim focused on its role in maintaining social order and facilitating change, while Cohen examined its function within subcultures.

Based on these contributions, the view that deviance might be functional and positive is held by both E. Durkheim and A.K. Cohen.