Commonsense views about crime generally focus on the ways it represents a threat to social order - but some sociologists, taking Durkheim’s lead about the functions of crime, argue it has positive qualities that sit alongside it’s more usual negative connotations.

In this video Steve Taylor examines Durkheim’s key idea about crime and its functions:

Key concepts covered in this video:

• Functions of crime

• Moral contexts

• Social boundaries

• Zero tolerance policing

• Social change

• Strengthening social cohesion