Crime serves a purpose in society.

• A. Left realism
• B. Functionalism
• C. Freud
• D. Marxism

Answer: (B)

Crime serves a purpose in society because functionalism views crime as a normal part of the social system that can help hold it together. Durkheim argued that crime isn’t simply harmful noise; it performs useful roles. When a crime is detected and punished, the community’s shared values are reaffirmed, reinforcing what is considered acceptable behavior and strengthening social cohesion. Crime can also prompt collective reflection and drive social change by highlighting existing norms and areas that need reform. So the idea that crime serves a function aligns directly with the functionalist belief in how social order is maintained and evolved. Other theories explain crime by different angles—Marxism emphasizes how inequality and power shape law, Freud looks at individual drives, and left realism stresses real harms and policy responses—yet they don’t frame crime as serving a function for the whole society in the same way.