Distinguish between the normal and the pathological facts.
1. The definition of crime may be more surprising when Emile Durkheim says that crime is normal. Durkheim urges that sociologists would distinguish between normal and pathological.
2. Normal fact is also healthy. It assists on the functioning of a society.
3. The pathological fact disturbs or obstructs this functioning.
4. Crime is normal because, first, the commitment of a crime and its punishment reminds the members of the values and norms of the society. They, thus assists to reinforce values and social boundaries, and contribute to the cohesion of the society.
5. Crime is a mechanism of social change. It can challenge the same boundaries. The ‘crime’ of Socrates in challenging the Athenian law paved the way for its change.
