Anomie and Strain Theories / Chapter 9 Flashcards
Anomie is defined as…
A state of normlessness.
Anomie can arise when…
Norms specify certain beliefs or conduct but the social structures provide no way to meet these norms.
Anomie/Strain theories posit that social disorganization…
Degrades cultural norms.
In the classic view, Anomie leads to deviance when it causes ________ ______.
Economic Strain.
Merton’s Anomie/Strain Theory was concerned with American society because…
American society puts emphasis on success but offers few legitimate opportunities for those of lower status to achieve that success.
The diagram for Anomie/Strain theory looks like this…
Goals ↘
Anomie → Strain → Deviance
Means ↗
In a disorganized society, strain will lead to…
Innovation (taking illegitimate maths [crime])
Rebellion (rejecting both goals and paths [protest])
Retreatism (escaping from the system [e.g. through substance use]) and
Ritualism (giving up on goals, but maintaining adherence to norms).
Merton was focused on ________ and ________ causes of strain.
Economic, Material.
Cohen (1955) was concerned with ______ ______ and __________.
Social Status, Acceptance.
Cloward and Ohlin (1960) argued that there might be multiple _______ ___________.
Deviant Subcultures.
Miller argued that lower-status youth attend to their subculture’s focal concerns.
Trouble (violating norms)
Toughness (physical and mental strength)
Smartness (getting away with things)
Excitement (risk-taking)
Fatalism (believing in luck or faith)
Autonomy (independence from others).
Messner and Rosenfeld’s Institutional-Anomie theory proposed that an…
Imbalance of Institutions decreases a society’s ability to control delinquency and crime.
In the US, the set economic and material norms are harmful. Norms such as…
Valuing people for their achievements
Individualism and universalism, both of which incite competition
Fetishism of money (valuing wealth in and of itself)
Economic institutions are hypothesized to dominate other institutions in the US. The result is:
A devaluation of other institutions.
Other institutions must accommodate economic demands.
Economic norms penetrate other institutions.
________ imbalance causes crime for material gain.
Economic.
