Anomie/Strain Theory

Question 1

What is the key proposition of Agnew’s (1985) General Strain Theory?

Answer 1

Individuals experience strain cumulatively which lead to an increased change of experiencing negative emotionality (anger), which leads to increased probability of (non)delinquent behavior, conditioned upon availability of positive coping mechanisms.

Question 2

What did Durkheim (1933[1893]) say about deviance?

Answer 2

Deviance occurs when men’s aspirations no longer match the possibility of fulfillment
1. Goals (industrialized society) are extremely difficult or impossible to attain,
2. Anomie (i.e., a state of normlessness/deregulation) follows

Question 3

What was the key proposition in Merton’s (1938; 1938) Strain?

Answer 3

Solely focused on economic strain—the inability to attain future economic success which varies based on diverse structural conditions (e.g., age, sex, ethnic status, social class).

Question 4

What were 3 critiques of Merton’s Strain? (see Agnew, 1985).

Answer 4

(1) studies showed delinquency is greatest when both aspirations and expectations are low
(2) delinquency is common among middle-classes, meaning the relationship between class/crime is negligible
(3) Classic strain cannot explain crime desistance in late adolescence

Question 5

What are 3 types of Strain?

Answer 5

1. prevent achieving goals
2. removal/threaten to remove valued positively valued stimuli
3. present individual with noxious or negative stimuli

Question 6

According to Agnew, what causes people under strain to respond through criminal conduct versus prosocial mechanisms?

Answer 6

The following factors, in conjunction with strain, can lead to an increased risk of criminal coping: avaliabiltiy of other goals, delivery of social supports, fear of consequences of legal punishments, strong social bonds, denial of access to legitimate means, temperamental values, prior learning history, etc.

Question 7

According to Agnew (2001) what are the strains most likely to result in criminal coping? (4)

Answer 7

(1) are seen as unjust,
(2) are seen as high in magnitude,
(3) are associated with low social control, and
(4) create some pressure or incentive to engage in criminal coping

Question 8

What did the following find with regard to General Strain Theory?

Agnew et al. (2002)- Strain, personality traits, and delinquency: Extending general strain theory.

Answer 8

Juveniles high in negative emotionality and low in constraint will be more likely to react to strain with delinquency.

Therefore, personality traits work as conditioning variables to the strains.

Question 9

What are GST core propositions?

Answer 9

1. Strain will be positively associated to delinquency in a baseline model
2. Negative emotions will be significantly associated with delinquency when added to the baseline model
3. The effect of strain on delinquency should be greatly diminished after negative emotions are controlled for

Question 10

What did the following find with regard to General Strain Theory?

Paternoster & Mazerolle (1994) - Replication and Extension

Answer 10

Longitudinal

Unique finding: living in unpleasant neighborhoods was associated with delinquency

Question 11

What did the following find with regard to General Strain Theory?

Piquero, N., & Sealock, M. (2004). Gender and General Strain Theory: A Preliminary Test of Boidy and Agnew’s Gender/GST Hypotheses.

Answer 11

There are gendered differences with regard to:
(1) amount of strain experienced
(2) emotional responses (i.e., anger and depression)
(3) coping resources

Conclusion: While the underlying theoretical process articulated in GST may be the same and apply equally across gender, there is a need to further understand how each stage of the process is experienced and interpreted differently across gender.

Question 12

What did the following find with regard to General Strain Theory?

Burton & Cullen (1992) – Empirical Status of Strain

Answer 12

Empirical studies of strain have yielded mixed results, with levels of support varying by the measure used to operationalize strain.

Question 13

What did the following find with regard to General Strain Theory?

Burton and colleagues (1994) – Reconsidering Strain

Answer 13

Perceived blocked opportunities and feelings of relative deprivation significantly affect adult offending. These relationships, however, fail to persist after measures from competing theories (i.e., low self-control, differential association, and social bond) are introduced as controls in the regression equations