Chapter 4 Flashcards
What are the core assumptions of Strain Theory?
- the idea that social order is the product of a generally cohesive set of norms.
- that those norms are widely shared by community members.
- that deviance and community reactions to deviance are essential to maintaining order.
Who studied suicide in the 19th century?
Durkheim
What did Durkheim argued on suicide?
He argued that characteristics of communities influence suicide rates. Suicide rates are influenced by the level of societal regulation and group cohesion.
What is anomie?
It is a state of normlessness where society fails to effectively regulate the expectations or behaviours of its members.
What leads to a state of Anomie?
When a society experiences rapid change, norms become unclear, leading to state of anomie, where individuals feel disconnected and lost.
Anomie might also be applied to the normative expectations for physical attractiveness. Is this vision of ideal beauty pervasive in the media?
YES
What did Robert K. Merton argued on anomie?
He argued that anomie results not simply from unregulated goals but, rather, from a faulty relationship btw cultural goals and the legitimate means to access them.
According to Merton, what is conformity?
- conformists have accepted the cultural goal of success or wealth attainment, and they are trying to achieve it via legitimate means.
- for Merton, conformity was the only non deviant adaptation to strain and anomie.
According to Merton, what is innovation?
- innovation is the adaptation for those who have accepted the cultural goal of success/wealth attainment but are trying to achieve it via illegitimate means.
According to Merton, what is ritualism?
- Ritualism is the category for those who have abandoned the cultural goal of success/wealth attainment but continue to use legitimate means to make their living. (people just accept things how they are)
According to Merton, what is retreatism?
- Retreatism is the adaptation those who have rejected the cultural goal of success/wealth attainment and have also rejected the legitimate means (people who use drugs)
According to Merton, what is rebellion?
- rebels reject the cultural goal of success/wealth attainment and replace it with another primary goal; they may use either legitimate or illegitimate means to achieve this goal (terrorist groups)
Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin: Differential Opportunity
- They argued that just as not everyone has equal access to the legitimate means of attaining wealth, we cannot assume that everyone has access to illegitimate means either.
- They also argued that we need to understand not just the motivations of individuals to commit deviant behaviour but also the availability of opportunities to learn about and participate in illegal or deviant acts.
Albert Cohen: Delinquent Boys
- Cohen argued that working-class boys often find themselves at the bottom of the social ladder in middle-class schools, leading to feelings of status frustration. To cope with this strain, they may form a delinquent subculture that opposes mainstream middle-class values.
Key features of this subculture…?
- Stealing simply for the thrill, not out of need or desire for stolen items.
- Engaging in harmful or destructive acts for no reason other than to cause harm.
- Reversing or rejecting societal norms, embracing behaviours that oppose mainstream values.
What is the General Strain Theory developed by Robert Agnew?
- Strain theory focuses on what circumstances lead individuals and groups within a society to engage in deviant behaviour.
-Agnew argues that individuals are “pressured into crime” due to strain.
According to Agnew, what are the 3 major types of negative relations that contribute to strain?
- Preventing or threatening to prevent the achievement of positive goals.
- Removing or threatening to remove positive stimuli.
- Presenting or threatening to present negative stimuli.
- Such negative relations will likely lead to anger and frustration, which may then lead to deviant behaviour, such as physical violence, running away from home, illicit drug use, or self-harming behaviour.
What are the 4 values underlying the American Dream?
- Achievement is connected to personal growth.
- Individualism encourages everyone to find a way to “make it” on his or her own.
- Universalism that virtually everyone in American society is encouraged to aspire to success and wealth attainment.
- Materialism is the last value that underlies the American Dream.
Messner and Rosenfeld, Crime and the American Dream–Institutional Anomie Theory:
- Major institutions in the US, including family, school, and political system, are all dominated by economic institutions.
- Noneconomic goals and accomplishments are valued much less than economic pursuits and gains. .
What are latent functions of the juvenile prison?
Latent functions refer to the unintended or hidden consequences of an action, system, or institution—things that aren’t immediately visible or intended. When it comes to the juvenile prison system in Canada (or any country, really), we often focus on its manifest functions, such as punishment, rehabilitation, and deterrence. However, the latent functions can be more subtle and sometimes counterproductive.
What is the Institutional anomie theory?
In simple terms, the theory suggests that crime and deviance are not just individual choices, but are deeply influenced by the structure and values of society itself. Institutional Anomie Theory argues that the way a society is organized, especially the dominance of economic goals over other social institutions, can create conditions that encourage criminal behavior.
Monetary Success as the Prime Goal:
Merton assumes that society shares a value consensus, with the goal of achieving monetary success placed at the top.
Class Bias in Theories:
Merton’s theory, along with many forms of classical strain theory, is criticized for being class-biased and struggling to explain deviance among more privileged groups.
Equal Opportunity as a Solution to Crime:
Merton implies that increasing equal access to opportunities could be an effective solution to crime and deviance.
