Crime And Deviance - Strain Theories Flashcards
SOCIOLOGIST: What is Merton’s strain theory for crime & deviance?
Built on Durkheim’s theory of anomie & argues people commit crimes when they cannot achieve socially approved goals by their legitimate means so they become frustrated & result to criminal means to get what they want
SOCIOLOGIST: What 2 elements are combined in Merton’s strain theory?
Structural factors -> society’s unequal opportunity structure
Cultural factors -> the strong emphasis on success & goals & and weak emphasis on using legitimate means to achieve those goals
SOCIOLOGIST: What is the problem with Merton using the American dream to relate to strain theory?
It is based on the context of American society which cannot be applied to other societies
Explain strain theory in western civilisation?
There are big cultural goals e.g. big cars, expensive holidays that we’re socialised into wanting, with legitimate means of achieving them e.g. education. Ideology suggests society is meritocratic, however poverty & discrimination block many from achieving those goals legitimately, the resulting strain then produces frustration & the pressure resorts in people turning to illegitimate means. The pressure is then worsened as there is an importance that material goods are achieved at any price with no one caring where the money comes from. Anomie is further worsened, when rules start to be ignored to a greater extent, causing social atrophy
SOCIOLOGIST: What are Merton’s deviant adaptations to strain?
Conformity
Innovation
Ritualism
Retreatism
Rebellion
What is the conformity deviant adaptation to strain?
Accepting both goals & legitimate means of achieving them
Most common response
What is the innovation deviant adaptation to strain?
Accepting the goals but rejecting the legitimate means to achieve them (e.g. using threat/fraud to achieve it)
What is the ritualism deviant adaptation to strain?
Rejecting the goals but going along with the legitimate means
Results from being strongly socialised to conform to expected behaviour
Example -> office workers
What is the retreatism deviant adaptation of strain?
Rejecting both the goals & legitimate means
Example -> addicts/tramps
What is the rebellion deviant adaptation to strain?
A response that seeks to replace the goals & legitimate means with new ones that meet the norms of values of that culture
Example -> hippies
EVALUATION: What are the strengths of Merton’s strain theory?
Shows how both normal & deviant behaviour can arise from mainstream goals -> both conformist & innovators seek money just different means
EVALUATION: What are the criticisms of Merton’s strain theory?
Explains patterns in official stats -> not valid (dark figures of crime) & takes them at face value -> over represent w class & sees crime as a w class phenomena
Too deterministic -> w class experience the most strain, not all deviate
Marxists argue Merton ignores power of ruling class -> make & enforce laws that criminalise poor not rich
Assumes value consensus -> not everyone shares this goal (e.g. the Amish)
SOCIOLOGIST: What is Cohen’s theory of status frustration?
Focuses on deviance among w class boys
They suffer status frustration & resolve their frustration by rejecting mainstream values & forming their own deviant subculture
What are the values of the deviant subculture proposed by Cohen?
Spite, malice, hostility, contempt for others -> inverts mainstream values
What is the function of the deviant subculture, proposed by Cohen?
Offers boys an alternative status hierarchy -> they win status from their peers with delinquent actions
EVALUATION: What are the strengths of Cohen’s theory of status frustration?
Offers an explanation of non-utilitarian deviance -> help explain non-economic delinquency e.g. vandalism
EVALUATION: What are the criticisms of Cohen’s theory of status frustration?
Assumes w class boys start of sharing the same mainstream goals & only reject them when they fail -> ignores the possibility they didn’t share them in the 1st place & never saw themselves as failures
SOCIOLOGIST: What is Cloward & Ohlin’s theory of the 3 subcultures?
Not every w class youth turns to innovation & different to lack of opportunity
Argue different neighbourhoods provide different illegitimate opportunities that teach young people criminal skills -> careers
SOCIOLOGIST: What are the 3 subcultures proposed by Cloward & Ohlin?
Criminal
Conflict
Retreatist
What is the criminal subculture, proposed by Cloward & Ohlin?
They provide youths apprenticeships for a career in utilitarian crime
They arise in neighbourhoods with a stable criminal culture & hierarchy -> allows for training
What is the conflict subculture, proposed by Cloward & Ohlin?
Arise in high population turnover & results in an increase in social disorganisation & prevents a stable crime network forming -> only illegitimate opportunities in loosely organised gangs -> violence provides release of anger & gains alternative source of status
What is the retreatist subculture, proposed by Cloward & Ohlin?
People who fail at legitimate & illegitimate opportunities (fail at being a professional criminal) & fall into a subculture based on drug use
EVALUATION: What are the strengths of Cloward & Ohlin’s theory of 3 subcultures?
Provides an explanation for the different types of w class deviance (through diff subcultures), unlike cohen
EVALUATION: What are the criticisms of Cloward & Ohlin’s theory of 3 subcultures?
Ignores crimes of the wealthy
Over predicts the amount of w class crime
Ignores wider power structures
Assumes everyone starts off sharing the same mainstream goal
SOCIOLOGIST: What is Miller’s theory for crime & deviance?
Argues w class has an independent subculture that is separate from the mainstream that has its own values -> doesnt value success in 1st place, so the members aren’t frustrated by failure
SOCIOLOGIST: What are the values known as by Miller?
Focal values
SOCIOLOGIST: What are the focal values that the working class are socialised in, proposed by Miller?
Excitement, toughness, smartness, trouble, autonomy, freedom, fate
EVALUATION: What are the strengths of Miller’s theory?
It is seen in education -> Archer -> the boys knew there was nothing they could do, so they didn’t improve in education (fate)
EVALUATION: What are the criticisms of Miller’s theory?
Only speaks about boys -> focal concerns could just be masculine values
SOCIOLOGIST: What is Matza’s theory on crime & deviance?
Most delinquents aren’t strongly committed to their subculture, but drift in & out of delinquency -> may try it as a teen but stop when they’re an adult
Criminals feel techniques of neutralisation (e.g. shame) that are rooted in mainstream values, when they commit a crime -> try to justify the reason why they deviated from conformist behaviour
SOCIOLOGIST: Why do young people commit crime & then give it up as they age, according to Matza?
They want to achieve identity, excitement or peer group status for a brief period of time but as they age, they commit less to it & eventually stop doing it
EVALUATION: What are the strengths of Matza’s theory?
Focuses on the individual
EVALUATION: What are the criticisms of Matza’s theory?
Gives no explanation as to why crime is committed to gain control of others
Doesn’t explain the effect of the social structure on the individuals that leads them to commit crime
