Strain - crime and deviance Flashcards
Who came up with strain theory?
Merton
Why did Merton believe The American Dream helped to cause strain?
It provided social norms and goals which weren’t possible for everyone to attain easily
How does Merton’s idea of anomie differ to Durkheim’s?
Durkheim focused on the lack of or breakdown of social rules and norms whereas Merton focuses on presence of norms and how people react when struggling to reach them.
Who came up with the illegitimate opportunity structure?
Cloward and Ohlin
Who came up with general strain theory?
Robert Agnew
What are the five responses to strain
- Conformity
- Innovation
- Rebellion
- Ritualism
- Retreatism
What is conformity?
The person accepts the goals and the legitimate means of attaining them (despite the strain)
What is innovation?
The person accepts the goals, but finds illegitimate means of attaining them
What is Rebellion?
Rejects social goals and replaces them with new, different goals
What is ritualism?
The individual gives up trying to achieve the goals but follows the rules for their own sake
What is retreatism?
Rejects goals and means of getting them - drop outs
