Strain Theories

Question 1

Model of Deviance

Answer 1

Greater individualism –> Lack of social cohesion –> Suicide and crime

Question 2

Methods of Adjustment

Answer 2

1. ) Conformity: + cultural goals and + means
2. ) Ritualism: - cultural goals and + means
3. ) Innovation: + cultural goals and - means
4. ) Retreatism: tried to make it legitimately and illegitimately and failed both times, given up: - cultural goals and - means
5. ) Rebellion: something is wrong with society, want a new world order: +/- cultural goals and means

Question 3

Characteristics that make strain more likely

Answer 3

1. ) Are the strains high in magnitude?
2. ) Are the strains unjust?
3. ) Strains are more likely to lead to delinquency if they are linked to low social control
4. ) Strains are more likely to lead to crime if the crime pays off
5. ) Strains that are resolved through contact with people who are involved in crime are more likely to persist

Question 4

Clowards Differential Opportunity: subcultures

Answer 4

Criminal, Conflict and Retreatist

Question 5

Strain theory

Answer 5

Proposition that people feel strain when they are exposed to cultural goals they are unable to reach because they do not have access to culturally approved means of achieving those goals

Question 6

Durkheim and Deviance

Answer 6

Social solidarity was an essential characteristic of society, these lead to norms without which societies function poorly.
- anomie: weak social regulation

–> when social cohesion breaks down, society loses its traditional mechanisms of social control and eventually suffers from a high rate of crime

Question 7

Durkheim and functions of crime

Answer 7

Maintaining boundaries: some crime is normal and functional for society

Question 8

Merton: aspirations and means

Answer 8

Combining social structure and anomie, too much emphasis on the pursuit of self interested goals and not enough on legitimate means to achieve them leaves society normless

For Merton crime is cause by a gap between cultural prescribed aspirations & socially structured means of reaching those aspirations (anomie), the result is strain which causes some to turn to illegitimate means of reaching their goal

Question 9

Merton and Opportunity structures

Answer 9

Felt crime was primarily lower class so less evenly distributed than durkheims theory would have predicted
Emphasis on structure and culture 
Five ways of adjusting between societal goals and means: conformity, Ritualism, innovation, Retreatism and rebellion

Question 10

Institutional anomie

Answer 10

(Messner & Rosenfeld) the combo of strong pressures to succeed monetarily and weak restrains on the means is intrinsic to the American Dream

• strong pressures to succeed monetarily and weak restraints on the means to succeed in society that emphasize economics leads to crime

Question 11

Korbin and Opportunity

Answer 11

Opportunities varied in different types of communities:
Stable slum: lower class communities, know everyone, network through kinship, legit and illegit opportunities
Transitory slum: decaying housing projects, minimal availability or either type of opportunity 
Suburbia: legitimate but few illegitimate

Question 12

Agnew and General Strain

Answer 12

Adolescents in unavoidable unpleasant environments face strain leading to anger and delinquency

Question 13

Cloward and opportunity structures

Answer 13

In addition to strains that create a pressure toward criminal behaviour, there are also different opportunity structures that may facilitate breaking the law. These structures are both legitimate and illegitimate

Question 14

Anderson and Code of the Street

Answer 14

Lack of employment opportunities leads to alternative ways of achieving respect: displaying toughness, taking another persons possessions, pulling a trigger. It helps build a reputation that prevents future challenges but also creates other problems

Question 15

Cohen and the Middle Class Measuring Rod

Answer 15

Institutions (schools) judge youth according to a middle class measuring rod that lower class youth are ill prepared to meet 
- failure leads to collective reversal of middle class standards

Question 16

Critiques of strain theory

Answer 16

Mertons strain theory only looks at class not gender 
Assuming there is a gap between aspirations and expectations 
Generally neglect female crime and delinquency 
Static, don't take group interaction into account

Question 17

Policy implications

Answer 17

Providing more opportunities for young people in poor areas through school and job training
Early childhood education programs
Developing a less coercive judicial program
Reducing gap between rich and poor