Theories Of Crime Flashcards
Money success
The individual material wealth and the high status that comes with money
Strain to anomie
A pressure to deviate from the social norms and potentially commit crime because of the lack of legitimate opportunities to achieve the cultural goal of money success
Conformity
An adaption to strain. People who still try to achieve the main cultural goals through legitimate means. This is most likely to be middle-class individuals who have good opportunities to achieve. Merton sees it as the typical response of most Americans
Innovation
An adaption to strain. People who fail at the standard route to success innovate to find alternatives and deviant means of reaching success and wealth. For example crime
Ritualism
An adaption to strain. People who cannot achieve society’s goals and have stopped trying, may still act legitimately because they are used to ritual. This is typical of lower middle class workers in dead end routine jobs
Retreatism
An adaption to strain. People who reject the main cultural goals and the means of achieving them may retreat from society. For example dropping out of school, drinking to excess or taking drugs
Rebellion
An adaption to strain. People reject the goals of society and the means to achieve them. They may rebel against society, engaging in protest and revolution to try and change it
Reactive theories
Theories that explain subcultures as forming in reaction to failure to achieve mainstream goals
Utilitarian crime
Practical or useful crime e.g. stealing
How does Merton adapt Durkheim’s concept of anomie to explain deviance?
Combines structural and cultural factors
Deviance is the result of a strain between the goals that a culture encourages individuals to achieve AND what the institutional structure of society allows them to achieve legitimately
How does Merton use the example of The American Dream to illustrate the strain to anomie?
Americans are expected to pursue ‘money success’ by legitimate means of self discipline, study, educational qualifications and hard work. The ideology of the American dream suggests society is meritocratic but in reality many disadvantaged groups are denied opportunities to achieve legitimately due to poverty etc. This creates strain between the cultural goals of ‘money success’ and the lack of legitimate means to achieve it which in turn creates pressure to resort to illegitimate means
Status frustration
The frustration that has appeared due to being unable to achieve through legitimate opportunity structures
Alternative status hierarchy
Illegitimate opportunity structures based on status that the youth can use to achieve
Criminal subculture
Areas that have an established criminal culture where the youth are taught by adult career criminals
Conflict subculture
Areas without an established criminal culture have gangs which engage in violence, vandalism and turf wars
