Week 4: Strain Theory Flashcards
Who was Robert K. Merton?
a functionalist, took Durkheim’s concept of anomie and developed it further, responsible for concepts such as role model, self-fulfilling prophecy, and the development of focus groups as a method of data collection
What is a meritocracy?
a society in which people get status or rewards because of what they achieve, rather than because of their wealth or social status
What did Merton believe was the path to socially defined achievement?
hard work and education, socially approved goals were financial success and material possessions, however he recognized that access to legitimate means were not equally distributed (strains)
Relationship between strains and adaptation
strains result from inequitable access to socially approved goals via legitimate means, individuals then made adaptations in response to this strain which sometimes would result in crime
Why is there not more crime?
-concern about inequality: people who think inequality is caused by unfair systems and structured (like bad laws or policies) tend to worry more about economic inequality
-belief in meritocracy: people who believe that everyone has an equal chance to succeed based on their own efforts (the mediocrity ideal) worry less about economic inequality
Merton’s Theory summary
crime is not just a product of individual levels of deviance, it is one way of adapting to limited access dye to structural inequalities or Strains
Who was Professor Robert Agnew?
developed the concept of general strain theory, based his ideas on that of both Durkheim and Merton, wanted to know things like why some people do not resort to crime and if there are more types of strains and responses
What are the 3 categories of strain?
1) objective strain: external and can be observed by others
2) subjective strain: perceived and may not be externally verified
3) anticipated strain: expectation of negative events
What are some examples of specific types of strains?
-failure to achieve positively valued goals
-prevention of achieving positively valued goals (prevention by external factors or circumstances)
-loss or removal of positively valued stimuli (a valued relationship, position, status)
-presentation of negative stimuli (physical and sexual abuse, neglect, violence, discrimination)
Which strains are most likely to result in crime?
strains which are intense, seen as unjust, associated with low social control, and create an incentive or pressure to engage in crime
Why do only some people engage in illegitimate corrective actions (theft, rioting, fraud)?
temperament, beliefs, social support, cultural values, costs/benefits, etc.
3 types of coping strategies/corrective actions
1) cognitive strategies (how you think)
2) behavioral strategies (what you do)
3) emotional strategies (how you feel)
