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Criticisms made towards the strain theory in relation to crime
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Anomie/Strain Theory Historical Background The theoretical framework of strain theory can be credited to sociologist Emile Durkheim. Durkheim research on formed a platform for other sociologist to further develop strain theories of crime. One of which is Robert Merton. One of Durkheim’s major works that opened the door to further research on strain theories was his book, Suicide. In this book Durkheim sough to understand the why led to one’s own self-destruction. Emile Durkheim studied suicide rates and its association with crisis. Durkheim noticed trends in suicide rates that were associated with economic prosperity and economic crisis. “According to Durkheim, the state of normlessness that people find themselves in as a result of a crisis is referred to as anomie.” (Paternoster, Bachman, 2001, p.142) Anomie occurs when one is put in an uncomfortable position because of goals not being met. Anomie can occur during times of financial crisis, death, or family crisis. Durkheim also looked at the difference in suicide rates amongst Catholics and Protestants. He found that suicide rates were higher amongst Protestants than Catholics. In Durkheim’s finding in studying suicide rates he came up with a model for anomie/strain. His model says that strain causes anomie, which in turn causes an individual to want to commit suicide or other deviant acts. Development of Anomie Strain Theory Sociologist Robert K. Merton picked up on Durkheim’s concepts of anomie and strain to develop his own perspective. He is most credited for the development of this theory. Merton based his version of the theory on the fact that American society puts its value in material wealth and that all people should strive to attain material wealth. “In Merton’s view, A... ... middle of paper ... ...es. Works Cited Paternoster, Raymond and Ronet Bachman. 2001. “Introduction to Anomie/Strain Theories of Crime” in Paternoster and Bachman (Eds.) Explaining Criminals and Crime. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury. Merton, Robert 1938. "Social Structure and Anomie" American Sociological Review 2: 672-682. Messner, Steven F. and Richard Rosenfeld. 2001. "An Institutional-Anomie Theory of Crime" in Paternoster and Bachman(Eds.) Explaining Criminals and Crime. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury. Agnew, Robert. 2001. "An Overview of General Strain Theory" ” In Paternoster and Bachman (Eds.) Explaining Criminals and Crime. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury. Agnew, Robert 1992. "Foundation for a General Strain Theory of Crime and Delinquency" in Criminology 30(1): 47-87. Burton, Velmer S. and Francis T. Cullen. 1992. "The Empirical Status of Strain Theory" Journal of Crime and Justice 15:1-30
Higgins, G.E., Piquero, N.L. & Piquero, A.R. (2011). General Strain Theory, Peer Rejection, and Delinquency/Crime. Youth Society, 43(4), 1272–1297. doi: 10.1177/0044118X10382032
There are many criminological theories that attempt to explain criminal behavior or crime patterns. For instance, Agnew’s General Strain Theory can be applied to explain why the criminal John Dillinger committed various crimes. Agnew’s General Strain Theory assumes that all individuals experience strain, which, in turn, causes negative emotions that can result in legitimate or illegitimate coping, depending on an individual’s constraints or dispositions. Thus, the continuous criminal behavior throughout John Dillinger’s life can be explained using Agnew’s General Strain Theory in relation to strain, negative emotions, and dispositions.
Strain theory is no different. During the 1930s, Americans were facing some of the worst, if not the worst, economical times in American history. The collapse of the stock market in 1929 lead to an era we now call “the Great Depression”. During this time extreme poverty and unemployment increased drastically, along with suicide and crime rates, particularly murder rates (Siegel 2010, p. 44). Robert Merton’s influence for the development of strain theory came from his observation of how influential the economic institutions were in regards to all other social factors. He drew heavily from Emile Durkheim’s earlier concept of anomie, or normlessness, to develop his own theoretical structure (Merton 1938; Merton
Agnew, R. (2011). Pressured into crime: General strain theory. In F. Cullen & R. Agnew (Eds.),
In criminology there are numerous theories as to the causes of different types of crime. These theories are extremely important in the continuous debate of the ways in which crime should be managed and prevented. Many theories have surfaced over the years. These theories continue to be explored individually and in combination, as criminologists search for the best solutions in ultimately reducing types and levels of crime. These theories include rational choice theory, social learning theory, and biology amongst many others. In this case study strain theory will be used to describe the reasons behind the white collar crimes of Charles Ponzi.
Robert Merton’s Theory of Anomie It is rightfully argued that crime, whether or not in a contemporary society, is an extremely complex and multi-faceted Phenomena that has puzzled academics for many years. Theories that aim to rationalise the causes of crime and understand the origin of criminal behaviour are often criticised for being too biased or deterministic in their research studies. Many have been of great influence and seen to explain (to an extent) the cause of crime but none has fully decoded the mystery of why people commit crime. Merton’s anomie theory aimed at explaining deviance from a sociological perspective as opposed to previous academic theories on crime and criminals.
Predominantly, strain theory can be used to explain the criminal behavior of the Homicide in Hollenbeck documentary. In the course on juveni...
The Structural Strain Theory is a theory of deviance that explains deviance as the natural outgrowth of the values, norms, and structures of society. Amer...
In the 1950’s, Cohen (1955) acquired Merton’s theory of crime further by concentrating on gang delinquency within the working class demographic. Cohen used the dominant knowledge of the anomie theory but narrowed its emphasis on this precise subculture and particularized it in order to clarify the features of gang delinquency. Comparable to Merton and Cohen, Cloward and Ohlin (1960) tried to clarify why certain individuals or groups are more likely to involve in criminal activities. They contended that people are strained when they fail to attain financial achievement through legitimate means. Cloward and Ohlin remained in...
Winslow, R. W., & Zhang, S. (2008). Contemporary Theories of Crime. Criminology: a global perspective (). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Wilson, James and Herrnstein, Richard. "Crime & Human Nature: The Definitive Study of the Causes of Crime" New York: Free Press, 1998.
In classic strain theory it is said that, Classic strain theory focuses on that type of strain involving the inability to achieve success or gain a middle class status. General Strain theory focuses on a broad range of strains, including the inability to achieve a variety of goals, the loss of valued possessions, and negative treatment by others. General Strain Theory has been applied to a range of topics, including the explanation of gender, race/ethnicity, age, community, and societal differences in crime
An integrated theory is a combination of 2 or 3 theories that offers many explanations on why crime is occurring, compared to a traditional criminal theory that just focus on one type of aspect (Lilly et al.2010). The purpose of integrated theories is to help explain many aspects into what causes criminal behavior and why one becomes delinquent. From this an argument arises can integrated theories be used to explain all criminal behavior. Integrated theories are successful in explaining certain aspects of crime on what causes one to become deviant; however one theory alone cannot explain why an individual engages in crime. This paper will examine three integrated theories and look in-depth how these theories can explain different aspects on why criminal behavior occurs and the weakness of each theory. The three integrated theories that will be discussed in this paper are Cloward and Ohlin Differential Opportunity theory, Robert Agnew General Strain theory, and lastly Travis Hirschi’s Social Bond theory.
To gain an accurate understanding of strain theories it is best to first examine their intellectual foundations. One of the most important influences on the development of strain theories was sociologist Emile Durkheim. A structural functionalist, Durkheim argued that deviance and crime were not only normal, but also served a function in society. Durkheim believed that crime served the purpose of displaying to members of society what behaviours and actions are considered unacceptable as determined by societal co...
This could explain the effect of strains on crime by taken this theory into account. Once strain causes bonds to weaken amongst conventional groups and institutions such as family, school, and peer networks will open up doors to delinquent behaviors, because by being in these social roles causes the person to regulate by role expectations.