Robert Merton Anomie

214 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Factors affecting criminal behaviour

Robert Merton’s theory of anomie explains organized crime in the sense that when there is a lack of moral obligation in society, individuals tend to turn to whatever means necessary to reach their goals. Organized crime provides the perfect outlet for individuals to work together for the purpose of collective success between the primary members involved. These situations are especially prevalent when certain groups feel that the current society has created a case where they are unlikely to succeed through traditional, ethical means. For example, as the text states, immigrants coming to the united states in the nineteenth century realized that success would be difficult for them to achieve; therefore, organized crime became increasingly prevalent

Show More
Related

  • Brothel Mustang Ranch and its Women Written by Alexa Albert

    1106 Words  | 3 Pages

    The social deviance anomie theory also known as strain theory is defined as means to an end. This means that if the goals that society holds for people are unreachable individuals may turn to illegitimate ways of getting there. Throughout this paper I will provide details as to why we should use anomie theory when defining deviance among brothel workers presented in Brothel Mustang Ranch and its Women written by Alexa Albert.

    Read More

  • Samuel Chase

    1727 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the year 1786, at the pressing invitation of his friend, Colonel Howard, he removed from Annapolis to Baltimore. By this gentleman, he was generously presented with a square of ten lots of land, upon a spot in which he erected a house, in which he lived until his death. On his removal from Annapolis, the corporation of that city tendered to him the expressions of their respect, in the following address: "Sir, the mayor, aldermen, and common councilmen of the city of Annapolis, impressed with a due sense of the services rendered to this corporation by you, in the capacity of recorder thereof, do take this occasion to assure you of their entire approbation of your conduct in the performance of the duties of that trust, and to acknowledge your ready exertion, at all times, to promote the interest and welfare of this city, They sincerely regret the occasion of this address, as your removal from the city of Annapolis will deprive this body of a faithful and able officer, and the city of a valuable citizen. You have our warmest wishes for your happiness and welfare.''

    Read More

  • Robert Merton’s Theory of Anomie

    1914 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Learning Theory versus Strain Theory

    1636 Words  | 4 Pages

    Merton primarily focuses on the materialistic goals all Americans are exposed to regardless of their position in society. The structure of society puts enormous pressure on people thus generating deviance. It also emphasizes certain means to attain the goals. Anomie occurs when there’s a breakdown of social norms and they are no longer present in society. This is known as normlessness. Merton suggests that anomie is the strain in the individual when norms conflict with society. Under norm conditions, crime and deviance increases. Norms and values govern people. In every society, there are values, goals and aspirations that are taught to the members. There are two phases of social structure. The first being the agreed upon goals that all the members should have

    Read More

  • Poverty and Crime in America

    3673 Words  | 8 Pages

    Peterson, R, Krivo, L, & Hagan, J. (2006). The many colors of crime. NY: New York University Press.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Documentary Crips And Bloods: Made In America

    926 Words  | 2 Pages

    This can be applied to American society, where the society may lean too heavily towards either of these social structures. This can then create stress where stressing over goals mean that any form of achieving them becomes acceptable. Merton was more interested on the overemphasis on goals and how that may have generated antisocial behavior. This behavior arises when the expectation that all members of society should exhibit success but run into restrictions on legitimate means to succeed. He says that the cult of success can create illegitimate means because the violator knows the rules of the game, but the validation of success outweighs the weak imperative to play by the rules. He states, “…Crime… [And] the entire catalogue of proscribed behavior, becomes increasingly common when the emphasis on the culturally induced success-goal becomes divorced from a coordinated institutional emphasis” (Merton 675-676). This is shown in the Crips and Bloods documentary because the individuals in both gangs know what they do is wrong, such as dealing drugs, but they still need to be successful by having money and having good appearance by dressing nicely. It is difficult for them to go by the rules when at one point, the whites did not give them

    Read More

  • Peter Singer, And Tom Regan, Peter Singer And Aldo Leopold

    1133 Words  | 3 Pages

    Analyzing human obligation pertaining to all that is not man made, apart from humans, we discover an assortment of concerns, some of which have been voiced by philosophers such as Tom Regan, Peter Singer and Aldo Leopold. Environmentally ethical ideals hold a broad spectrum of perspectives that, not only attempt to identify a problem, but also focus on how that problem is addressed through determining what is right and wrong.

    Read More

  • Robert Capa

    438 Words  | 1 Pages

    Robert Capa Robert Capa was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1913. Robert Capa is best known for his photographs during the war. Known for obtaining photos taken during a war that show what it is like to be in a war. Showing things like the hardships that soldiers have to endure and the suffering of people whose homes and cities were destroyed as a result of war. His photos are divided into three categories: images of battle, images of the effect of war on individual soldiers and civilians, and the images of peace.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Agnew And Merton

    612 Words  | 2 Pages

    Both theories by Merton and Agnew are similar because their focus is that social situations and conflicts an individual’s comes in contact within his/her life, may produce crime by emphasizing the a goal of success, much more than the means to achieve it. With Merton’s theory he adopted Durkheim’s concept of anomie to explain deviance. Merton’s theory combined both structural and cultural factors. Merton insists that society promotes goals for their citizens and norms for other’s behavior in attempting to reach these goals. In Merton’s theory people do crime when they are unable to reach or accomplish goals. Merton’s theory also explains how an individual’s social structure prevents an individual from becoming economically fortunate. His theory of modern anomie and strain express that individuals respond to strain in 5 individual ways. Those five ways are conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion. On the other hand Agnew general strain theory, feels strain comes from sources other than economic failure. Agnew general strain theory focuses on a few other types of strain and stress. Like the presentation of a negative stimuli, and the loss of a positive stimuli. Agnew feels that this sort of strain leads to a negative state of mind. The emotions like angry, frustration and fear, lead to crime and criminal behavior. One

    Read More

  • The General Strain Theory

    2135 Words  | 5 Pages

    Based on Durkheim’s theory of anomie (1893), Merton developed his theory of deviance within a social structural framework. Merton’s view on the subject is that goal-expectation discrepancies, together with social stratification creates strain among disadvantaged populations in turn leading them to use any means necessary, such as criminal, in order to achieve culturally-defined goals (Merton, 1938). Merton stated that deviance was a product of discrepancy between social goals and the legitimate means to achieve these goals (Smith & Bohm, 2008). Merton created a typology of deviance (Conformity, Innovation, Ritualism, and Retreatism, and Rebellion) depending on how di...

    Read More

  • Anomie And Social Disorganization Theory

    111 Words  | 1 Pages

    Anomie and social disorganization theory are reasoning as why individual turn to crimes. The focus is on the macro level (anomie) and micro level (social disorganization theory) of external environmental factors contributing to criminal behaviors. I think social disorganization theory is more beneficial in deterring crimes. It is more manageable to transform a neighborhood or concentrated area than a societal norm. The movement will require equivocal amount of resources with noticeable. By influencing changes at the micro level, as individual transition out of the area, they can impinge a positive attitude in a new environment. As numerous changes occurs on the micro level, it will eventually metamorphose into the macro level.

    Read More

  • Robert K. Merton's Theory Of Anomie

    1284 Words  | 3 Pages

    Anomie is a theory that was first introduced in 1983 by the French sociologist ‘Emile Durkheim. His theory would help us to understand why many individuals turn to crime. It mostly concentrated on the lower class but can also be seen in the middle class. Apart from Durkheim, otherwise known as the father of sociology, there are other sociologists who have their own theory of anomie. Robert. K. Merton, an American sociologist, though argued by many that his understanding of anomie is identical to Durkheim’s, he himself insists otherwise. Society hates criminals, but Durkheim believed that crime plays a major part in keeping society balanced. That crime is surrounded by significant circumstances and that it is necessary for the development of ethics and law. However, although he thought crime was necessary, he didn’t suggest that crime is acceptable.

    Read More

  • Control theory, Anomie theory and Strain theory

    1428 Words  | 3 Pages

    Merton, R. (2011). Social Structure and Anomie. In F. T. Cullen & R. Agnew (Authors), Criminological theory: past to present : essential readings. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Read More

  • Merton's Anomie Theory Case Study

    1034 Words  | 3 Pages

    This study sets apart from others because the sole purpose of this study is to falsify Merton’s Macro-level anomie theory of crime. Similar to other studies, Chamlin and Sanders also use a sample of 43 national-states that participated in EVS (European Values Study) (2013). They sample nation-states because it recognizes variations in the acceptance of values relating to material success are most likely to occur at the societal level of spatial aggregation (Chamlin & Sanders, 2013). Showing how cultural success or goals occur within all of society. In this study the researchers also gather data from UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), they ask interviewees questions about acceptance of material success goals, blocked opportunities, they do this to measure how people are gaining success and how others are not doing such a thing (Chamlin & Sanders, 2013). Differing from the first two studies analyzed, this one seems to be much smaller sample size, using less data, and a less sophisticated approach. Their methodology and operationalization was not as concise as the other

    Read More

  • Theories of Organized Crime

    1400 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lyman, M. D., & Potter, G. W. (2007). Theories of Criminal Behavior. Organized crime (4th ed., pp. 59-81). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

    Read More

More about Robert Merton Anomie

Open Document