Strain Theory and Recession

Strain Theory and Recession

Majority of the citizens in the United States have always strived to obtain, what is known as the American dream. That dream usually involves having a well-paid career, a family, and having a big house in a neighborhood free from crime. According, Robert Merton in his theory of Strain theory believes that these goals are instilled at an early age, which these goals are held to all of its members in society; however the means of obtaining these goals are not equally distributed out. The means being defined as education, the concepts of hard work are ways to achieve these goals. Merton’s strain theory is an explanation of criminal behavior, according to the textbook, Adler, Mueller and Laufer (2010) defined Strain theory as “that people are law-abiding citizen, but when under great pressure will resort to crime. Disparity between goals and means provide this pressure.”(p.106) Merton goes that in a class-orientated society, opportunities to get to the top are not equally distributed. There are two important elements that in any society. The (1) cultural aspirations, or goals that people believe are worth striving for, and (2) institutionalized means to accepted ways to attain the desire ends. Inequality between goals and means fosters frustrations, which leads to strain. (Alder, Mueller, and Laufer 2010).

The United States had recently faced an economic recession that resulted in company bankruptcies, therefore causing unemployment spikes and home foreclosures. In the media, two movie have recently came out with two movies that plotted around recently unemployed middle-class families that are struggling to keep up with their standard of living and facing bankruptcy. In the movie, Mad Money, the main ch...

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...rove that crime will go up when unemployment and homeclosures rises thus unsupporting the Strain theory. Perhaps, there are underlying factors that come into affect that the middle class will not turn to crime.

An example is that governement have sufficent social programs implemtned that were not enact during the last recession that prevent society’s members to turn to crimes as a last resort. Past economical experience have prepared people for another economic downturn if it were ever to arise such as savings, investing properties that retain its value like gold. An indivudal’s ethics and morals can affects one’soutlook on situations that prevent from doing crime because they might have altered goals that are different from the ones that society have. There are so many factors as to way there has shown to different relationship between crime and the recession.