CJC 201 - ANOMIE & STRAIN THEORIES (Chapter 9)

Crime is a result of a social structure that:…

• Stresses (high) achievement goals, but does not provide enough legitimate means

What does a mismatch of expectations/goals & means produce?

• Anomie - a state of normlessness or “anomic state” which:

  • 1. weakens & decreases social controls →

  • 2. increases deviance/crime

What is Durkheim known as?

The “father of sociology”

What did Durkheim find about anomie + suicide rates in France?

• Decreased social controls + increased anomie = increased suicide rates

  • Protestants

  • Single & no children

  • Peacetime & economic boom or bust

• Increased social controls + increased anomie = decreased suicide rates

  • Catholics & Jews

  • Married + children

  • War time

What did Merton find about “crime is a result of social structure that”:

• Stresses achievement goals, but…

  • Assumes shared cultural goals

  • American dream: material & monetary success

• Does not provide enough legitimate means

  • Educational, occupational, and economic opportunities are not equal

What did Merton find about a “mismatch of expectations/goals & means produce”:

• Anomie - normless state weakens/decreased social controls & increased deviance/crime

• Increased anomie → increased individually experienced strain

  • Individual adaptation used to:

    • Alleviate strain

    • Reach cultural goals

5 Modes of Adapation (2 Non-problematic groups):

1. Conformity - Accepts cultural goals & uses restricted conventional means

2. Ritualism - Rejects goals, focuses on retaining gains through conventional means

5 Modes of Adaptation (3 problematic groups):

3. Innovation - Illicit means replace (insufficient) legitimate means

4. Retreatism - Retreats & abandons society

5. Rebellion - Creates new (deviant) goals & means

Who discovered General Strain Theory?

Robert Agnew

What are the 3 major types of “strain”

1. Inability to reach positively valued goals

2. Removal of positively valued stimuli, and/or

3. Introduction of negatively valued stimuli

What does strain lead to?

Increased negative emotions (e.g., frustration & anger)

What might be a coping mechanism for strain?

• Crime, it is one of many adaptations to strain

What lowers criminal coping risk of likelihood?

1. Access to legitimate coping mechanisms

2. Internal constraints

3. External constraints

What increases criminal coping risk or likelihood?

1. Strain factors

2. Conditioning Factors

   1. Indivdiaul Factors

   2. Social Factors