anomie and strain theories

cjc 201

anomie and strain theory

argues that crime is a result of a social structure that stresses high achievement goals, but does not provide enough legitimate means

anomie

a state of normlessness, or “anomic state” (think Durkheim)

mismatch of expectations/goals and means

what produces anomies?

Emile Durkheim (1897)

the father of “sociology”

book: suicide: a study in sociology

( socially deviant)

Merton’s elabortions

takes durkheim’s ideas + expands on them (conceptualizes it to an American perspective) by arguin that crime is a result of a social structure that stresses achievement goals, BUT

1. assumes shared cultural goals

2. american dream: material and monetary success

3. educational, occupational, and economic opportunities are not equal

4. increase anomie leads to higher individually experienced strain

5. individual adaptation used to: alleviate strain and reach cultural goals

anomie + mismatch of goals and means produces strain

what is merton’s theory of deviance?

5 modes of adaptation

nonproblematic groups

1. conformity

2. ritualism

3. innovation (possible problematic)

4. retreatism (possible problematic)

5. rebellion (possible problematic)

conformity mode

accepts cultural goals & uses restricted conventional means (One simply accepts the state of affairs and continues to strive for success within the restricted conventional means available.)

ritualism mode

– rejects goals (e.g., abandons US dream), focuses on retaining gains through conventional means (in which one gives up the struggle to get ahead and concentrates on retaining what little has been gained by adhering rigidly and zealously to the norms.)

innovation mode

illicit means replace (insufficient) legitimate means

problematic because they replace the legitimate means

(maintains commitment to success goals but takes advantage of illegitimate means to attain them)

retreatism mode

retreats & abandons society problematic because (use substances or other means to hide or not deal with reality)

(giving up on both the goals and the effort to achieve them.)

rebellion

creates (deviant) goals and means

problematic becau

subcultural theories

this perspective analyzes how the diversity of society, there are assumed subcultures that exist within and are part of larger culture + subtly to grossly affect an individual’s learning process

BUT ARGUES THAT CRIME results from acting in accordance with subcultural norms (which are at odds with larger societal norms)

subculture

smaller part of larger culture where values, beliefs, ideas, views, and meanings a subgroup holds

• different in some way from larger culture’s

low social controls + high anomie = high suicide rates

what Durkheim found research suicide rates in france

Al Cohen

lower-class expected to follow middle-class goals and aspirations BUT they are ill-equipped for “success” (high feelings of failure, and low self worth) → the result is “culture conflict” (STRIKING BACK AT THE MIDDLE CLASS)

Cloward and Ohlin (1960)

argues that conventional mens to reach goals are NOT equal. Because of this, limited or block conventional opportunities leads to high status frustrations and low self esteem

lower class youth see that and recognize that low opportunities → high status frustration

• with high frustration → high deviance and crime BUT

  • Illicit opportunities are not equal either

    • 3 Distinct subcultures develop out of varied illicit opportunities

american dream

what are some cultural goals?

education, hard work, and competitiveness

what are some conventional means

criminal, conflict, and retreatist subculture

what are Cloward and Ohlin’s 3 distinct subcultures?

criminal subculture

• React to status frustration by blaming society, not self

• Income‐producing crime as innovative means to achieve goals

Conflict subculture

• Unable to develop conventional or criminal skills to achieve goals

• ↑Emphasis on being tough, fearless, violent, & willing/ able to fight

Retreatist subculture

• “Double failures” – unable to develop any above skills

• ↑Drugs/ alcohol as means to escape status frustrations

Walter Miller

argues that lower-class operates under a distinct set of culture values or focal concerns, such as:

high trouble, toughness, smartness, excitement, fate, and autonomy

argues that subculture goals are NOT AGAINST THE MIDDLE CLASS, but AT ODDS

follow focal concerns of peers and community

critiques of Miller’s approach

middle class bias and tautological reasoning

Messner and Rosenfeld (1994)

Institutional Anomie Theory (comparing American crime to others)

Macro‐level, cross‐national theory of crime  Social structural & cultural factors effect national crime trends

normlessness (or lack of social regulation)

anomie is a state of __________

weakens and lowers social controls + increases deviance and crime

what does anomie (state of normlessness) do?

Cohen’s version of anomie/strain theory

views blocked goals as producing deviance-inducing strain

but it is also

the inability to gain status and acceptance in a conventional society that produces the strain. Status in conventional society is achieved by meeting commonly accepted standards, according to _____, those of the middle class.

the delinquent subculture is a collective response to this frustration

high status frustration and low self esteem

Cloward & Ohlin argue that when conventional means (ways to reach goals) are not equal + there is limited or blocked legitimate/ conventional opportunities… this can lead to (HINT: NOT CRIME)

Illicit opportunities are not equal either

Cloward & Ohlin recognize that conventional means [to reach goals] are not equal. Youth can see this and recognize there are low opportunities with ↑status frustration ↑Frustration motivates ↑deviance/ crime, but the main idea of their argument is that __________

Trouble, toughness, smartness, excitement, fate, & autonomy

wht are the focal concerns Miller talks about?

Institutional Anomie Theory

what is the name of Messner and Rosenfeld (1994)’s theory/work

true

T/F: By the 1970s, nearly all of the self-reported delinquency studies, as well as the few self-report studies of adult crime, found little difference in the levels of delinquent behavior by socioeconomic status (Tittle and Villemez, 1977).

achievement, individualism, universalism, “fetishism” of money

what are Messner and Rosenfeld’s 4 value orientations

Achievement orientation

A person’s value = achievement or possessions = creates a culture in which people are valued ultimately on of what they have achieved or possess

Value orientations conductive to ↑crime

Individualism

“Bootstrap” & “zero‐sum game” mentalities = encourages people to “make it on their own,” pitting individual against individual in a competitive rather than a cooperative stance.

Value orientations conductive to ↑crime

Universalism

Normative expectation of “success goal”

all members of American society must desire and strivetoward the same success goal.

Value orientations conductive to ↑crime

“Fetishism” of money

Whoever accumulates the most “wins”

Value orientations conductive to ↑crime

institutional-anomie theory and general strain theory

what are the contemporary anomi/strain theories