Overview of Strain Theories and Learning Theories in Crime

What is the dominant culturally accepted goal in the US according to Merton's Strain Theory?

Money / wealth.

What is the dominant culturally accepted means to achieve the goal of wealth in the US?

Education and jobs.

Why does Merton argue that American society is not balanced?

It emphasizes goals over means, leading to unequal access to means.

What does 'anomie' mean in the context of Merton's Strain Theory?

Normlessness.

How does Merton's Strain Theory explain the relationship between blocked means and crime?

Blocked means lead to strain and anomie, which can result in crime.

What are the five modes of adaptation in Merton's Strain Theory?

1. Conformity: Accepts both goals and means (most common). 2. Innovation: Accepts goals but not means (most common deviant). 3. Ritualism: Accepts means but not goals. 4. Retreatism: Rejects both goals and means. 5. Rebellion: Rejects and replaces both goals and means.

What is Status Frustration according to Cohen's Strain Theory?

The upset feeling of not fitting in with societal standards.

What is Reaction Formation in Cohen's Strain Theory?

Turning away from middle class values and adopting opposite values.

What types of crimes do gangs commit according to Cohen's theory?

Malicious and negativistic crimes.

What distinguishes college boys from corner boys in Cohen's theory?

College boys focus on studying, while corner boys engage in addictions and gang activities.

What are the three types of gangs identified in Cloward and Ohlin's Strain Theory?

1. Criminal Gangs: Money makers who learn crime from adults. 2. Conflict Gangs: Use violence to gain respect. 3. Retreatist Gangs: Dropouts who use drugs or alcohol.

What does Agnew's General Strain Theory aim to explain?

It seeks to explain all crime committed by all offenders.

What are the three sources of strain according to Agnew's General Strain Theory?

1. Failure to achieve positively-valued goods. 2. Removal of positive stimuli. 3. Exposure to negative stimuli.

What is the main emotion that Agnew's theory focuses on?

Anger.

What are the four coping mechanisms to strain according to Agnew?

1. Crime/Delinquency. 2. Cognitive coping strategies. 3. Emotional coping strategies. 4. Behavioral coping strategies.

What did Listwan et al. (2013) find regarding inmates' experiences in prison?

Inmates with more negative experiences were more likely to recidivate upon release.

What are some policy implications derived from strain theory?

Incapacitation, changing environments, unblocking access to goals, teaching anger management skills, and coping mechanisms.

What is symbiosis according to Robert Park in the Chicago School of Human Ecology?

Harmony between social groups.

What is the three-stage process that disrupts symbiosis?

Invasion, dominance, and succession.

What is the Zone of Transition according to Earnest Burgess?

Zone 2.

What did Shaw and McKay find regarding delinquency rates across the five zones of the city?

Crime rates decrease the further away from Zone 1, with Zones 1 and 2 having the most crime.

What are the three dominant social characteristics of Zone II that contribute to social disorganization?

Poverty, racial/ethnic heterogeneity, and residential mobility.

How does social disorganization lead to crime according to Shaw and McKay?

It results in a lack of consensus in parental values.

What is cultural transmission as defined by Shaw and McKay?

The teaching and learning of criminal values as a culture.

What did Ludwig et al. (2001) find regarding poor families relocated to better neighborhoods?

Relocated juveniles had a 30-50% lower arrest rate for violence.

How do minor acts of disorder lead to serious crime according to Broken Windows Theory?

They create a sense that nobody cares, leading to more serious acts.

What are some policy implications associated with Social Disorganization Theory and Broken Windows Theory?

Building community cohesion and policing small problems.

Why do Street Families adopt values opposed to mainstream society?

Feelings of alienation and despair, as their problems are ignored by mainstream America.

What is the 'Street Code' based on?

Fighting to earn respect.

What is 'The Cycle' discussed in class, and how can it be broken?

The Cycle involves trying to earn respect; it can be broken by learning mainstream values.

What assumption about human nature do learning theories make?

We learn bad behavior from others.

What does 'tabula rasa' mean?

Blank slate.

How does Sutherland explain how crime is learned?

Criminal behavior is learned through communication with intimate others who teach definitions of favorable or unfavorable crime.

What are the four Modalities of definitions according to Sutherland?

Frequency, Duration, Priority, and Intensity.

What common finding supports Differential Association Theory?

Delinquents have delinquent friends.

What are the four elements of Aker's Social Learning Theory?

Definitions, Imitation, Differential associations, and Differential reinforcements.

How does Aker's theory explain the initiation and sustenance of crime?

Crime begins through imitation and is sustained by reinforcements that internalize definitions.

What do research findings suggest about learning-based theories?

They are better at predicting minor types of crime/delinquency than more serious crime.

What are some policy implications associated with learning-based theories?

Incarceration and social programs like Big Brothers/Big Sisters.