Crime and the American Dream

Crime and the American Dream: Overview

In "Crime and the American Dream," Richard Rosenfeld and Steven F. Messner explore the relationship between crime rates in the United States and the cultural ethos of the American Dream. They base their analysis on Merton's (1938) theory of "Social Structure and Anomie."

Merton’s Theory

  • Two Parts of Merton's Theory

    • Explanation of Crime Rate: Seeks to explain high crime rates in the United States.
    • Group-Specific Crime: Explains why certain groups are more prone to crime.

  • Neglect of Merton's First Part: Historically, researchers focused more on the second part, ignoring the national context of crime.

  • Messner & Rosenfeld's Institutional-Anomie Theory:

    • Developed in 2001, builds upon Merton's work.
    • Emphasizes the cultural goal of monetary success and the lack of emphasis on legitimate means of achieving it, encapsulated in the view that it’s "not how you play the game; it’s whether you win or lose."
    • Argues that the economy’s dominance affects the functioning of other societal institutions, such as family and schools, inhibiting their roles in socializing and controlling deviance.

Cultural and Institutional Influences on Crime

  • Economic Dominance:

    • The economy influences societal institutions, weakening norms that contribute to crime reduction.
    • This imbalance contributes to a high crime rate as institutions can’t adequately socialize individuals or sanction deviance.

  • High Crime as a Social Structure Issue:

    • Crime is not merely due to individual deviance but should be examined in the context of societal values and structures.
    • Questions arise about whether societal values are responsible for high crime rates.

The American Dream Defined

  • Cultural Orientation:

    • Characterized by a commitment to material success believed to be attainable through individual competition.
    • Encourages high ambition but comes with the danger of promoting an anomic imbalance, where means are secondary to ends.

  • Core Components Leading to Anomie:

    1. Achievement Orientation: Personal worth judged by success; pressures to achieve may outweigh moral norms.
    2. Individualism: Encourages self-reliance and competition, leading individuals to disregard norms when they conflict with success.
    3. Universalism: Everyone expected to strive for success; societal pressures affect all individuals.
    4. Monetary Reward as Success Metric: Money becomes a crucial indicator of achievement; its pursuit is never-ending, leading to devaluation of normative means.

Institutional Dynamics of Crime

  • Functions of Social Institutions:

    • Social institutions organize and stabilize society, meeting basic needs, including economic, political, family, and educational spheres.

  • Interrelationships Among Institutions:

    • The functional capabilities of these institutions overlap and depend on each other.
    • A well-functioning economy requires proper education and support from the political system, which in turn relies on social stability.

  • Tensions Between Institutions:

    • Family life expects particularistic ties, while economic structures expect universalistic standards, leading to normative conflicts affecting functionality.

The Impact of Institutional Imbalance and Economic Dominance

  • Contributions to Crime:
  1. Devaluation of Noneconomic Institutions: E.g., Education shifts focus to occupational success rather than holistic development.
  2. Accommodation of Institutions to Economic Demands: Families and schools adjust their functions to fit economic needs, leading to weaker structures.
  3. Penetration of Economic Norms into Social Institutions: Economic motivations skew priorities across all aspects of society, further eroding social controls.

Anomie, Weak Social Controls, and Crime

  • Create Anomic Normative Environment:
    • Weak social norms can’t regulate behavior effectively when monetary success is overemphasized.
    • Institutional failure leads to weakened social structures, making it harder to impose norms, resulting in increased criminal activity.

Conclusion and Implications

  • Call for a Reevaluation of Crime Structure:

    • The high crime rates in America reflect a broader issue tied to cultural beliefs and institutional arrangements; thus, simplistic solutions focused only on the criminal justice system are insufficient.
    • Understanding crime through this lens requires addressing fundamental shifts in societal values and the structure of primary institutions.

  • Discussion Questions for Further Exploration:

    • What defines the core features of the American Dream, and do they support Messner and Rosenfeld's critique?
    • How does economic dominance affect the functioning of family, school, and polity?
    • What policy recommendations flow from this theory, and how do they differ from past approaches to crime control?
    • Does the American Dream also encourage strain as described by Merton and Agnew?