SOCI 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 32: Richard Cloward, Extortion, Methamphetamine
Document Summary
Society is a system like a human body, with organs that work together for the bene t of the whole. A healthy society has minimal deviance (but still some) People act deviantly due to unbalanced social conditions three theories: strain theory (meron, 1938, 1968) When society is healthy/functional, deviance will be limited: Most people will share common cultural goals. Most people will agree upon the appropriate means for reaching these goals. Crime results from an imbalance between societal goals and culturally approved means to achieve them. Majority of people will conform as long as they are able to. Conformity innovation ritualism retreatism rebellion accepts accepts rejects rejects accepts rejects accepts rejects rejects + replaces rejects + replaces. Limitations to the strain theory (situations where we cannot apply it) Crimes of passion (talks about long-term community context) Socio-economic status: illegitimate opportunity structures (richard cloward and lloyn ohlin, 1960) For deviance to occur, people must have access to illegitimate opportunity structures.
