CRM 1300 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Richard Cloward, Reaction Formation, Anomie
31 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
There is a misalignment between opportunities for individual versus where society is at. Some are very conflictual, believing the rules reflect the needs of a powerful group. There is macro (durkheim) and micro (merton) Moves us into the domain of sociological accounts of crime. Strain theories can be variously consensual versus conflictual in their orientation towards society. Strain theories have had very different meanings over time. Consensus perspective: the vast majority of the population share similar values regarding right and wrong; morality is universal, and important values are shared by all members of society. Customs persist, and the law represents a codification of societal values. Conflict perspective: the criminal law does not represent the moral values of the majority but reflects the interests of groups that are in a position to create and enforce those laws (the powerful). Depends on how you define your dominant classes). Society is thus inherently unfair and so also unstable, at a deeper level.
