SOCI 388 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Ritualism In The Church Of England

• School: McGill University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOCI 388
• Professor: Jan Doering

Document Summary

Society prescribes the aspiration to reach middle-class status. Society also prescribes certain means for reaching this status (education, work ethic, following the law) These means work for some people (especially the privileged) but not for others (especially the underprivileged) A segment of the population experiences strain because they cannot expect to fulfill their aspirations. Robert k. merton"s anomie/strain theory: adapting to strain. Strain results from negative social relationships: failure to achieve positively valued goals, removal of positively valued stimuli, presentation of negative stimuli. Strain entails negative emotions that can produce crime: anger, fear, disappointment, etc. Depending on available coping options and strain accumulation, strain leads to delinquency. In order to teach the child self-control, someone must: 1) monitor the child"s behaviour, 2) recognize deviant behaviour when it occurs, 3) punish such behaviour (p. 97) Learning, control, strain, and self-control theory: socio-political implications. Learning, control, strain, and self-control theory: comparative assessment.