Thursday, October 19, 2017
CRIM 2650
Lecture #7
Overview: Anomie and Strain Theories
● Introduction
● Historical Background of Strain Theories
● Merton, Anomie and Social Structure
● Strain and Delinquency (Subcultural Theory)
● Albert Cohen: Delinquent Boys
● Cloward and Ohlin: Delinquency and Opportunity
●
Policy Implications of Classical Strain Theories
● Contemporary Research in Strain Theory
● Agnew’s General Strain Theory
● Strain Theory and African American Offending
● Institutional Anomie Theory
● Policy Suggestions of Institutional Anomie Theory
Introduction: Main Theorists
● Robert K. Merton (1910-2003)
● Social Structure and Anomie (1938)
●
Albert K. Cohen (1918-2014)
● Delinquent Boys (1955)
● Richard Cloward (1926-2001) and Lloyd Ohlin (1918-2008)
● Delinquency and Opportunity (1960)
● Robert Agnew (1953-)
● Foundation for a general strain theory of crime and delinquency (1992)
● Steven Messner and Richard Rosenfeld (1948-)
●
Crime and the American Dream (1994)
Introduction: Main Themes
● Individuals are more likely to engage in crime when they cannot achieve culturally
prescribed goals through legitimate (or institutionalized) means.
● Strain on individuals.
1. Illegitimate ways
2. Demonstrate anti-social behaviour and develop an alternative value system
3. Resort to drug usage.
Strain Theories: Historical Background
1 Thursday, October 19, 2017
● The Great Depression (1929) and The New Deal (1933-1938)
● American Dream
●
Functionalist School of Sociology
● The Renewal of Interest in Strain Theory
● The Golden Age of Welfare State (1945-1975)
● Progressive Social Movements in 1960s
The Great Depression and the New Deal
● The Great Depression (1929)
● Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath (1939)
● Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945)
● The New Deal America (1933-1938)
● American Dream
● Common Individual
● Hard Work
● Pecuniary Success
● The Culture of Consumption
● ‘Conspicuous consumption’ (Veblen 1899).
● Production to consumption based economy.
● The Recession in 1937
● The contrast between the American Dream and deep inequalities
● Merton: crime as an adaptation to economic and cultural conditions.
Merton, Anomie and Social Structure
● Merton’s Biography
● There is a disjuncture between culturally prescribed goals and institutionalized
means for attaining these goals
●
Culturally prescribed goals: the American Dream
● Institutionalized means: hard-work, strong work ethic, education, rational
thinking and planning.
● The contradiction between culture and social structure is anomie.
● Strain on individuals
● Durkheim vs. Merton on Anomie
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Modes of Adaptation
Modes of Adaptation Cultural Goals Institutionalized Means
1) Conformity + +
2) Innovation + -
3) Ritualism - +
4) Retreatism - -
5) Rebellion +/- +/-
Al Capone
• “Capone represents the triumph of amoral intelligence over morally prescribed
failure” (1938: 679)
• Al Capone: Mini Bio
Strain Theory and Gang Delinquency Subcultural Theories
• Albert K. Cohen (1918-2014)
• Delinquent Boys (1955)
• Young lower-class makes experience “status frustration”
• Alternative system of values opposed to middle class values
• Malicious, negativistic, and non-utilitarian delinquent behaviours
• Delinquent behaviours are concertrated in urban slums and can be transmitted to
new generations within a neighbourhood
• Inspired by the Chicago School of Criminology - next week!
• While delinquent behaviour may not have utility and value according to middle class
standards, they might be valuable within the subculture
• Gain respect and status
• Not all young, lower-class males become delinquent boys
• College boys and corner boys
Cloward and Ohlin: Delinquency and Opportunity
• Influenced by: Merton, the Chicago School, and Edwin Sutherland
• Note on “opportunity”
• Merton’s theory does not answer why and under which conditions individuals adapt
strain differently
• Availability of illegitimate means in the neighbourhood
• i.e.: existence of role models, organized crime, drug usage
• Types of gangs
• Criminal gangs, conflict gangs and retreatist- games
Delinquency and Opportunity: Three Types of Gangs
• Criminal gangs
• Organized crime
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• Mentoring the youth
• Status based on crime
• Conflict gangs
• Disorganized neighbourhoods
• Violence and Vandalism
• Status based on violence
• Retreatist gangs
• Withdraw from society
• Drug use
Policy implications of Classical Strain Theory
• Increase legitimate opportunities
• Education, job training, prison rehabilitation, delinquency prevention
programs
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