Sociology 2266A/B Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Convenience Store, Informal Social Control, Neighborhood Watch

• School: Western University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: Sociology 2266A/B
• Professor: Steven Kleinknecht

Document Summary

Chapter 4: strain, learning, and subcultural theories of crime. Criminal behaviour can be understood as a means people resort to in attempts to deal with problems/frustrations. Many types of crime and delinquency can be understood as forms of problem solving. Criminals are rational actors whose behaviour is goal-oriented. People who aspire to goals they cannot realistically attain may feel pressure to behave criminally. Best known version of this argument was created by robert merton in 1938: anomie: a state of normlessness, disconnect. Delinquency is the result of protest norms and values of middle-class culture. Lower-class socialization i(cid:374)a(cid:271)ilit(cid:455) to su(cid:272)(cid:272)eed usi(cid:374)g so(cid:272)iet(cid:455)(cid:859)s (cid:862)(cid:373)iddle-class measuring (cid:396)od(cid:863) sta(cid:374)da(cid:396)ds: within society, school system, if you can live up to the standards of this (cid:373)easu(cid:396)i(cid:374)g (cid:396)od, (cid:455)ou(cid:859)ll do oka(cid:455). If (cid:374)ot, (cid:455)ou(cid:859)ll st(cid:396)uggle i(cid:374) s(cid:272)hool, (cid:374)ot (cid:271)e su(cid:272)(cid:272)essful, et(cid:272): lower class youth want to feel a part of something, cool within one group, even if it(cid:859)s (cid:374)ot (cid:373)iddle (cid:272)lass g(cid:396)oup, skipping school, bullying, fighting, etc.