118 week 7:

1. 118 week 7: Anomie and Strain Theories

2. Anomie • Emile Durkheim • Anomie: normlessness, no rules or norms about behavior. • Anomie explains crime between societies (eg. US and Japan) • Strain explains crime within societies (eg. Within the US)

3. Merton – Classic Strain Theory • 1938 (fairly forgotten until mid 80s) • 2 important concepts: • Culturally defined goals • Acceptable means to achieve goals • There is a disjunction between goals and means, this can cause strain, so people have to adapt to these

4. Merton –Classic Strain Theory • People are generally moral and optimistic • Strain comes from universalism • Strain applies to everyone, but mostly to the lower classes (why?)

5. Merton – Classic Strain Theory • 5 modes of adaptation: GOALS MEANS • Conformity + + • Innovation + - • Ritualism - + • Retreatism - - • Rebellion +/- +/-

6. Merton – Classical Strain Theory • Critique: • Only explains financial crime? • Other cultures? (European etc?) • Implications? • Desistance • No support for distinct subcultures • Most criminals have low expectations

7. Modern Strain Theories • Influenced by the criticisms of the classical strain theory • Wanted to address institutional anomie • All social institutions get subordinated by financial goals (state (politics), family, education) • Need to emphasize non-economic goals

8. Messner and Rosenfeld – The American Dream • Wants to explain crime rate in US • Compare US and Japan etc • What is it about US society that makes people criminal? • The American Dream: commitment to the goal of material success, to be pursued by everyone in society under conditions of open individual competition

9. Messner and Rosenfeld – The American Dream ‘America poises its citizens against one another, with the warning that they must make it on their own. Hence the stress of moving past others, driven by a fear of failing behind. No other nation so rates its residents as winners or losers’

10. Messner and Rosenfeld – The American Dream • Money  success  self worth • Big contribution: • Challenged criminologists to think at the macro level • Crime was seen as a product of a widely admired cultural phenomenon • Deep historical roots that were not psychological • Epitome of free will

11. Agnew – General Strain Theory • Looked at multiple factors as a source of strain • Applied strain at an individual level • Added an important component… emotions… which one?

12. Agnew – General Strain Theory • Negative relationships  negative emotions  crime • Stress and negative relationships come from: • Removal of positively valued stimuli • Presentation of negative stimuli • Anger is the key mechanism in producing crime

13. Agnew – General Strain Theory • Adolescents lack the resources to deal with these emotions • Coping mechanisms: • Cognitive coping • Behavioral coping • Emotional coping

14. Gangs Video • Old video – what’s changed? • How does someone become a gang member? • What theory explains this process? • Do female gang members require a separate explanation? If so, what? • Why is graffiti referred to as the newspaper of the street?