Anomie or “Strain” Theories

1. Anomie or “Strain” Theories Merton Agnew Messner and Rosenfeld

2. Durkhiem’s Legacy Rapidly Changing Society “Industrial Prosperity” Anomie (Norms are Weakened) Human Nature as Insatiable; must therefore cap or control Social Ties Important The Anomie/Strain Tradition (Thursday) The Social Disorganization and “Informal Control” Tradition (Today)

3. Robert K. Merton • Social Structure and Anomie (1938) • From Durkheim: Institutionalized norms are weakened in societies that place an intense value on economic success • Applied this to the United States • The “American Dream”

4. Conflict: Means and Goals • Cultural Goal in U.S.? • This goal is universal • (The American Dream) • Institutionalized Means? • Due to the social structure in the U.S., the means are unequally distributed • Segment of society with no way to attain goal

5. MODES OF CULTURAL INSTITUTIONALIZED ADAPTATION GOALS MEANS 1. Conformity + + 2. Innovation + - 3. Ritualism - + 4. Retreatism - - 5. Rebellion +/- +/- Strain Theory (Micro Level)

6. Criticisms of Merton’s Strain Theory • Is crime a “lower class” phenomena? • Cannot explain “expressive” crimes • Weak empirical support • Why do people “adapt” differently?

7. Agnew: General Strain Theory • Overhaul of Merton’s Strain Theory • Four types of strain • Failure to achieve valued goals • Removal of valued stimuli • Can’t escape noxious stimuli • Disjuncture between expectations and aspirations

8. Agnew (GST) • StrainNegative Affective States • Anger, fear, frustration, depression • In lieu of “Coping Mechanisms,” anger and frustration can produce delinquency • StrainNeg EmotionalDelinquency

9. Agnew (GST) • Tests of GST are more favorable • Is this theory a theory of “Strain” (in a sociological sense) or a theory of “STRESS?” (in a psychological sense)

10. CRIME AND THE AMERICAN DREAM Messner and Rosenfeld

11. The Legacy of Merton • In “Social Structure and Anomie”: • “Modes of Adaptation” (micro) • Discussion of why U.S. might be crime prone (macro) than other countries • Messner and Rosefeld, in the 1980s, revisited the macro part of the theory

12. Elements of the “American Dream” • Achievement • Individualism • Universalism • The “fetishism” of money • These elements encourage “Anomic conditions”

13. THE AMERICAN DREAM PRODUCES ANOMIE • MERTON: Pursuit of financial success is “limited only by considerations of technical expediency.” • Lombardi: Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.

14. Institutions in Society • Social institutions as the building blocks of society. • The Economy • The Polity • The Family • Education

15. Key Issue for M & R • These institutions sometimes have conflicting goals and values. • All societies can therefore be characterized by their distinctive arrangements of institutions • The U.S.? Economy Dominates: we are a “MARKET SOCIETY”

16. Indicators of Economic Dominance • Devaluation of non-economic institutional functions and roles • Accommodation to economic requirements by other social institutions • Penetration of economic norms into other social domains

17. Implications of Economic Dominance • Weak institutional controls • Family and School are handicapped in efforts to promote allegiance to social rules • Single parent families • Poorly funded schools • “Weak institutions invite challenge”

18. Culture, Social Structure, and Crime Rates CULTURE The American Dream ANOMIE SOCIAL STRUCTURE Economic Dominance Weak Institutional Controls HIGH CRIME RATES