2. The Concept of
Anomie
The idea of anomie means the lack of
normal ethical or social standards. This
concept first emerged in 1893, with
French sociologist Emile Durkheim
According to Durkheim, an anomic
society is one in which rules of
behavior (values, customs, and norms)
have broken down or become
inoperative during periods of rapid
social change or social crisis such as
war or famine
3. Anomie and Suicide
In the book ‘Suicide’ Durkheim linked anomic suicide to disillusionment and
disappointment. Durkheim defined the term anomie as a condition where
social and also moral norms are confused, unclear, or simply not present.
Durkheim also felt that lack of norms led to deviant behavior.
Durkheim hypothesized that, as an expression of suffering, societies and
groups experience an increase in suicide rates.
4. Strain model
It is defined as the deformation to external loading.
Strain theory is a sociology and criminology theory developed in 1938 by
Robert K. Merton. The theory states that society puts pressure on individuals
to achieve socially accepted goals , though they lack the means. This leads to
strain which may lead the individuals to commit crimes.
examples being selling drugs or becoming involved in prostitution, to gain
financial security
5. Causes of Stress
Failure to achieve positively valued goals.
Disjunction of expectations and achievements.
Removal of positively valued stimuli.
Presentation of negative stimuli
6. Types of Strain
Structural: this refers to the processes at the societal level which filter down
and affect how the individual perceives his or her needs. if particular social
structures are inherently inadequate or there is inadequate regulation, this
may change the individual's perceptions as to means and opportunities.
Individual: this refers to the frictions and pains experienced by an individual
as he or she looks for ways to satisfy his or her needs. if the goals of a society
become significant to an individual, actually achieving them may become
more important than the means adopted.
7. Sources of Strain (Seigel,2010)
There are various sources of strain:
Social sources of strain
Community sources of strain
Strain and criminal careers.
8. The Basic components of Strain Theory
Poverty
Maintenance of conventional rules and norms
Strain
Formation of gangs and groups
Crime and delinquency
Criminal careers
9. Robert K.
Merton
He was an American sociologist.
He is considered a founding father of
modern sociology.
Theories:
1. Middle range theory
2. Strain Theory
3. Dysfunctions
Books:
1. Social Theory and Social Structure
(1949)
2. The Sociology of Science (1973)
3. Sociological Ambivalence (1976)
4. On the Shoulders of Giants: (1985)
5. On Social Structure and Science
(1996)
10. Merton’s Theory of Anomie
Merton argued that in a class-oriented society, opportunities to get to the top
are not equally distributed.
He emphasized the importance of two elements in any society.
1. Cultural goals
2. Institutionalized means or ways
12. Merton's theory and United States.
The success inherent in money and material wealth for America.
They are expected to gain the goal through legitimate means that is
education and hard work.
Poverty, discrimination and inequality blocked opportunities for many
individuals like black people. As a result people try to achieve their goal
through illegal way. Most crime in America is property crime because material
wealth is so valued by American society.
13. Criticism of Merton's strain theory
Strain theory has received several criticisms, such as:
Merton does not explain crime which does not have a financial profit
Merton deals with individuals forms of responses instead of group activity
which crime involves
Ignores ruling class power to create and enforce laws to prevent the deviant
adaptations(innovations, ritualism, retreatism and rebellion)
Crime statistics are used at "face value" - It only provides a very small
viewpoint of genuine crime and fails to account for crime that remains
unrecorded, primarily corporate crimes which go unnoticed
His argument is incredibly deterministic - he assumes that anyone under
strain will essentially fit into an adaptation, but large amounts of people face
strain and still manage to cope with it.
14. Criticism of Merton's Strain Theory
No solution is essentially offered. Merton doesn't state how society can reduce
strain, how a form of collective conscience/value consensus can be altered so
that strain doesn't occur or whether societies should even have a shared set
of goals to aspire to wealth like the American Dream.
15. Albert K. Cohen
American criminologist
Theory:
Subcultural Theory of delinquent urban gangs.
Book:
1.Delinquent Boys: Culture of the Gang.
16. Cohen's Theory
Gang delinquency is an attempt on the part of juveniles to acquire status
among the delinquent peers. These gangs are the subculture of a society.
Robert K. Cohen concluded that most delinquent behavior occurred in gangs
and most of them were non- utilitarian, malicious and negativistic.
Strain is most pronounced upon the youth. Strain causes crime to our society
17. Cohen's Theory
Cohen termed two ideologies:
Status Frustration
Status frustration is directed mainly to the young people of lower classes. There
is no parallel between their own social realities and the rest of society's promoted
goals. They become frustrated at the disadvantages and inequalities that they face,
and this leads to Cohen's second principle; reaction formation.
Reaction formation
Reaction formation is the reaction from status frustration, and the young men of the
lower classes find themselves replacing their society's norms and values with
alternative ones.
18. Cohen's Theory Cont.…
At school disparity between working class and middle class is brought into
focused.
Students having ascribed status are valuable to teachers and administrators in
the school. Alternatively having no ascribed status, students are placed under
a severe strain.
They remain in lower class status with lower values or develop a new value
structure by which they try to raise their status. As a result lower class
children join in delinquent gang.
19. Cohen's Theory Cont.…
Strain causes for being failure at gaining status not for material wealth.
Failing to achieve status, the youths are left with 'status frustration' where
they suffer a 'problem of adjustment' caused by failure at school. This
problem has been solved by the delinquent subculture.
Cohen saw the gang delinquency as non- utilitarian. He also include that
serious delinquents commit crime for money. They generally crime for "fast
cars, fancy clothes, swell dames," and others.
20. Cohen's Theory Cont.…
Cloward include that , Those who can not reached at goal with gang and
whose successes are obstructed due to lack of legitimate opportunities, drop
out and turn to alcohol and drugs.
21. Criticism of Cohen's Theory
A weak spot in Cohen's theory is that he assumes that these mainstream goals are deemed to be
desirable and greatly accepted by working-class youths and that there delinquent behavior is a
response to the goals they cannot achieve.
Miller (1962) argues against this and suggests that the working-class have always had their own
independent culture, and so they are neither rejecting mainstream values nor wanting revenge
against society's goals, as they have never lived by or held them.
Matza's (1964) study on delinquency found that most young people were not committed to
delinquent values and instead accepted society's aims but drifted in and out of delinquency rather
than showing commitment to the norms and values.
Cohen's theory does though explain working-class delinquency as a group response and not just as
individual's behavior, as with Merton's theory. Paul Willis (1979) argued that the creation of deviant
sub-cultures amongst working class boys was not simply a response to such things as status denial.
Such sub-cultures also represented an organized, realistic, attempt to come to terms with a wider
cultural world that had already, by the time they had entered secondary school, earmarked the
boys in Willis's study as "failures”.