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STRAIN THEORIES (MERTON (DEVIANT ADAPTIONS TO STRAIN (THERE ARE FIVE…
STRAIN THEORIES
MERTON
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S= MESSNER AND ROSENFIELD INSITUTIONAL ANOMIE THEORY FOCUSES ON THE AMERICAN DREAM. THEY ARGUE THAT ITS OBESSESSION WITH MONEY SUCESS EXERTS PRESSURE TOWARDS CRIME BY ENCOURAGING AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO ADOPT AN 'ANYTHING GOES MENTALITY TO PURSUIT WEALTH
C= IT ONLY ACCOUNTS FOR UTILITARIAN CRIME FOR MONETARY GAIN AND NOT CRIMES OF VIOLENCE, VANDALISM (ETC) // MERTON'S THEORY EXPLAINS HOW DEVIANCE RESULTS FROM INDIVIDUAL'S ADAPTIONS TO THE STRAIN OF ANOMIE BUT IGNORES THE ROLE OF GROUPS DEVIANCE
CLOWARD AND OHLIN
THREE SUBCULTURES
CLOWARD AND OHLIN AGREE WITH MERTON THAT WORKING CLASS YOUTHS ARE DEINED LEGITIMATE OPPORTUNTIES TO ACHIEVE 'MONEY SUCCESS' AND THAT THEIR DEVIANCE STEMS FROM THE WAY THEY RESPOND TO SITUATIONS
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DRAWING ON THE IDEAS OF CHICAGO SCHOOL, THEY ARGUE THAT DIFFERENT NEIGHBOURHOODS PROVIDE DIFFERENT ILLEGITIMATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO LEARN CRIMINAL SKILLS AND DEVELOP CRIMINAL CAREERS
CRIMINAL SUBCULTURES = PROVIDE YOUTHS WITH AN APPRENTICESHIP FOR A CAREER IN UTILITARIAN CRIME. THEY ARISE IN NEIGHBOURHOODS WITH LONGSTANDING AND STABLE CRIMINAL CULTURE
RETREATIST SUBCULTURE = MANY PEOPLE TURN TO THIS BASED ON ILLEGAL DRUG USE. THEY ARISE IN ANY NEIGHBOURHOODS
CONFLICT SUBCULTURE = VIOLENCE PROVIDES A RELASE FOR MEN'S FRUSTRATION AT THEIR BLOCKED OPPORTUNITIES. THEY ARISE IN AREAS OF HIGH POPULATION TURNOVER
C = THEY EXAGGERATE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE THREE TYPES OF SUBCULTURE, AS THERE IS AN OVERLAP BETWEEN THEM
EG - UTILITARIAN CRIME FEATURES IN ALL THREE SUBCULTURES // CRIMINAL SUBCULTURES MAY INVOLVE DRUG DEALING
S = THEIR RESEARCH IS HELPFUL AS IT GIVES AN INSIGHT INTO WHY WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY MAY TAKE DIFFERENT FORMS IN DIFFERENT SOCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
RECENT STRAIN THEORIES
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C = CONTROL THEORISTS (HIRSCHI) ARGUES THAT PEOPLE WOULDN'T COMMIT CRIME IF THE FOUR SOCIAL BONDS - COMMITMENT, ATTACHEMENT, INVOLVEMENT AND BELIEFS - ARE IN PLACE AS THEY PULL PEOPLE AWAY FROM CRIME AND TOWARDS CONFORMITY
COHEN
STATUS FRUSTATION
COHEN ARGUES THAT DEVIANCE IS LARGELY A LOWER CLASS PHENOMENON, WHICH RESULTS FROM THE INABILITY OF THOSE IN THE LOWER CLASS TO ACHIEVE MAINSTREAM GOALS BY LEGITIMATE MEANS
S = COHEN'S THEORY HELPS TO EXPLAIN WORKING CLASS DELINQUENCY AS A GROUP RESPONSE RATHER THAN BEING A FOCUS ON INDIVIDUALS
WORKING CLASS BOYS SUFFER FROM CULTURAL DEPRIVATION AND THE LACK OF SKILLS TO ACHIEVE. THEIR INABILITY TO SUCEED IN THE MIDDLE CLASS WORLD LEAVES THEM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OFFICIAL STATUS HIERARCHY
AS A RESULT OF BEING UNABLE TO ACHIEVE STATUS BY LEGITIMATE MEANS THE BOYS SUFFER STATUS FRUSTRATION. THEY RESOLVE THIS BY REJECTING MAINSTREAM MIDDLE CLAS VALUES AND TURN TO OTHER BOYS IN THE SAME SITUATION FORMING / JOINING A DELINQUENT SUBCULTURE
C = COHEN MAKES ASSUMPTIONS THAT YOUNG WORKING CLASS DELINQUENTS ACCEPT THE MAINSTREAM VALUES AS SUPERIOR AND DESIRABLE AND ONLY DEVELOPS DELINQUENT VALUES ONLY AS A REACTION TO WHAT THEY CANT ACHIEVE
MILLER ARGUES ITS FALSE TO SUGGEST THAT LOWER WORKING CLASS DELINQUENTS REJECT MAINSTREAM VALUES AS THE LOWER WORKING CLASS HAS ALWAYS HAD ITS OWN INDEPENDENT SUBCULTURE