Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 0 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Lesson 6: Sociological Theories: Emphasis on Social Structure

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 1 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Lesson 6: Sociological, Social structure Theories Overview The legacy of Durkheim Social Disorganization and Social Ecology –The Revival of Social Disorganization Theory –Other Ecological Work Anomie and Strain theory –Evaluation of Anomie Theory –Defense and extension of anomie theory –General Strain Theory Subcultural Theories Structural Theories and Gender

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 2 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Social Structure Social environment Refers not only to the physical features of communities, but also to the way society is organized –The distribution of social and economic resources and the nature of social relationships Structural conditions “Broken Windows”

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 3 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan The Legacy of Durkheim Emile Durkheim considered deviance a normal phenomenon of all healthy societies Moral authority of society limits personal aspirations Socialization: We learn social norms of a society Social ties: Ties to family, friends, and other help socialize us and integrate into society

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 4 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Most notable application of his theory was to suicide Anomie – state of normlessness Social integration The Legacy of Durkheim

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 5 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Social Disorganization and Social Ecology Industrialization impacted communities Social pathology school faded by 1930s Social disorganization, breakdown in social bonds and social control and the accompanying confusion regarding how to behave

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 6 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Park and Burgess developed social ecology –Concentric zones Crime is a product of transitional neighborhoods that manifest social disorganization and value conflict Identifies why crime rates are highest in inner-city areas

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 7 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 8 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Clifford R. Shaw and Henry D. McKay –Influenced by Park and Burgess –Studies delinquency rates in Chicago ( ) –Ethnic and racial backgrounds of inner zone residents changed during this time –Delinquency rates fell after moving to outlying areas (away from inner zones of the city) Social Disorganization and Social Ecology

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 9 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan –Inner zones characterized by social disorganization (breakdown of norms and social bonds) –Rejected idea that crime attributable to biological or psychological deficiencies –Initiated delinquency prevention program called Chicago Area Projects (CAP) Social Disorganization and Social Ecology

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 10 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Evaluation of Social Disorganization Theory –Methodological problems –Cannot explain middle-class delinquency –Stereotyping Social Disorganization and Social Ecology

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 11 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan The Revival of Social Disorganization Theory –New research generally finds crime and victimization highest in neighborhoods with:  Low participation in voluntary organizations  Few networks of friendship ties  Low levels of community supervision of adolescents  High degrees of residential mobility, population density, single-parent homes, dilapidated housing, poverty Social Disorganization and Social Ecology

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 12 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan New research assumes social disorganization increases crime and delinquency because it weakens a neighborhood’s social relationships and thus its formal social control Social Disorganization and Social Ecology

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 13 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Other Ecological Work –Instead of looking at what’s wrong with people, what’s wrong with society –Many studies are multi-level, combine structural measures of social disorganization with individual risk factors for offending (macro and micro level factors) Social Disorganization and Social Ecology

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 14 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Extreme Poverty and Crime –Economic deprivation: extreme poverty Relative deprivation –Indirect affect of poverty on communities through social disorganization –Direct affect through continued cycle of concentrated disadvantage –Underclass –Political and economic forces Social Disorganization and Social Ecology

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 15 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Kinds of Places v. Kinds of People –Rodney Stark: something about places that sustain crime –Theory of deviant places –Proposition focusing on physical features of neighborhoods –Structural conditions that generate crime Social Disorganization and Social Ecology

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 16 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Anomie/Strain Theory Strain: Results when people’s aspirations become uncontrolled and unfulfilled Merton connected anomie to other forms of deviance (besides suicide which Durkheim studied) –Too much emphasis on economic success in U.S. –Some people cannot achieve this success

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 17 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Adaptations to Anomie Conformity: continue to accept goal and the means of working Innovation: accept the goal, but reject means of working and undertake new means Ritualism: Reject goal, but continue accepting means of working Retreatism: Reject both the goal and the means Rebellion: reject both goal and means, also try to bring about new society with different goals

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 18 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Evaluation of Anomie Theory –Criticism because of assumption that poor commit more crime than the non-poor. –Does not explain violent crimes (i.e. homicide, assault, rape) –Fails to explain why people choose one adaptation over another –Some empirical tests do not support the theory Anomie/Strain Theory

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 19 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Defense and Extension of Anomie Theory –Social class and offending supported for serious offenses –Can be extended to cover white-collar crime –Institutional anomie theory Anomie/Strain Theory

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 20 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan General Strain Theory –Developed by Robert Agnew –Broadens anomie theory’s focus beyond economic goals and success –Removal of positive stimuli –“If we treat people badly, they may get mad and engage in crime.” –Research has supported the theory Anomie/Strain Theory

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 21 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Why does strain lead to delinquency? Not all types of strain produce anger, and not all studies find that anger produces delinquency More research needed to explore whether there are gender differences Needs to be tested with urban underclass Anomie/Strain Theory

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 22 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Subcultural Theories Albert K. Cohen: School Failure and Delinquent Subcultures –Adapted anomie and reasoned that most delinquency is non-economic or non- utilitarianism –Status frustration –Two important values are hedonism and maliciousness

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 23 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Evaluation of Cohen’s theory –Overlooks middle-class delinquency –Criticized for the assumption that most delinquency is non utilitarian –Failed to explain why many boys doing poorly in school did not become delinquent Status Frustration Theory

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 24 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Walter B. Miller: Focal Concerns –Attributed failure to lower-class subculture itself; values  Trouble  Toughness  Smartness  Excitement  Fate  Autonomy Subcultural Theories

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 25 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan –Evaluation of Miller’s View His characterization of lower-class culture “blames the victim” by ignoring dire effects of economic deprivation Circular reasoning Focal Concerns

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 26 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin: Differential Opportunity Theory –Argued there is differential access to illegitimate means or illegitimate opportunity structures –Applied theory to activities of poor urban males in delinquent gangs –Evaluation:  Theory ignores middle-class delinquency Subcultural Theories

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 27 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Marvin Wolfgang and Franco Ferracuti: The Subculture of Violence –Explains high level of violence among lower- class, nonwhite and especially black, urban males –Insults lead to interpersonal conflicts and lower-class response is physical force, whereas middle-class response may be to walk away Subcultural Theories

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 28 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan –Evaluation of the theory Controversial because of racial implications Early research found urban poor disapproved of violence as much as other demographic subgroups Black males no more likely than white males to use violence A growing body of work supports Wolfgang and Ferracuti’s basic theme The Code of the Street; sociologist Elijah Anderson Subculture of Violence Theory

Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2001, 1997 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved 29 Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 5/e Steven E. Barkan Structural Theories and Gender Structural theories seem to neglect the gender issue May only explain male offending Economic marginality hypothesis Less helpful in explaining why there is less female offending than male offending