Social Structure Theory: Because They’re Poor Chapter Six: Social Structure Theory: Because They’re Poor

Economics and Crime Social structure theorists suggest that social and economic forces operating in deteriorated lower class areas push many of their residents into criminal behavior patterns A disadvantaged economic class position is a primary cause of crime

Social Structure Theories Social disorganization theory Strain theory Cultural deviance theory

1. Social Disorganization Theory breakdown of institutions such as the family, school, and employment in inner-city neighborhoods They lose control and then there is disorganization.

Concentric Zones Theory Shaw & McKay 1920s & 1930s transitional neighborhoods that manifest social disorganization and value conflict Identifies why crime rates are highest in inner-city areas Points out the factors that produce crime Suggests programs to help reduce crime

Social Ecology Theory The conflicts and problems of urban social life and communities, including fear, unemployment, deterioration, and siege mentality, influence crime rates Accounts for urban crime rates and trends

Concentration effect ~ as working and middle-class families flee inner-city poverty areas, the most disadvantaged population is consolidated in urban ghettos Collective efficacy ~ social control exerted by cohesive communities, based on mutual trust; social control may be informal, institutional, or public

2. Strain Theory Branch of social structure theory that sees crime as a function of the conflict between people’s goals and the means available to obtain these goals

Anomie Theory People who adopt the goals of society but lack the means to attain them seek alternatives such as crime Points out how competition for success creates conflict and crime Suggests that social conditions, not personality, can account for crime Explains high lower class crime rates

Merton’s Variety of Social Adaptations Goals Means conformity + + innovation + - ritualism - + retreatism - - rebellion +- +-

Institutional Anomie Theory Material goods pervade all aspects of American life Explains why crime rates are so high in American culture Schools, Churches, Business, Media

How Social Institutions are Undermined Non-economic functions and roles have been devalued During conflict, non-economic roles become subordinate and accommodate economic roles Economic language, standards, and norms penetrate non-economic realms

Relative Deprivation Theory Crime occurs when the wealthy and poor live close to one another Explains high crime rates in deteriorated inner-city areas located near more affluent neighborhoods

Agnew’s General Strain Theory Strain has a variety of sources and causes crime in the absence of adequate coping mechanisms Identifies the complexities of strain in modern society Expands on anomie theory Shows the influence of social events on behavior over the life course Explains middle-class crimes

4 Sources of Strain Failure to achieve positively valued goals Disjunction of expectations and achievements Removal of positively valued stimuli Presentation of negative stimuli

3. Cultural Deviance Theory Branch of social structure theory that sees strain and social disorganization together resulting in a unique lower class culture that conflicts with conventional social norms Types of cultural deviance theory: Focal concern theory Theory of delinquent subcultures Theory of opportunity

Focal Concern Theory Citizens who obey the street rules of lower class life (focal concerns) find themselves in conflict with the dominant culture Identifies the core values of lower class culture and shows their association to crime

Millers’ Lower Class Focal Concerns Trouble Toughness Smartness Excitement Fate Autonomy

Theory of Delinquent Subcultures Status frustration of lower class boys, created by their failure to achieve middle-class success, causes them to engage in delinquency Shows how the conditions of lower class life produce crime Identifies conflict of lower class with the middle class

Theory of Opportunity Blockage of conventional opportunities causes lower class youths to join criminal, conflict, or retreatist gangs Shows that even illegal opportunities are structured in society Indicates why people become involved in a particular type of criminal activity Presents a way of preventing crime

Social Structure Theories and Public Policy Crime rates decrease when families receive supplemental income through public assistance programs Crime reduction through the improvement of community structure