1. Strain and Cultural Deviance Theories
Chapter 5
Strain and Cultural Deviance Theories
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2. Chapter Outline
Interconnectedness of sociological theories Anomie: Émile Durkheim Strain theory

3. Interconnectedness of Sociological Theories
Biological and psychological theories
State criminal behavior is caused by some underlying physical or mental condition that separates the criminal from the noncriminal
Sociological theories
Seek the reasons for differences in crime rates in the social environment
Strain and cultural deviance theories
Focus on the social forces that cause people to engage in criminal activity

4. Structural-Functionalist Perspective
Developed by Émile Durkheim
Believed that human conduct lies in the group and the social organization
Anomie - Breakdown of social order as a result of the loss of standards and values
Result of a sudden change that causes prosperity or depression

5. Strain Theory
Argues that all members of society subscribe to cultural values of the middle class People are law-abiding but when under great pressure will resort to crime

6. Merton’s Theory of Anomie
Emphasizes the importance of two elements in any society
Cultural aspirations or goals that people believe are worth striving for
Institutionalized means or accepted ways to attain the desired ends

7. Table 5.1 - Different Kinds of Adaptation
Merton’s Modes of Adaptation
Mode of Adaptation
Accept
Cultural Goals?
Accept Institutional
Means?
Conformity
Yes
Innovation No
Ritualism
Retreatism
Rebellion
Yes and No
SOURCE: Robert K. Merton, Social Theory and Social Structure (Free Press, 1957) p Copyright © 1957 by The Free Press. Copyright renewed © 1985 by Robert K. Merton.

8. Relationship Between Social Class and Crime
Not all persons exposed to the same problems respond in the same way Involves race, seriousness of the offense, education of family and offender, and other factors

9. Evaluation of Merton’s Theory
Neglects crime committed by middle- and upper-class people Raises the question of whether a heterogeneous society has goals on which everyone agrees

10. Institutional Imbalance and Crime
Dominance of economic institutions manifests itself in:
Devaluation of other institutions
Accommodation of other institutions to economic needs
Penetration of economic norms

11. General Strain Theory Explains the range of strain-producing events
Strain caused by failure to achieve positively valued goals
Stress caused by the removal of positively valued stimuli from the individual
Strain caused by the presentation of negative stimuli

12. Crime Prevention Strategies Based on Strain Theory
Head Start
Goal is to make children of low-income families more socially competent
Perry Preschool Project
Tried to ameliorate the disparity between goals and means in society
Job Corps
Enables neglected teenagers to master work habits

13. Cultural Deviance Theories
Claim that lower-class people have a different set of values that conflict with society’s laws
Social disorganization theory
Focuses on the development of high-crime areas in which there is a disintegration of conventional values
Caused by rapid industrialization, increased immigration, and urbanization

14. Cultural Deviance Theories (continued)
Differential association theory
Crimes are committed as a result of contact with antisocial values, attitudes, and criminal behavior patterns
Culture conflict theory
Conduct norms of some groups may clash with conventional middle-class rules

15. Findings by Shaw and McKay
Crime rates were differentially distributed throughout the city
Areas of high crime rates had high rates of other community problems
Most delinquency occurred in the areas nearest the central business district
Decreased with distance from the center

16. Findings by Shaw and McKay (continued 1)
Some areas consistently suffered high delinquency rates, regardless of the ethnic makeup of the population
High-delinquency areas were characterized by a high percentage of:
Immigrants, nonwhites, low-income families, and a low percentage of home ownership

17. Findings by Shaw and McKay (continued 2)
In high-delinquency areas there was a general acceptance of nonconventional norms
These norms competed with conventional ones held by some of the inhabitants

18. Evaluation of Social Disorganization Theory
Focuses on how crime patterns are transmitted, rather than on how they start in the first place
Fails to explain why:
Delinquents stop committing crime as they grow older
Most people in socially disorganized areas do not commit criminal acts

19. Evaluation of Social Disorganization Theory (continued)
Some bad neighborhoods seem to be insulated from crime
Approach does not consider middle-class delinquency

20. Figure 5.3 - Chicago Area Project
Source: Reprinted by permission of Chicago Area Project

21. Differential Association Theory
Introduced by Edwin Sutherland
Stated that crime is learned through social interaction
Sutherland’s propositions
Criminal behavior is learned in interaction with other persons in a process of communication

22. Differential Association Theory (continued 1)
Principal part of the learning of criminal behavior occurs within intimate personal groups
Learnings of criminal behavior
Techniques of committing the crime
Direction of motives, rationalizations, attitudes

23. Differential Association Theory (continued 2)
Direction of motives and drives is learned from definitions of the legal codes as favorable or unfavorable
Person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions favorable to violation of law over definitions unfavorable to violation of law
Differential associations may vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity

24. Differential Association Theory (continued 3)
Learning criminal behavior by association with criminal and anticriminal patterns involves mechanisms involved in any other learning
While criminal behavior is an expression of general needs and values, it is not explained by those general needs and values, since noncriminal behavior is an expression of the same needs and values

25. Evaluation of Differential Association Theory
Theory does not explain all types of crime Principles do not account for the origin of criminal techniques and definitions Theory has had an influence on criminology

26. Culture Conflict Theory
Conduct norms
Rules that reflect the attitudes of the groups to which each person belongs
Regulate individuals' daily lives
Define what is considered normal or abnormal behavior

27. Culture Conflict Theory (continued)
Different groups have different conduct norms
Norms of one group may conflict with those of another
Difference between a criminal and a noncriminal is that each responds to different sets of conduct norms