1. Lesson 6 – Social Structure Theories Robert Wonser Introduction to Criminology Crime and Delinquency 1

2. Introduction Individual-level theories cannot easily account for crime Social structure (environment) Evaluates why some locations and groups have higher crime rates 2

3. The Legacy of Durkheim Durkheim emphasized the importance of structure Impulses held in check by Socialization Social ties Social norms 3

4. Durkheim Anomie, normlessness Periods of rapid social change Norms become less applicable Lead to higher suicide rates Low social integration 4

5. Social Disorganization and Human Ecology Society changing in the 1800s Move from rural to urban areas Changing nature of relationships Social pathology, those human actions which ran contrary to ideals of residential stability, property ownership, sobriety, thrift, habituation to work, small business enterprise, sexual discretion, family solidarity, neighborliness and discipline of the will. 5

6. Chicago School of Sociology Chicago used as a laboratory W.I. Thomas and Florian Znaniecki Social disorganization Robert E. Park and Ernest W. Burgess Human ecology - study of the relationship between humans and their natural, social, and built environments. Concentric zones 6

7. Clifford R. Shaw and Henry D. McKay Studied crime in Chicago from 1900-1933 Delinquency high in inner zones of city regardless of which immigrant group or minority lived there Delinquency decreased as one moved away from the inner city 7

8. Inner City Explanations Social disorganization created a climate where: Informal social control was weak Deviant values emerged Adolescents grow up among conflicting values Higher crime rates not due to biology or psychology 8

9. Evaluating Social Disorganization Popular theory Had numerous methodological problems Use of official records Circular reasoning Focus on poor criminals Underestimates of social organization 9

10. Social Disorganization Revival Mid-1980s Recent research uses victimization and survey data Focus on: Collective efficacy defined as social cohesion among neighbors combined with their willingness to intervene on behalf of the common good, is linked to reduced violence. This hypothesis was tested on a 1995 survey of 8782 residents of 343 neighborhoods in Chicago, Illinois. Multilevel analyses showed that a measure of collective efficacy yields a high between-neighborhood reliability and is negatively associated with variations in violence. Residential mobility 10

11. Other Ecological Work Extreme poverty Economic deprivation Concentrated disadvantage Relative deprivation Theory of deviant places It’s not “kinds of people” but “kinds of places” Neighborhood density 11

12. Anomie/Strain Theory Based on work of Durkheim, Robert K. Merton A lack of harmony (anomie) between goals and means results when too much emphasis is place on goals and/or means In America, too much emphasis on goal of economic success American Dream This emphasis results in criminality when the means are lacking Based on inability to attain societal goals, people choose a mode of adaptation 12

13. Modes of Adaptations 13

14. Evaluating Anomie/Strain Theory Questions about emphasis on poor Does not explain violent crime The role of thrill seeking Ignores link of alcohol/drugs Fails to explain one adaptation over another 14

15. Institutional Anomie Theory To achieve the American dream, people eagerly pursue economic success Key values Achievement Individualism Strain concepts focus on difference between Educational aspirations Occupational aspirations 15

16. General Strain Theory Robert Agnew Adolescent strain results not only from failure to achieve economic goals, but from failure to achieve noneconomic goals For example: destructive social relationships Negative affect states (anger) 16

17. Subcultural Theories Albert K. Cohen School Failure and delinquent subcultures Focus on lower-class boys Focus on thrills As such, delinquency does not stem from anomie 17

18. Delinquent Subcultures Cohen kept Merton’s conception of strain Goals involve making favorable impression on others and self-esteem The school experience of lower-class boys makes it difficult to achieve these goals 18

19. Delinquent Subcultures Status frustration Strain Hedonism Maliciousness 19

20. Evaluating Cohen’s Status Frustration Theory Emphasis on males New focus on gang research Only emphasized lower-class crime Linkage between schools and crime Failure to explain why some poor students do not become delinquent 20

21. Victor Rios’ youth control complex argues that the punishing arm of the state (the prison system) and the nurturing arm of the state (the education system) work together to criminalize, stigmatize, and punish young inner city boys and men. Reduce boys’ criminal involvement? Get a romantic interest, for girls, it’s the opposite. Reduce boys’ criminal involvement? Get a romantic interest, for girls, it’s the opposite. 21

22. Focal Concerns Walter B. Miller Focus on lower-class subculture The focal concerns of these children: Trouble Toughness Smartness Excitement Fate Autonomy 22

23. Evaluating Focal Concerns Received withering criticism Ignoring effect of economic deprivation Emphasis on blaming the victim Similarity of values between poor and middle-class Circular reasoning 23

24. Differential Opportunity Theory Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin Anomie/strain failed to account for selection of adaptive roles Cloward an Ohlin suggested differential access to illegitimate mean Illegitimate opportunity structure Based on neighborhoods 24

25. Differential Opportunity Neighborhood deviant activities effect Social organization Types of subculture Criminal Conflict Retreatist 25

26. Evaluation of Differential Opportunity Popular Prompted anti-poverty programs in the 1960s Gang specialization debunked Neglected Middle-class values White-collar crime 26

27. Subculture of Violence Marvin Wolfgang and Franco Ferracuti Explains high level of violence among poor, urban males Resorting to violence/aggression is socially approved to deal with certain stimuli 27

28. Evaluating the Subculture of Violence Very controversial Findings across demographic subgroups Race Urban areas Circular reasoning Growing body of research supports basic theme with more emphasis on structure 28

29. The Code of the Street Elijah Anderson Code emerges from young, urban, African-Americans’ despair and alienation “At the heart of the code is the issue of respect--loosely defined as being treated "right," or granted the deference one deserves.” “This hard reality can be traced to the profound sense of alienation from mainstream society and its institutions felt by many poor inner-city black people, particularly the young. The code of the streets is actually a cultural adaptation to a profound lack of faith in the police and the judicial system.” 29

30. Structural Theories and Gender Gender rarely studied in structural theories Males are the primary focus Economic marginality hypothesis Few subcultural areas that focus on females 30