Criminology Ch. 6: Social Structure Theory

General Strain Theory

1. Strain has a variety of sources and causes crime in the absence of adequate coping mechanisms
2. Identifies the complexities of strain in modern society
3. Expands on anomie theory
4. Shows the influence of social events on behavior over the life cours

Sources of Strain

1. Failure to achieve positively valued goals
2. Disjunction of expectations and achievements
3. Removal of positively valued stimuli
4. Presentation of negative stimuli

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

1. Focal concern theory
2. Theory of delinquent subcultures
3. Theory of opportunity

Focal Concern Theory

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

Millers' Lower Class Focal Concerns

1. Trouble
2. Toughness
3. Smartness
4. Excitement
5. Fate
6. Autonomy

Theory of Delinquent Subculture

1. Status frustration of lower class boys, created by their failure to achieve middle-calls success, causes them to engage in delinquency
2. Shows how the conditions of lower class life produce crime
3. Identifies conflict of lower class with the middle c

Theory of Opportunity

1. Blockage of conventional opportunities causes lower class youths to join criminal, conflict, or retreatist gangs
2. Shows that even illegal opportunities are structured in society
3. Indicates why people become involved in a particular type of criminal

Social Structure Theories and Public Policy

1. Crime rates decrease when families receive supplemental income through public assistance programs
2. Crime reduction through the improvement of community structure

Social Structure Theory

The view that disadvantaged economic class is a primary cause of crime