In these works, anomie, which refers to a widespread lack of. General strain theory of delinquency international journal of. Robert agnew developed his general strain theory gst in 1992, and it has since become the leading version of strain theory and one of the major theories of. General strain theory gst argues that strains or stressors increase the likelihood of negative emotions like anger and frustration. Community, strain, and delinquency western society of criminology. First, african american women were more likely to report strains related to physical health, interpersonal relations, gender roles in the family, and less likely to. One could also frame the black lives matter movement and protests against police violence as examples of strain induced rebellion.
When an individual in a society cannot achieve culturally approved goal via culturally approved ways, it can be stressful for him and may leads to deviant behavior. Extending general strain theory robert agnew emory university timothy brezina tulane university john paul wright francis t. Although the theory has been examined by many and enjoys empirical. Strain theories strain theories state that certain strains or stressors increase the likelihood of crime. Strain theory best applies only to the lower class as they struggle with limited resources to obtain their goals. While durkheims concept of anomie was rather vague, merton explains the idea in quite a detailed way. Strain theory argues that crime occurs when there arent enough legitimate opportunities for people to achieve the normal success goals of a society. Strain theory, in sociology, proposal that pressure derived from social factors, such as lack of income or lack of quality education, drives individuals to commit crime. Offering examples of previous integration efforts, we maintain that mertons theoretical model can benefit from the input of. Merton harvard university t here persists a notable tendency in sociological theory to attribute the malfunctioning of social structure primarily to those of mans imperious biological drives which are not adequately restrained by social control. Originating in the tradition of classical sociology durkheim, merton, anomie theory posits how broad social conditions influence deviant behavior and crime. While the structuralmacro version of general strain theory agnew 1999 was not explicitly advanced as a multilevel explanation of the effect of strain on crime, this.
General strain theory and whitecollar crime springerlink. Control balance theoryprovocations make one aware of control imbalances, which ultimately result in violence. Norms and accepted goals place pressure on societies members. Jock young draws on mertons anomiestrain theory in his recent book, the exclusive society 1999, locating crime in relation to both structural and cultural processes. Prior to agnews revision of strain theory, strain theory could not explain crimes such as domestic abuse, sexual assault, and drug use as those crimes are not means to achieve an economic goal. General strain theory gst is a part of the social structure theories of crime, which fit the positivist mode in that they contend that these social forces push or influence people to commit. Furthermore, to explain all crime, rather than just economic crimes among the lower class, agnew expanded upon mertons definition of strain. Strain theories state that certain strains or stressors lead to negative emotions, which create pressure for corrective action.
Any crime for profit would be an example of innovation. This article draws on general strain theory gst to develop and test a model of the childhood abusecrime relationship. These types of strain can insinuate social structures within society that then pressure citizens to become criminals. Strain theory is a sociological theory that tries to explain why people may be drawn to delinquency or crime. Have you ever had an event occur that you described as a selffulfilling prophecy. Despite continued increase in research on general strain theory gst, previous studies on the relationship between gst and other. In such a situation there is a strain between the goals and the means to achieve those goals, and some people turn to crime in order to achieve success. In criminology, the strain theory describes social structures inside society that may support people to carry out crime. General strain theory was tested by examining the relationship among strain, anger, negative emotions, legitimate coping, and criminaldeviance outcomes. Agnew explained that an individuals coping strategy is the determining factor of whether or not. Tests of general strain theory agnew, 1992 have focused primarily on the relationship between strain and crime, ignoring the intervening role of negative emotions and legitimate coping strategies. Deviance becomes crime when it is designated by the institutions of society as violating such a law or laws. However, not all individuals who experienced strain responded in criminal or.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. While gst can help make sense of the peak in crime and deviant activity in adolescence for many offenders, it can also be used to explain persistence versus desistance from crime in young adulthood. General strain theory gst provides a unique explanation of crime and delinquency. Apr 10, 20 mertons strain theory works well to explain why disadvantaged classes of individuals commit crime, but however the theory cannot be applied to the general population.
Anomie and strain theories have a long history in sociology and criminology and have surged and waned in popularity. The french sociologist emile durkheim was the first to discuss the concept of anomie as an analytical tool in his 1890s seminal works of sociological theory and method. Crime and deviance crime is a type of deviant behavior, but not all deviant behavior would be called crime. Gst attempted to merge the revised theory with prior strain theories, and it drew heavily on the stress, emotions and justice literatures. Journal of research in crime and delinquencyagnew general. Argue that people engage in deviant behaviour when they cannot achieve goals by appropriate means robert k merton developed the first strain theory in 1938 it have two key elements. Discuss how the strain theory explains criminal behavior.
The difficulty of empirically defining and measuring concepts like social success. In the first section, strain theory is distinguished from social control and differential associationsocial learning theory. Feminist theorythe inability to accomplish gender through legitimate channels may result in violence under specific provocations. Robert merton a sociologist who coined strain theory believed that people were placed on established paths in order to be successful in society. Anomie is the lack of a social or an ethical norm within an individual or group. This paper presents a general strain theory of crime and delinquency that is capable of overcoming the criticisms of previous strain theories. Oct 22, 2003 we contend that scholars who are critical of strain theory should not automatically discard mertons anomie theory, because the perspective of anomie is compatible with several other theories of crime and delinquency.
Jock young draws on mertons anomie strain theory in his recent book, the exclusive society 1999, locating crime in relation to both structural and cultural processes. Discuss how robert mertons strain theory fits into the functionalist theory of deviance and crime. Amasya phd gokhan koca aksaray abstract extending the studies of merton 1938. Aside from the kind of specific weaknesses weve just noted, traditional strain theory has some important general features that provide a valuable contribution to. Anomie theory oxford research encyclopedia of criminology. While mertons theory was based on 20 th century america, it is transferable to any contemporary, western, developed capitalist society. Despite the plethora of international research supporting anomie and strain theories, comparatively few studies have examined the impact of anomie and strain on crime and delinquency within an australian or new zealand context. Robert k mertons strain theory explained sociology. Merton modified durkheim concept of anomie to develop his theory. Oct 18, 2019 the discussion of strain theory extends beyond crimes of acquisition. Agnews general strain theory 3 failed to explain, not all individuals resort to crime to cope with their negative emotional states. Merton who, in his discussion of deviance, proposed a typology of deviant behavior.
The contribution of social psychological strain theory to the explanation of crime and delinquency. The ideas underlying strain theory were first advanced in the 1930s by american sociologist robert k. The first type encom passes most of the major strain theories in criminology, including the classic strain theories of merton, a. Our values, beliefs, goals, and identities are developed in the cultural realm. Gender differences in strain, negative emotions, and. Apr 16, 2016 the continuing relevance of strain theory. When the social atmosphere changed and the crime rate peaked towards the end of the. A general strain theory of terrorism robert agnew, 2010.
These theories have also been criticized because they cannot ex plain the fact that most delinquents abandon crime in late adolescence. Street youth, strain theory, and crime sciencedirect. There were several attempts to revise strain theory, most arguing that crime may result from the inability to achieve a range of goalsnot just monetary success or middleclass status. This general theory, it will be argued, is capa ble of overcoming the theoretical and empirical criticisms of previous strain theories and of complementing the crime. Mertons strain theory is an important contribution to the study of crime and deviance in the 1940s it helped to explain why crime continued to exist in countries, such as america, which were experiencing increasing economic growth and wealth. It is therefore crucial that gst more precisely specify the types of strain most likely to lead to crime and delinquency. Strain theory was developed by robert king merton in 1957, which states that, social structure of society compel an individual to commit crime. Publications national criminal justice reference service. By integrating genderspecific theory with general strain theory gst, this dissertation provides an explanation of female crime and the gender gap in crime. The following sections will discuss previous and traditional criminology strain theories, agnews development and discussion of the basic principles of general strain theory, and the theoretical linkages between gst and delinquency. In contrast to control and learning theories, gst focuses explicitly on negative treatment by others and is the only major theory of crime and delinquency to highlight the role of negative emotions in the etiology of offending. Cohen, richard cloward and lloyd ohlin, robert agnew, and steven messner and richard rosenfeld. Microlevel social psychological perspective on strain theory referred to as general strain theory gst broadens the concept of strain to encompass several sources of stress or strain crime and delinquency are adaptations to stress, we the source of that stress key premise. These emotions create pressure for corrective action, and crime is one possible response agnew 1992.
Using data from the national longitudinal study of. Women are much less involved in crime than men and are involved with different types of crimes. Following the work of emile durkheim, strain theories have been supported by robert king merton, albert k. Whether the unjust situation is a result of their own actions or hundreds of years of systematic oppression, a. General strain theory gst agnew, 1992, 2001, 2006a is an established criminological theory. Mertons strain theory works well to explain why disadvantaged classes of individuals commit crime, but however the theory cannot be applied to the general population. Pdf strain theories state that certain strains or stressors lead to negative emotions, which create pressure for corrective action. Aside from the kind of specific weaknesses weve just noted, traditional strain theory has some important. Anomiestrain theory chapter 4 anomiestrain theory sage. Agnews modification of the definition of strain enabled strain theory to explain any type of crime rather than strictly financial crimes. An examination of robert agnews general strain theory. Depending upon the type of stress they encounter, there is a greater likelihood that certain individuals may choose to commit a crime.
Using a sample of homeless street youth, this research examines how specific forms of strainemotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, homelessness and being a victim of robbery, violence or theft, relative deprivation, monetary dissatisfaction and unemploymentlead to crime and drug use. The ones marked may be different from the article in the profile. Strain theories are among the dominant explanations of crime, and, as discussed in this research paper, certain strain theories have had a major impact on efforts to control crime. Robert agnew developed the general strain theory, sometimes referred to as gst, in 1992. Merton asserted that societies are composed of two core aspects. This research paper describes a the types of strain most conducive to crime, b why strains increase the likelihood of crime. There have been several attempts to modify strain theory in order to generalize it and the most important of these modern strain theories is robert agnews general strain theory.
Strain theory fails to explain white collar crime, the perpetrator of whom have many opportunities to achieve through legal and legitimate means. Crime is one possible response, especially when people lack the ability to cope in a legal manner. General strain theory gst is usually tested by examining the effect of strain on crime. Agnews general strain theory university of illinois springfield. This paper applies general strain theory gst to the explanation of whitecollar crime, including a occupational crimes committed by higher class individuals, b economic offenses such as fraud and embezzlement, which are committed by lower as well as higher class individuals, and c. Criminology exam 2 agnew general strain theory quizlet. According to the theory, some crime may be linked to the presence of anger and frustration that is created by societal or personal strain.
If so, then at some level, you have become familiar with the anomie and strain theory. The theory holds that individuals will turn to a life of crime when they are strained, or when they are unable to achieve the goals of the society, whether power, finance, or some other desirable goal. While the revised theory attracted some attention in and of itself, it was important largely because it laid the foundation for my general strain theory gst of crime and delinquency agnew 1992, 2007. African americans currently and historically have demonstrated against social injustice to get lawmakers to enact legislation that more evenly. Merton crime and deviance is a consequence of a poor. Criminology is the study of crime from a scientific perspective. Reflection on a revised strain theory of delinquency.
Critically evaluate strain theory and the functionalist theory of deviance and crime from the perspective of conflict, feminist and symbolic interactionist theories. The premise of strain theory is that a something or someone in a persons life is causing the strain that leads them to commit a crime in order to alleviate that strain agnew, 2001. Crime and social structure social strain theories social disorganization durkheims anomie theory mertons strain theory agnews general strain theory subculture theories overview of subculture theories sellins culture conflict theory cohens subculture of delinquency. This cited by count includes citations to the following articles in scholar. Using several adaptations of strain theory he clarifies his argument. The difficulty the theory has in explaining noneconomic forms of crime. Sep 01, 2012 while the revised theory attracted some attention in and of itself, it was important largely because it laid the foundation for my general strain theory gst of crime and delinquency agnew 1992, 2007. Mertons strain theory argued deviation from social norms is a result of the strain a person feels when theyre unable to achieve legitimately legally. Social strain theory was developed by famed american sociologist robert k. These strains involve the inability to achieve ones goals e. Foundation for a general strain theory of crime and delinquency.
Merton believed that social structure rather than culture was the main problem for juvenile delinquents association with crime. Strain theory is different from social control and social learning theory in its specification of the type of social relationship that leads to delinquency and the motivation for delinquency. General strain theory, persistence, and desistance from crime. Crime is one possible response, especially when people lack the. Ncjrs abstract national criminal justice reference service. Cullen university of cincinnati although agnews 1992 general strain theory gst has secured a fair degree of support since its introduction, researchers have had. Previous research on strain theory has assumed that strain was a direct cause of crime and delinquency. We contend that scholars who are critical of strain theory should not automatically discard mertons anomie theory, because the perspective of anomie is compatible with several other theories of crime and delinquency. General strain theory oxford research encyclopedia of. Strain may also be individual, which refers to the frictions and pains experienced by an individual as he or she looks for ways to satisfy individual needs. Criticisms of previous and traditional strain theories, however, will be. While strain theory served to stimulate research, it generally produced weak results. There is always a new measure that might salvage the theory p. Strain theory fails to explain crimes based in gender inequality.
Strain theorynegative personal treatment may result in crime or violence. Strain theory of crime this paper will seek to examine how strain theory explains the cause of crime in society. The theory recognizes that people in society are placed under several different forms of stress. Applying strain theory to the crime epidemic in chicago. Start studying criminology exam 2 agnew general strain theory. Strain theories argue that strains or stressors are a major cause of crime. A revised strain theory of delinquency oxford academic journals. Foundation for a general strain theory of crime and semantic scholar. In short, strain theory posits that the cultural values and social structures of society put pressure on individual citizens to commit crime.
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