Theories of Juvenile Delinquency: Social Structure

Social Stratification

• economic
• political
• prestige

Question: Do we assume that these three forms correlate highly statistically?

Question: Do you think there is a causal relationship between them?

Three interrelated Approaches:

Social Disorganization

Strain Theory

Cultural Deviance

=> Strain and Social Disorganization lead to Cultural Deviance

I. Social Disorganization Theories

A) Social Disorganization

Chicago early 1900

Shaw & McKay

Broke with the tradition of biological inferiority of criminals

• deteriorating neighborhoods
• inadequate social control
• law violations

II. Strain Theories

Merton’s Approach

Why can’t we simply follow the norms?

Answer: Social Structure is in our way.

Culture:

• determines norms about goals and means

• determines expectations or aspiration levels

Structure: restricts goal achievement and access to means

Frustration: If social structure hinders us to achieve cultural goals

Anomie: Erosion of norms due to the inability to follow them

Crime is caused by frustration and anomie

Merton modified Durkheim’s concept of anomie

Durkheim: Anomie = normlessness

Merton:  Anomie: when accepted norms conflict with social reality.

·     This leads to strain

·     This is an erosion of norms due to the inability to follow them.

Merton develops a topology on means and goals.

Merton’s Topology of Modes of Individual Adaptation

·      What is adaptation? => relevant to Functionalism

·      How does and individual adapt to a society?

Find examples for each mode of adaptation.

Strain Theories are based on Robert Merton’s Work of 1957. Cultural Deviance Theory (Cohen 1955) are integrated.

A) Relative Deprivation (Judith and Peter Blau 1982)

·     

B) General Strain Theory (Robert Agnew)

Four Sources of Strain:

·     Failure to achieve Goals

·     Disjunction of expectations and achievements

·     Removal of positively evaluated stimuli from the individual

·     Presentation of negative stimuli

Each type of strain increases the likelihood of negative emotions: fear and anger

Violence and aggression become justified.

C) Institutional Anomie Theory

1. Noneconomic functions have been devalued

2. When economic and noneconomic functions compete, noneconomic functions become subordinate.

Economic standards and norms penetrate into noneconomic realms

3. "greed and materialism have developed a cultlike status"

Interconnecting Social Disorganization, Strain and Cultural Deviance Theories

Social Disorganization

·      Economically deprived areas loose their abilities of social control

Strain Theories

·      Lower class youth have similar goals as middle and upper-class youth, but lack the means to achieve these goals.

·      This inability causes rage and frustration.

·      To escape these feelings lower class youth will search for illegitimate means to achieve the goals they share with mainstream society

Cultural Deviance theories

·      Independent subculture might not only replace the means to achieve goals they share with the mainstream culture (Stain Theory), they might even create their own norms and goals.

Culture of Poverty

Look at the dirt and garbage in poor neighborhoods

• Example of the North Overton Neighborhood in Lubbock

Is it the economic stratification that creates such circumstances?

The poverty line is at approx. $15,000 for a family of four.

• How many of you live in poverty?
• Do you plan a robbery after class to get money?
• Do the ones of you who live in poverty receive Medicaid?

Questions:

• What happens to relative deprivation once a subculture is formed?
• Do we feel more or less relative deprivation once we are accepted in a gang?
• Who are the people we compare ourselves to?

Question:

• What happens to anomie (strain theory) once a subculture is formed?
• Do we still have normlessness (Durkheims’ concept of anomie) within a gang?
• Do we still experience the erosion of norms due to the inability to follow them (Merton’s concept of anomie)?