Durkheim&Merton



Durkheim&Merton

Anomie or “Strain” Theories

Emile Durkheim

French Sociologist

Suicide

Coined the Term “Anomie”: A state where institutionalized norms lost their meaning and ability to control human behavior and human needs

Mechanical vs. Organic Solidarity

Robert K. Merton

Social Structure and Anomie (1938)

From Durkheim: Institutionalized norms are weakened in societies that place an intense value on economic success

Applied this to the United States

Culturally Valued Goals

Institutionalized Means

Conflict: Means and Goals

Cultural Goal in U.S.?

This goal is universal

(The American Dream)

Institutionalized Means?

Due to the social structure in the U.S., the means are unequally distributed

Segment of society with no way to attain goal

Anomie as a Macro Level Theory

Explains the high crime rates among the lower class

Explains the high crime rates in the United States? (Means/Goal conflict)

Strain Theory (Micro)

Criticisms of Strain Theory

Is crime a “lower class” phenomena?

Cannot explain “expressive” crimes

Only “instrumental crimes”

Weak empirical support

Agnew: General Strain Theory

Overhaul of Merton’s Strain Theory

Four types of strain

Failure to achieve valued goals

Removal of valued stimuli

Can’t escape noxious stimuli

Disjuncture between expectations and aspirations

Agnew (GST)

Strain(Negative Affective States

Anger, fear, frustration, depression

In lieu of “Coping Mechanisms,” anger and frustration produce delinquency

Strain(Neg Emotional(Delinquency

Agnew (GST)

Tests of GST are more favorable

But, is it “STRAIN” or something else?

Is this theory a theory of “Strain” or a theory of “STRESS?”

ROBERT MERTON

Culture

THE “American Dream”

Social Structure

Unequal distribution of means for achieving the “American Dream”

CRIME AND THE AMERICAN DREAM

Messner and Rosenfeld

Elements of the

“American Dream”

Achievement

Individualism

Universalism

The “fetishism” of money

These elements encourage “Anomic conditions”

THE AMERICAN DREAM PRODUCES ANOMIE

MERTON: Pursuit of financial success is “limited only by considerations of technical expediency.”

Lombardi: Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.

Institutions in Society

Social institutions as the building blocks of society.

The Economy

The Polity

The Family

Education

Key Issue for M & R

These institutions sometimes have conflicting goals and values.

All societies can therefore be characterized by their distinctive arrangements of institutions

The U.S.? Economy Dominates: we are a “MARKET SOCIETY”

Indicators of Economic Dominance

Devaluation of non-economic institutional functions and roles

Accommodation to economic requirements by other social institutions

Penetration of economic norms into other social domains

Implications of Economic Dominance

Weak institutional controls

Family and School are handicapped in efforts to promote allegiance to social rules

Single parent families

Poorly funded schools

“Weak institutions invite challenge”

Culture, Social Structure, and Crime Rates

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