Durkheim&Merton



Durkheim&Merton

Anomie or “Strain” Theories

Emile Durkheim

French Sociologist

Suicide

Coined the Term “Anomie”:

When “institutionalized norms” lose their meaning and ability to control human behavior and 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

Anomie -- Macro Level

The “road not taken”

Explanation of high crime rates in the United States?

Follows close to Durkheim

Gist = Unrestrained American capitalism and fetish with money creates anomie

Picked up by Messner and Rosenfeld

Strain Theory--Anomie at the Micro Level

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 b/c they lack means

Strain Theory (Micro)

Support for Micro Strain Theory

Typically tested as the disjuncture between educational or economic “aspirations” and “expectations”

Little empirical support for this

Delinquents tend to have low expectations and aspirations

More recent tests have found some weak support

Criticisms of Merton and “Strain” Theory

Is crime a “lower class” phenomena?

Why ritualist vs. innovator?

Cannot explain “expressive” crimes

Weak empirical support

Hirschi = “Oversocialized Man”

Exam I Review

Evaluating Theories

Know Criteria

Know which are most important

Be able to apply them to the theories that we’ve discussed

Deterrence Theory

Roots

Specific vs. General

Macro vs. Micro

How would you measure the concepts at both the micro and macro level?

Empirical Support and Policy Implications

Rational Choice / Opportunity

Don’t memorize Cornish and Clarke

Focus more on Deterrence theory

Important only as an example of a RCT that goes beyond “pure utility”

Why criticize if theorists go beyond “pure utility” or “pure deterrence?”

Routine Activity Theory

Social Learning Theory

Focus on the Sutherland--Akers tradition.

Basic concepts of each(model for Akers)

How Akers modified Differential Association

Policy implications and empirical support

Measures and criticism of the measures

Gerald Patterson

Know the theory (diagram)

Policy Implications

Is he a control or learning theorist?

Control Theories

Early control theories

Nye, Reckless

Hirschi (1969)

Social Bond Theory

Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990)

The General Theory

Hirschi (1969)

How criticize early control theories?

Assumptions about human nature

Elements of the bond

Empirical Support

Policy Implications

Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990)

Nature of crime, nature of criminals

Causes of low self-control

Consequences of low self-control

Description of low self-control

Policy Implications / Empirical Support

Social Bond vs. General Theory

Similarities and Differences

Pirate Variables

Sykes and Matza’s Techniques of Neutralization

Criminal Parents, Criminal Peers

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