Sociological Theories - Criminology - Lecture Slides, Slides of Sociology of Crime and Punishment

Download Sociological Theories - Criminology - Lecture Slides and more Slides Sociology of Crime and Punishment in PDF only on Docsity! Sociological Theories: Emphasis on Social Structure Docsity.com Lesson 6: Sociological, Social structure Theories Overview • The legacy of Durkheim • Social Disorganization and Social Ecology – The Revival of Social Disorganization Theory – Other Ecological Work • Anomie and Strain theory – Evaluation of Anomie Theory – Defense and extension of anomie theory – General Strain Theory • Subcultural Theories • Structural Theories and Gender Docsity.com The Legacy of Durkheim • Most notable application of his theory was to suicide • Anomie – state of normlessness • Social integration Docsity.com Social Disorganization and Social Ecology • Industrialization impacted communities • Social pathology school faded by 1930s • Social disorganization, breakdown in social bonds and social control and the accompanying confusion regarding how to behave Docsity.com • Park and Burgess developed social ecology – Concentric zones • Crime is a product of transitional neighborhoods that manifest social disorganization and value conflict • Identifies why crime rates are highest in inner-city areas Docsity.com Social Disorganization and Social Ecology – Inner zones characterized by social disorganization (breakdown of norms and social bonds) – Rejected idea that crime attributable to biological or psychological deficiencies – Initiated delinquency prevention program called Chicago Area Projects (CAP) Docsity.com Social Disorganization and Social Ecology • Evaluation of Social Disorganization Theory – Methodological problems – Cannot explain middle-class delinquency – Stereotyping Docsity.com Social Disorganization and Social Ecology • The Revival of Social Disorganization Theory – New research generally finds crime and victimization highest in neighborhoods with: Low participation in voluntary organizations Few networks of friendship ties Low levels of community supervision of adolescents High degrees of residential mobility, population density, single-parent homes, dilapidated housing, poverty Docsity.com Social Disorganization and Social Ecology • Extreme Poverty and Crime – Economic deprivation: extreme poverty • Relative deprivation – Indirect affect of poverty on communities through social disorganization – Direct affect through continued cycle of concentrated disadvantage – Underclass – Political and economic forces Docsity.com Social Disorganization and Social Ecology • Kinds of Places v. Kinds of People – Rodney Stark: something about places that sustain crime – Theory of deviant places – Proposition focusing on physical features of neighborhoods – Structural conditions that generate crime Docsity.com Anomie/Strain Theory • Strain: Results when people’s aspirations become uncontrolled and unfulfilled • Merton connected anomie to other forms of deviance (besides suicide which Durkheim studied) – Too much emphasis on economic success in U.S. – Some people cannot achieve this success Docsity.com Anomie/Strain Theory • Defense and Extension of Anomie Theory – Social class and offending supported for serious offenses – Can be extended to cover white-collar crime – Institutional anomie theory Docsity.com Anomie/Strain Theory • General Strain Theory – Developed by Robert Agnew – Broadens anomie theory’s focus beyond economic goals and success – Removal of positive stimuli – “If we treat people badly, they may get mad and engage in crime.” – Research has supported the theory Docsity.com Anomie/Strain Theory • Why does strain lead to delinquency? • Not all types of strain produce anger, and not all studies find that anger produces delinquency • More research needed to explore whether there are gender differences • Needs to be tested with urban underclass Docsity.com Subcultural Theories • Walter B. Miller: Focal Concerns – Attributed failure to lower-class subculture itself; values Trouble Toughness Smartness Excitement Fate Autonomy Docsity.com Focal Concerns – Evaluation of Miller’s View • His characterization of lower-class culture “blames the victim” by ignoring dire effects of economic deprivation • Circular reasoning Docsity.com Subcultural Theories • Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin: Differential Opportunity Theory – Argued there is differential access to illegitimate means or illegitimate opportunity structures – Applied theory to activities of poor urban males in delinquent gangs – Evaluation: Theory ignores middle-class delinquency Docsity.com