Essay on Control theory, Anomie theory and Strain theory

Strain theory is deviance caused by individuals because others have treated them poorly. This leads them to naturally become angry and frustrated with their situation. Control theory focuses more on the lack of nondeviant relationships. Social learning theory however, is based on positive deviant relationships (Agnew, 1992). Agnew and Passas found that the theories of both strain and anomie grew less popular in the late 1960’s. They found this was a result of little to no empirical evidence developed by researchers on the subject. The absence of supporting data is because of the multiple holes in the initial methods of research put forth by researchers (Agnew and Passas, 1997). These theorists found that due to the unfitting procedures,

What causes people to commit crime? This million dollar questions has place many criminologists and researchers searching for answers. In the past decades, people have tried to explain crime by referring to the earliest literature of criminal’s atavistic features to human biology. Recent studies have shows that crime is described in the social environment. While, no one theory can prove the causes of crime, strain theory has gain support in academic research for its five mode of adaptation.

The strain theory is one of the first theories to draw attention to the social aspect of crime.

Researchers are constantly looking for explanations for criminal patterns and crime rates among juveniles. They have presented many theories to serve as such explanations with strain theory being one of them; however, like many other theories, strain theory was pushed aside decades ago. It was not until recently that this theory was given new life by criminologist, Robert Agnew. Robert Agnew introduced this new development as the general strain theory. GST was the first supposition that was not tied to social class or cultural variables as it was in previous implications of Émile Durkheim’s anomie theory. Instead, Agnew’s theory refocused on societal norms that affect juveniles.

General Strain Theory The concept of criminal behavior and crime has been studied since the beginning of sociology. There have been many theories used to explain why some individuals commit crimes. Strain theory is one of the major theories used to explain society’s role on criminal behavior. Strain theory suggests that society puts strain on an individual which respond by turning to crime.

In our text, Robert Agnew reformulated the grain theory into the “general strain theory” that perspective suggests that law-breaking behavior as a coping mechanism enables those who engages in it to deal with socio emotional problems generated by negative social relations (pg. 160). Agnew believed that strain creates a predisposition for delinquency in cases that are chronic or repetitive that causes a negative affective state meaning emotional often result from negative relationships (pg. 161).   In Robert Agnew’s article “Why Do Criminals Offend? A General Theory of Crime and Delinquency” he explains, examining the impact of some specific variable on crime can produce misleading results.

Humans are generally good, but also naturally conform as the consensus theory suggests. It also explains why individuals do commit crime, namely, Agnew’s general strain theory. This theory states that a strain in the individual’s life and the inability to cope with it, is the reason crime is created. The potential forms of strain in the theory is the failure to achieve a positively valued goal(s), presentation of a noxious stimulus, and the removal of a positively valued stimuli. Moreover, the individual “must evaluate the event as being unjust, high in magnitude, via a determination of the personalization of the event, associated with low social control, or a pressure or incentive to produce crime as a reason to change” (Higgins et.

I have chosen to write about Robert Merton’s Strain Theory. I find this theory particularly interesting, especially as it relates to crime and even education. As noted in our book Sociology in Our Times: The Essentials, the definition of strain theory is that people feel strain when they are exposed to cultural goals that they are unable to obtain because they do not have access to culturally approved means of achieving those goals (Kendall 164). For example, if your goal is obtaining wealth and possessions, then the culturally approved method for achieving this goal would include a job and education. For some, if they are denied a “legitimate” way of achieving this particular goal, they will gain access through

Throughout the decades many theorists have tried to define as to why an individual may engage in a ‘criminal’ manner. But we have to ask ourselves whether or not that is the right question. Travis Hirschi goes beyond and asks why do most of us conform to societal views, allowing him to understand what differentiates offenders from non-offenders rather than uncovering why someone commits a deviant act. Despite disagreeing with the others starting point, Hirschi did indeed attempted to mix the theories in with each other in order to explain social control. In this sense, control theory is not so much a theory of deviance as a theory of conformity (95). This essay will argue that Hirschi’s Social Control (Bond) theory is easily comparable and contrastable with Classical Criminology, Durkheim’s Theory of crime, and Merton’s Theory of crime

The general strain theory is a theory Robert Agnew developed. The theory is based that young individuals understand socially desired goals, but strain provides no or lack thereof an opportunity to achieve these goals. These strains are likely to lead to crimes. Robert Agnew identified several types of strain an individual goes through while attempting one's goals. The deviance producing strains includes failure to attain a goal successfully, a positive stimulus is removed, and to intimidate a person with some sort of negative stimuli.

Anomie encourages deviance. Merton understood crime and deviance to be a response to the inability to achieve social goals. This is often referred to as a strain theory of crime, since Merton highlighted a

Strain theories, as we noted, study the question of why some people violate norms—for example, by committing crimes. Social control theorists are interested in learning why people conform to norms. Control theorists take it for granted that drugs can tempt even the youngest schoolchildren; that truancy can lure otherwise good children onto a path of academic failure and lifetime unemployment; that petty fighting, petty theft, and recreational drinking are attractive features of adolescence. They ask why people conform in the face of so much temptation and peer pressure. The answer, according to social control theory, is that juveniles and adults conform to the law in response to certain controlling forces in their lives. They become criminals

Introduction: Throughout history there have always been many different theories of crime and why people commit crimes. In the late 1930s a new theory rose to the forefront; this theory was called the anomie theory. Anomie means a lack of ethical standards. The anomie theory was proposed by Roberton Merton. It stated that society, as a whole, generally shares the same goals relating to having success in life; whether that is having a family, wealth, power, or just happiness. Society generally agrees that these are things that are to be sought after. Furthermore, Merton proposed that society, as a whole, also has a list of generally accepted ways to achieve such goals (Merton, 1938). Criminal activity, such as robbery, murder, and corruption, are among the things that are not accepted by society as appropriate means to achieve these goals. Merton’s anomie theory was built upon in 1992 by Robert Agnew who developed the general strain theory. General strain theory argues that when members of society are unable to achieve the general goals that society has set forth, they will, in order to avoid further rejection, further alienate themselves from society. Agnew also argued that if these individuals feel as if their shortcomings were a result of their environment failing them they will likely develop very negative feelings towards society, causing them to

This school absolutely did not fit my learning style or personality. I had some experiences with a teacher where my confidence was challenged and beaten down in front of the class. This made me feel stupid and embarrassed on a daily basis for the first seven months of the school year. As a result, I turned into a broken child with no confidence in my ability to perform in school because I because I learned to fear failure and hate criticism in front of the class. My parents pulled me out of the school about three months before the year ended, which allowed me to recover. This story relates to anomie strain theory because after my experience with this teacher I was feeling as if I was not good enough to achieve the simple goals set in front of me. Unfortunately, the school environment substantially affected me during this time on a psychological level. In contrast, if I was the person I am now and was challenged by a professor I would have loved it and the experience would have fueled me to perform well. However, that is not the case for an insecure sixth grader. In relation to GST this experience led to me to not put effort into my academics at my new school the following few years. I also started involving myself with the wrong crowd and engaging in mild delinquent behavior. These behaviors became sources that let out my anger and frustration of not being “good enough”. As a result of the strain, I believe I chose to engage in inappropriate behaviors as a coping mechanism.

Even though the two theories are similar they play different roles in society in dealing with deviance behavior. Anomie strain theory can be described as the failure to achieve certain goals, which can lead an individual to commit deviant acts. Emilie Durkheim, a sociologist defines anomie as lack of normal ethical or social standards which leads relationships with people to become frayed. Sociologist Merton applied Emilie Durkheim theory in the