D Continuous Involvement In Crime: Article Analysis

The Book, My Bloody Life, the Making of a Latin King by Reymundo Sanchez is sad, horrifying and eye opening. Consequently, it makes a person think about the role of society and the social reasons or theories that can explain involvement in gangs or gang activity. I think there may be several theories used to explain involvement in gangs, but I think the best theory used to explain why there are gangs is the “control or social bond theory”. Sanchez illustrates several instances of this theory throughout his book. I will discuss some of these instances and show how they are an example of control/social bond theory.

The examples given of strain theory within Gang Leader for a Day has a very strong showing with regards to the Four Metrics for Evaluating Theory, which is used to prove how stressors can induce people to engage in criminal activities in order to achieve a positive goal or need. In regard to the first of the criteria, Logical Consistency, Scope, and Parsimony; strain theory within Gang Leader for a Day should be considered a strength because it demonstrates the reasoning behind engaging in unlawful activity: the locals relying upon J.T. to deal with a suspected rapist instead of the police, a woman working as a professional prostitute so that she can afford to take care of herself and her family, etc. Pertaining to the second of the Four Metrics of Evaluating Theory: Testability, strain theory is considered to be a weakness because not everyone described within Gang Leader for a Day resorted to a life of crime: i.e. the pastor. The third criteria, Empirical Validity is a strength because there exists a plethora of research that demonstrates the existence of a connection between motive and crime: the beating of C-Note for not following orders. Finally, the fourth criteria: Usefulness and Policy Implications, the information gathered by Venkatesh while writing Gang Leader for a Day would be considered to be a strength since the information within it can be used as a source of data for stakeholders, politicians, law enforcement, and the courts that will enable all involved to understand the influences that can cause an individual to partake in a life of crimes and it will assist them in making decisions and implementing policy designed to

And on the other hand how “Code of the Streets” shows links to the Differential Association and Social Learning theories of crime. The Differential Association (closely related to Social Disorganization theory), developed by Edwin Sutherland, and Social Learning theory, developed by Ronald Akers, both theories of crime are theories that try to explain, at a micro-level, why individuals rather than groups of individuals commit crime (Feldmeyer, Differential Association and Social Learning, 2015).

Strain theory points out that certain societal structures push individuals to commit crimes (Agnew, Robert, Brezina, Wright, Cullen, 2002). For example, when individuals are not able to successfully attain their goals through legitimate means they resort to illegitimate means to attain them. Strain theory is divided into three major categories: The first category is “ (1) prevent individuals from achieving their positively valued goals, including monetary, status, and autonomy goals; (2) remove or threaten to remove positively valued stimuli that individuals possess; and (3) present or threaten to present individuals with noxious or negative value stimuli” (Agnew et al . , 2002). These three categories of strains can ultimately drive individuals into deviant subcultures. Growing up, Guzman Loera faced some of these strains, therefore strain theory will be used to explain his engagement in criminal

The predominate theory of the social structure perspective that will be applied to Boyz N the Hood is Robert Merton’s Anomie/Strain theory and Robert Agnew’s General Strain theory which closely applies to Merton’s. The strain theory holds that crime is a function of the conflict between goals people have and the means that they can use to obtain them legally. Most people desire wealth, material possessions, power, prestige, and other life comforts. Although these social and economic goals are common to people in all economic standings, strain theorists insist these goals are class dependent. Members of the lower class are unable to achieve these goals of success through conventional or legal means. In return they feel anger, frustration, and resentment, which is referred to as the “strain.” Lower class citizens can either accept their conditions and live out their days being socially responsible or they can choose alternate means of achieving success illegally. These means can include but are not limited to theft, violence, or drug trafficking.

In the 1980’s, Criminologist, Robert Agnew, presented his theory of general strain, in which he covers a range of negative behaviors, especially how adolescents deal with stresses of strain. General strain theory focuses on the source, such as anything that changes in the individual’s life that causes strain. His theory provides a different outlook on social control and social learning theory for two reasons: the type of social relationship that leads to delinquency and the motivation for the delinquency (Agnew, 1992). He states that certain strains and stresses increase the likelihood for crime such as economic deprivation, child abuse, and discrimination. These factors can cause an increase of crime through a range of negative emotions. For some people it can take a lot of willpower to take a corrective action and try to deter away from committing crime in a way that they can relieve these negative emotions. When people cannot cope with the stresses of the strain, they turn to crime as a coping mechanism. Agnew also states, that not all people that experience the stresses of strain will go forward to committing crime and live a deviant life.

The social disorganization theory is directed towards social conditions. This theory argues that crime is due to social conflicts, change, and lack of consensus in the group.

Frank Schmalleger explains the theory of social disorganization as one that depicts both social change as well as conflict, and lack of any agreement as the origin of its cause for both criminal behavior as well as nonconformity to society and closed associated with the ecological school of criminology (Schmalleger, 2012, p. 152). The philosophy behind the organization and structure of a society and how that contributes to criminal behavior within society is by stressing poverty, economic conditions, lack of education, lack of skills, are not sought-after in the work place, and divergent cultural values. Criminal behavior is the result of the person’s assignment of location within the structure of society.

Agnew, R. (1992). Foundation for a General Strain Theory of Crime and Delinquency. Criminology. 30(1), 47-87.

Sociology says that a person gain its traits from the social strata in which he or she is living in, these might be the good ones or the bad ones. Social upbringing is very important in a person’s life. Crimes breach into the society when there is a loop hole is present in the society. Loop holes are like corruption, injustice, recession and lack of opportunities. Number of the social process theories describe Criminal behavior as it is learned through communication process and it always have the reasons behind. These can be of between family members, friends, or people with in the vicinity. Crime if we take it in general, the most sophisticated ones are the most devastated ones, so what to say of the third world countries. In the present circumstances when we see the issues like terrorism, robbery and etc are destroying the social fiber of the society and instead of producing peace and harmony, delinquency is spreading all over specially in the youth. Have you ever asked yourself for what reason certain people gotten to be hoodlums? Differential association theory is a theory in criminology which intends to answer this inquiry. This theory was produced by Edwin H. Sutherland, who was a humanist and a teacher. He made the theory to clarify the reasons why individuals carry out wrongdoing. The theory is based upon the thought that hoodlums perpetrate wrongdoings based upon their association with

One of my favorite shows on T.V is “Criminal Minds,” show stories of the existence of the FBI’S Behavioral Analysis Units and how expert profilers work with the FBI to search and capture rapists, serial killers that terrorize society. However, after watching a number of episodes, one can’t help but question or wonders if what they watching are real. In the real world, every day in the United State law enforcement officers is called to respond to horrify murder scenes. What is the mission of the Behavior Analysis Units? “The mission of the Behavioral Analysis Units (BAU) is to provide operational support for difficult and time-sensitive cases and other matters through the application of investigative case experience, education, specialized

In this paper, I will analysis the film Boyz N the Hood based on and around the criminology concept of the General Strain Theory. The film Boyz N the Hood depicts a story about an African-American boy growing up in “the hood” of South Central LA. South Central is a place where on average 1 out of 21 African American men will be die as a result of “the streets”. African Americans within the African-American community are more susceptible to becoming a casualty to gang affiliation and violence. If a person makes the wrong choices in life or even if they are faced with the right circumstances that force this person to join a gang their likelihood of dying as a result dramatically increases.

In chapter 6 of our text, social structure theories are outlined and discussed. Three types of social structures are addressed, they are, social disorganization, strain theory, and culture conflict theory. All three theories were developed in the early 1900’s and both strain theory and culture conflict theory are still used to explain reasons why persons experience poverty, are uneducated, have lack of job skills, and how individual’s social economic status correlates with their reasoning behind their decisions to commit crimes, and are they conscious or unconscious do to their status per say. Unlike strain theory and cultural conflict theory, social disorganization theory is not utilized in today’s world to explain why people function

This theory posits that criminal behavior is a result of disorganization and strain. This theory also seeks to explain, “how people living in deteriorated neighborhoods react to social isolation and economic deprivation. ” This theory advocates the view, that, as a result of these conditions, the lower socioeconomic class individuals form a separate and distinct sub culture whose values, norms and rules are the polar opposite of the society’s. Cohen’s Delinquent Subcultural Theory and Cloward and Ohlin’s Theory of Differential Opportunity will be used under the umbrella Cultural Deviance Theory of Crime to explain juvenile involvement in gangs with relation to Trinidad and

Merton’s work has contributed greatly to criminological theory as he took a different perspective than Durkheim’s concept of anomie and reworked to the American context. The theories and concepts of anomie and strain that Merton argued have influenced the works of Cohen as well as the New Deviancy Theory and the New Penology. Therefore, Strain theory has evolved across time to encompass different situational circumstances of crime. Furthermore, due to the individual’s inability to achieve the appropriate cultural status, the idea of reference groups have also been highly relevant to today’s understanding of crime. Where evaluating oneself against peers constantly occurs as people try to better or compete against others.