General Strain Theory Of Jerome Kerviel

Strain theory is a `more prominent issue in today’s world than many seem to think. Strain theory is the answer to several of life’s greatest questions, including, “Why do people riot?” and “Why are people pressured to live a life of crime?” The answer to that is strain theory: certain individuals fall into the pressure that the rest of society puts on everyone, that in order to be worth something and respected, they must be of a certain status. In order to be deemed worthy of others, everyone must have certain necessary things, such as a house of a certain stature, and an income of a certain amount.

This “strain” can take on two forms: individual or structural. Individual strain is a reference to one’s own needs and the pains that a person has to endure when trying to gain them. Structural strain is a reference to the pains felt to both fit and achieve on a certain level within specific contexts. All of this information points to strain theory fitting into the category of the Postmodernist School of Criminology. This school of thought teaches of how criminal behaviors are in fact used to correct inequality that is caused by society.

Rational choice theory is predicated on the idea that crime is a matter of choice in which a potential criminal weighs the cost of committing an act against the potential benefits that might be gained (Siegel, 2011, p. 84). James Q. Wilson expands on this decision in his book Thinking About Crime, stating that “people who are likely to commit crime are unafraid of breaking the law

Criminology is the study of why individuals commit crimes. Several sociologists and criminologists have developed theories that attempt to explain criminal behavior and why it occurs. In earlier times, theories such as biological determinism and phrenology were often used to explain criminal behavior. Those theories have since been proven to be unreasonable and unrealistic. As time passed, sociologists and criminologists created more plausible theories including the rational choice, classical, conflict, labeling, life course, critical, strain, social disorganization, routine activity, social control, and positivist theories. In attempts to better understand these criminological theories, an individual could apply one (or more) of these theories to real-life events or things he/she has seen on television. I have chosen to apply the rational choice theory to the popular movie Taken starring Liam Neeson and explain the many examples found throughout the movie.

Another important theory of deviance is the structural strain theory. The structural strain theory is defined as when the goals in which society sets for an individual are not met, that individual will defer to deviance. A perfect example is throughout the entire movie of the images of the streets, the hopelessness in each frame express what the strain theory is based upon. It is the idea that crime and violence are an immediate result between people's goals and the means to accessibly achieve them. They cannot overcome their deviant behavior because it is necessary to survive. Another example is in the beginning of the film Doughboy had said he was going to store. Ricky asked him why, as he did not have any money. Doughboy yelled, "aww I don't care."(Singleton) Instead of conforming to how Middle American youths obtain money, such as chores, Doughboy has to find alternate methods of achieving. Doughboy robs a store and is arrested. In a society where economic status is held on a pedestal, change is very difficult. This shows there is an unequal distribution of wealth which is a major cause of violence and robbery. A common theory among Americans is that society wants what it cannot have. It there was an equal distribution of wealth the strain theory would not exist as people would be satisfied with what society gave them, there would not be selfish ambition to obtain all you can. Another

The troubled life of criminal John Dillinger can be applied to Agnew’s General Strain Theory. Agnew’s General Strain Theory “assumes that people of all social classes and economic positions deal with frustrations in routine daily life” (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 120). The theory proposes three categories of strain: failure to achieve positively valued goals, removal of positively valued stimuli, and presentation of negative stimuli. Failure to achieve positively valued goals can be described as a disjuncture between aspirations and expectations, which refers to having a goal, but feeling as if the goal will not be attained; a gap between expectations and actual achievements, which is concerned with doing all things necessary and not getting what one expected to get; and a discrepancy between what is a fair or just outcome and the actual outcome, which involves doing something

Throughout the film, both Sutherland’s and Agnew’s theories are present. Agnew’s general strain theory focuses on how ‘strain’ increases negative emotions in a person, such as anger or even depression (Agnew, 2001). Agnew’s theory argues that delinquency and criminal acts may be a way to alleviate negative emotions and reducing pressure from a traumatic event (Agnew, 2001). Furthermore, Agnew’s general strain theory discusses numerous types of strain, including; goal blockage, which results from disjunction of a person’s aspirations and expectations. It can also

Robert Agnew’s General Strain theory expands prior theorist’s concepts which emphasizes that the obstruction of an individual goal or the inability of an individual to achieve conventional goals through appropriate means causes unlawful innovations, such as crime (Brezina, 2010). More so, Agnew’s expanded the concept of stressors in an effort to make stressors classless. In addition, Agnew states that the strains that generate strong pressure which tend to lead to criminal behaviors are chronic strains, strains that are rationalized to unjust or severe, and strains that can be resolved by crime (Agnew, 2001). Lastly, Agnew believes that criminal response is most likely to occur when normal coping strategies are absent.

Early versions of strain theory were not supported initially and came under criticism due to the inherent theoretical limitations as well as a lack of an empirical support for their propositions (Agnew and Passas, 1997; Burton, Cullen, & Evans, 1994; Kornhauser, 1978). The main argument of classic strain theories is that individuals, under a disadvantage caused by the discrepancy among the lower class demographic, are pressured to achieve certain universal goals. Failing to achieve them through legitimate avenues, they resort to

Furthermore it states that humans, being conformists readily buy into these notions. However, access to the means for achieving these goals is not equally available to everyone. Some have the education, social network and family influence to attain these goals. The socially and economically disadvantaged do not have the opportunity, education or necessary social network for attaining material wealth and economic or political power. Thus the strain theory predicts that crime occurs when there is a perceived discrepancy between these goals and the legitimate means for reaching them. Individuals who experience a high level of this strain are forced to decide whether to violate laws to achieve these goals, to give up on the goals pushed upon them by society, or to withdraw or rebel.

Strain theory is described as the cause of crime due to the social class or environment in which a person grows up in. In our society, people strive to obtain wealth, education, materialistic possessions and power. Due to the environment lower social class people are born into, they are unable to obtain these aspirations through legal means. Feelings of frustration lead to strain and can cause these people to resort to external and illegal means to obtain these resources or lead them to abusing drug substances in an effort to feel better.

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.

First one being conformity, when people accept the high goals, next is Innovation is when individuals accept same high goals, and also resort to criminal acts. Ritualism is when individuals adapts to manageable and more realistic goals, they do not engage in deviant acts. Retreatism is when the individuals rejects both goals and the means to react to them. Lastly is rebellion which is when the individual rejects cultural goals and institutional means, more active and worst then retreatism. This theory feels strain is similar to stress that will drive individuals to criminal means if they are not able to reach

Anomie theory posits that US society focus heavily upon monetary success, but places little emphasis upon how this success is obtained. Strain theory proposals a very similar concept, but focus upon smaller units within society. It argues that while everyone aims to reach the middle class standard of success, people in some groups will be unable to achieve it via legitimate channels. These theories suggest that people how commit crime are trying to accomplish the

The theoretical framework of strain theory can be credited to sociologist Emile Durkheim. Durkheim research on formed a platform for other sociologist to further develop strain theories of crime. One of which is Robert Merton. One of Durkheim’s major works that opened the door to further research on strain theories was his book, Suicide. In this book Durkheim sough to understand the why led to one’s own self-destruction. Emile Durkheim studied suicide rates and its association with crisis. Durkheim noticed trends in suicide rates that were associated with economic prosperity and economic crisis.