FINAL DISCUSSION BOARD
Jean2979
Presentation2.pptxChapter 4
Social Structure and Process Theories
Social Factors
All Social Delinquency theories are based on the belief that crime is caused by a person’s interaction with conflicts in society. What can cause conflict?
Poor relations with school, family and the government
Poor Community conditions
Exposure to Violence
Social Change (divorce, immigration, religion)
Poverty and perceived economic disparity
Racial Inequality
Two Classes
The concept of social conflict has been developed into two distinct theories of juvenile delinquency. They are:
Social Structure Theories
Delinquency is caused by a person’s place in the
economic structure of society.
Social Process Theories
Delinquency is caused by a person’s interaction with corrupt or
disturbed members of society
Social Structure
All Social Structure Theories are based on the concept that modern capitalist society is divided (stratified) based on economic levels
Crime is most likely to form in the underclasses of society, where a culture of poverty changes the civic values and ethics of children, from generation to generation.
As children are more formative and fragile, they are more prone to the negative effects of poverty.
Racial inequality also fuels the cycle of poverty, as certain classes in society have less opportunities.
The Three forms of Structure
1) Social Disorganization
Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay first developed the social disorganization theory. The premise of this theory is that the breakdown of the sense of community creates social unrest. The connection of a person to their community is the single greatest deterrent to criminal behavior.
People are less likely to participate in crime, if there is a social stigma or shame, to being identified as a criminal against the community.
Modern Disorganization
Shaw and McKay based their theories on the concept that as a city expanded, neighborhoods would break down, and the city as a whole would lose it’s sense of continuity.
As American society has become more mobile and transient, cities have radically changed. The modern Disorganization Theory is Social Ecological Theory.
Social Ecology
Social Ecology states that criminal behavior is directly linked to breakdowns in a community structure. These breakdowns come from:
Seeing physically abandoned buildings and decay
Poverty
Fear of crime or corrupt law enforcement
Siege Mentality
Loss of a community identity (race, religion, ethnicity)
Loss of social controls (family, peers, mentors, role models)
A Strain on us all
2) Strain Theory
Strain Theory holds that while most people have the same goals and desires out of life, the feeling of being locked out, or not having the opportunity to achieve those same goals, is the impetus for criminal behavior.
While some children will continue to seek to overcome their limitations, and others will simply accept their place in society, the delinquent portion of disaffected children will turn to criminal behavior to achieve what they want.
Three types of Strain Theory
Merton’s Anomie Theory
Robert Merton created this version of Strain Theory. This theory holds that crime is the result of conflict between the goals of a person in society, and how society has stated a person can achieve those goals. Capitalism urges all persons to desire wealth. Conflict, according to Merton, occurs when a person does not share the values of society (wealth is not important) or a person does not accept the approved means of achieving those goals (murder, robbery, etc).
Merton’s Anomie
Merton argues that crime occurs in places where people have limited means to achieve the goals of society. Immigrant groups, ghettos and the like, are full of people who cannot achieve what society tells them equates to success. As a result, people are forced to make decisions:
Conform values to society or Rebel (make your own)
Retreat from society or become an Innovator
Join a Ritualistic group, to avoid facing the inequalities of society (Church, Fraternity, etc).
Last two Strains
Institutional Anomie
This theory is more aimed at the American nature of Social Strain. It claims that in America, the concept of success (the American Dream) has become so solidified, that is has replaced any alternate definitions of success. Thus, any person who cannot achieve the American Dream of success has the constant influence to achieve success by any means necessary
Final Strain
General Strain Theory
This theory holds that there are multiple strains placed on any person at a given time, that can cause criminal behavior in the right circumstance. Strain can come from:
Failure to achieve goals set by a person or family
Having unrealistic expectations in life that cannot be met through traditional means
The los or removal of positive stimulus for goals
The introduction to negative stimulus to achieve goals
Last Social Structure Theory
3) Cultural Deviance Theory
This theory focuses on the culture of deviance that develops in lower class neighborhoods. According to this theory, disorganized impoverished communities develop their own unique set of values and beliefs, that put themin conflict with social norms.
How Deviance Forms
Under cultural deviance theories, people in lower class neighborhoods are initially set apart form society, due to middle-class measuring rods. Communities that do not measure up to middle class standards, are given a stigma of being “lesser places” to live.
Children in these neighbors suffer from status frustration. Their lack of opportunities prevents them form achieving what society tells them is “success”.
The result of this feeling of rejection, is called reaction formation. People who cannot meet the goals of society, rebel and make their own.
Last Aspect
One form of deviance theory involves the formation of gangs. The primary reaction formation of young children who cannot meet the goals of society, is to form organizations where they can meet their own definition of success. These are what sociologists call gangs. Three types of gangs are identified:
Criminal Gangs – Gangs formed to achieve success by violating law, and rebelling against the rules of society
Conflict Gangs – Gangs created to create a new society, where the disorganization of society has left them with no peer support
Retreatist Gangs – Groups of people that have failed at achieving the goals of society or criminal elements. These groups retreat into organizations on the fringe of society (drugs, sexual, odd views)
Social Process
Social Process theories hold that a child’s propensity to commit criminal acts, or conform to society, is largely dependent on their connection and bond to elements in their lives.
This theory was created in opposition to Social Structure theories. Proponents of this theory claim that Social Structure does not explain why so many children in impoverished areas do not turn to crime, and why so many kids with the means and opportunity to achieve the goals of society become criminals.
More Process
Social Process identifies four main areas of connection and bond in society, that influence the delinquency of a child:
The influence of family, and stability of home life
The socialization and acceptance of a child at school
The influence on a child of peers and other adolescents
The presence (or lack there of) of religion and morality in a child’s life.
There are two models of Social Process Theory. Each model has different theories in it’s sub-category:
Social Learning Theories
These theories hold that delinquency is generally learned, when there are poor influences at the any of the four critical bonds between child and society.
Social Control Theories
These theories hold that anyone can chose to become a criminal. What prevents criminal behavior are a child’s four critical bonds. If any of these are weakened, a child has more temptations to be involved in criminal behavior.
Social Process
Social Learning
Differential Association Theory
This theory holds that all criminal behavior is learned. Delinquency is generally learned from negative contacts within the four intimate bonds. The likelihood of criminal behavior is determined by the strength of the bond, the intimacy of the relationship where the child is exposed to delinquency, the extent the child shares the needs and values of the delinquent peer, and the level of conflict between the delinquent influence and all other influences.
Neutralization Theory
This theory attempts to explain deviant behavior through the breakdown in the taking of responsibility in society. Children are reinforced with a concept of right and wrong, but then given opportunities to neutralize or justify deviant behavior. The proponents of this theory paint the blame on adult society, to which children emulate. They point out the lack of accountability of adults, creates a double standard of subterranean values. This can be best summarized as, “Doing the best you can, and denying responsibility if you cannot.”
Excuses, Excuses
Definition
The techniques of Neutralization are defined as:
Denying responsibility
Denying that what was done was harmful
Rationalizing that the victim deserved it
Rationalizing that the behavior was necessary
Rationalizing that the the behavior could not be helped, because the offender was a victim of circumstances
Last Area
Social Control
Social Control envisions all people as wild and selfish by nature. What restrains a person from acting and behaving as they wish, are their bonds and connections to the four primary clusters, mentioned earlier in the lecture. When those bonds are weakened, any person can feel compelled to commit crimes. The theory focuses on the “social stigma” of crime, and the shame from one’s peers, and the primary indicator of criminal behavior.
One Main Area
The Primary Social Control Theory was developed by a man named Travis Hirschi. Hirschi went back to the four primary bonds of a child (Family, School, Peers, Religion) and sought to analyze the strength of those bonds in four main areas:
The child’s level of attachment to the bond
The child’s personal commitment to the bond
The child’s frequency in involvement to the bond
The child’s ability to relate and believe in the values espoused by that social bond
My Personal Favorite!
Hirschi stated that it is impossible to “predict” criminal behavior among children. Instead, society should be focusing on ways to strengthen and integrate the four social bonds in a child. In this way society can reduce the likelihood of criminal behavior, rather than predict it.
Of all the theories looked at today, this is the only theory that looks forward to preventing criminal behavior, rather than preventing it.
This theory is the most practical for parents, as it seeks to influence children in the four primary bonds. Parents are taught to harmonize the frequency, values and integrations of all four bonds.
