5.5 Conclusion
Looking at these sociological theories of crime shows how difficult it is to really answer the question of what causes criminal behavior. Social structure encompasses so many aspects of life, and it is impossible to isolate one factor for study. However, with the goal of understanding society’s role in crime, one thing is clear: different groups have very different experiences in the United States, and that extends to crime and the notion of justice. In the following chapters, we will continue to explore different ways in which criminologists have attempted to explain the impact of society on offending behavior.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter, we started exploring sociological theories of crime. Early concepts in the field, such as Durkheim’s anomie, which refers to normlessness during societal transition, influenced the development of theories that are still examined today. Social structural theories see that the institutions, culture, and patterns of relationships in a society impact and can cause human behavior, including crime. For example, the distance between what someone wants to achieve and what they are actually able to achieve leads to strain. Merton’s strain theory, which is focused on the structural level, claims that discrepancies between conventional goals and means lead to strain, and sometimes people adapt and take alternative routes to get to the goals they want. Agnew added to Merton’s ideas by identifying new types and ways of experiencing strain at an individual level.
The Chicago School is a collection of theories that came from theorists in Chicago during a time of rapid change and growth. Park and Burgess took an ecological approach to understanding city growth and compared it to that of plants. The resulting zones in an urban setting were linked to various social ills, including crime and deviance, which were most prominent in zone two. Shaw and McKay extended the work of Park and Burgess to establish social disorganization theory. This theory claims that neighborhoods with weak community controls and no collective efficacy due to poverty, residential mobility, and ethnic heterogeneity will experience a higher level of criminal and delinquent behavior.
Strain theories and social disorganization theory are still applicable today and have had a lasting impact on the field of criminology. Concepts and ideas from these theories have inspired similar approaches in new theories and crime prevention policies.
Discussion Questions and Supplemental Resources
Discussion Questions
- Explain how Merton’s strain theory differs from Agnew’s general strain theory. Why is Merton’s theory referred to as structural strain theory?
- What are some examples of institutional or conventional means and goals in the United States now? How do you think they influence conformity or deviance?
- What is the significance of the City of Chicago in The Chicago School theories?
- How do factors like poverty, ethnic heterogeneity, and resid