1. Anomie or “Strain” Theories
Durkheim&Merton
Anomie or “Strain” Theories

2. Emile Durkheim French Sociologist Suicide Crime is “Functional”
Mechanical vs. Organic Solidarity
Altruistic vs. Common Criminal

3. Durkheim as the Root of all Sociological Theory
Durkheim emphasized several different themes
Social Integration
Humans as greedy, self-interested
“Insatiable Desires”
Anomie

4. Two Main Traditions in Sociolgoy
Chicago School of Crime/Social Disorganization
Social Integration
Capping Human Desires
Differential Association
Informal Social Control (Control Theories)
Anomie/Strain
Industrial Prosperity
Anomie

5. Robert K. Merton Social Structure and Anomie (1938)
From Durkheim: Institutionalized norms are weakened in societies that place an intense value on economic success
Applied this to the United States
The “American Dream” as a virtue and VICE

6. Anomie -- Macro Level The “road not taken”
Explanation of high crime rates in the United States?
Follows close to Durkheim
Gist = Unrestrained American capitalism and fetish with money creates anomie
Picked up by Messner and Rosenfeld

7. Strain Theory--Anomie at the Micro Level
Cultural Goals in U.S.?
The American Dream = $ = Universal
Institutionalized Means?
Given social structure in the U.S., the means are to achieve $ are unequally distributed
Segment of society with no way to attain goal b/c they lack means

8. Strain Theory (Micro) 1. Conformity + + 2. Innovation + -
MODES OF CULTURAL INSTITUT ADAPTATION GOALS MEANS
1. Conformity
2. Innovation
3. Ritualism
4. Retreatism
5. Rebellion +/ /-

9. Support for Micro Strain Theory
First tested as the disjuncture between educational or economic “aspirations” and “expectations”
Little empirical support for this
Delinquents tend to have low expectations and aspirations
BUT—is this really a great measure of strain?

10. More recent empirical studies
“Blocked Opportunities”
50/50 odds study finds a relationship
Even here, weak association
Disappointment with current financial status
One study, but found moderate relationship, even after controlling for other theories

11. Criticisms of Merton and “Strain” Theory
Is crime a “lower class” phenomena?
Cannot explain “expressive” crimes
In Merton’s defense, this was a “mid-range” theory of crime
Why ritualist vs. innovator?
Weak empirical support
Hirschi = “Oversocialized Man”

12. ANOMIE—The Legacy 1950s-1960s = “Subcultrual” theories
Mix anomie tradition with differential association
1990s = Revisions of Merton’s theory
Individual Level = “General Strain Theory”
Macro Level = “Institutional Anomie”