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This article is or was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment. Further details are available
on the course page. Student editor(s):
Ap842,
Gandhiaj.
Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT ( talk) 10:16, 17 January 2022 (UTC)
This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 23 January 2019 and 15 May 2019. Further details are available
on the course page. Student editor(s):
Zehfussem.
Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT ( talk) 10:16, 17 January 2022 (UTC)
Having 6 or 7 paragraphs without a single wikified link is rare. Just browsing through them, I see many that should be linked according to Wikipedia:Build the web, such as names. I see your the primary editor of this page. Good work! I'll leave the wikify tag off for now, since it's too big and ugly and I'm going to wikify it a bit later. Gflores Talk 07:53, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
The use of the term "goals" for a society is problematic. If you can find a cite that, say, Merton used the word that way, fine. Otherwise, way too much personification. Can a sociologist subsitute another word if it doesn't do violence to the theory? DCDuring 15:27, 11 September 2007 (UTC)
Structural Strain Theory is a duplicative article, it seems, and should be merged into this one. Any objections? Suggestions?-- Typing Monkey - (type to me) 04:08, 27 October 2007 (UTC)
From the lead of that article: "Value-added theory (also known as social strain theory)" - but they seem to discuss different concepts. Should that be removed from that lead? -- Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus| talk 16:43, 24 August 2010 (UTC)
The article I am planning on editing is Strain Theory (sociology). My plan is as follows: 1.Introduces more precise citations into both the article and reference page. 2.I will work on removing useless/incorrect citations, and information from theses sources. 3.Adding more on Strain Theory itself, as the majority of the article centers around the people behind it. 4.Introduces studies done on Strain Theory. 5.Add in the criticism on Strain Theory. 6.Adding information on the people who advanced the theory like Robert K. Merton.
That is my plan for editing this article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by AlxRgo196 ( talk • contribs) 21:55, 23 February 2016 (UTC)
In addition to my original plan, I will try to add in more information about the different strain theories such as Robert K. Merton's original theory as well as Cloward & Ohlin strain based theory. That is all for now. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 17:27, 25 February 2016 (UTC) @ Alfgarciamora:
Bibliography: 1.Bonger, Willem Adriaan, and Austin T. Turk. Criminality and Economic Conditions. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1969. Print. 2.Cloward, Richard A., and Lloyd E. Ohlin. 1960. Delinquency and Opportunity Structure: A Theory of Delinquent Gangs. New York: Free Press. 3.Merton, Robert King. Social Theory and Social Structure; toward the Codification of Theory and Research. Glencoe, IL: Free, 1957. Print. I will you more, but this what I have so far. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 18:17, 25 February 2016 (UTC) @ Alfgarciamora:
I am thinking about putting in a small definition of general strain theory(GST) and a link to the Wikipedia article. I am going to do this to help others as it will separate the two theory, show a more visible way that there is a GST article and a way to get there. I would like some insight on if I should or should not do this. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 18:41, 26 February 2016 (UTC) @ Alfgarciamora:
Main Article: General Strain Theory General strain theory is a sociology theory developed by Robert Agnew. The core idea of general strain theory is that people who experience strain or stress become distressed which may lead them to commit crime in order to cope. An example being people who use illegal drugs to make themselves feel better. The theory was developed to conceptualizes the full range of sources in society where strain possibly comes from. The theory also focuses on the perspective of goals for status, expectations and class rather than money.
Biblography[edit source | edit]
— Preceding unsigned comment added by AlxRgo196 ( talk • contribs) 17:07, 8 March 2016 (UTC)
AlxRgo196 ( talk) 17:10, 8 March 2016 (UTC) @ Alfgarciamora:
Two more planned changes will be:
More information on the changes will be added shortly.
AlxRgo196 (
talk) 17:17, 8 March 2016 (UTC) @
Alfgarciamora:
Plan for the general strain theory addition:
General strain theory (GST) is a sociology theory developed by Robert Agnew. The core idea of general strain theory is that people who experience strain or stress become distressed which may lead them to commit crime in order to cope. The theory was developed to conceptualizes the full range of sources in society where strain possibly comes from, which Merton's strain theory does not. The theory also focuses on the perspective of goals for status, expectations and class rather than money. GST introduces new categories for strain such as
An example of General Strain Theory is people who use illegal drugs to make themselves feel better.
Bibliography
Agnew, Robert. "General Strain Theory." Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice (2014): 1892-900. Web.
Agnew, Robert. "Building on the Foundation of General Strain Theory: Specifying the Types of Strain Most Likely to Lead to Crime and Delinquency." Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 38.4 (2001): 319-61. Web. 8 Mar. 2016. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 19:34, 8 March 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
Main Article: General Strain Theory
General strain theory (GST) is a sociology and criminology theory developed by Robert Agnew. The core idea of general strain theory is that people who experience strain or stress become distressed or upset which may lead them to commit crime in order to cope. One of the key principle of this theory is emotion as the motivator for crime. The theory was developed to conceptualizes the full range of sources in society where strain possibly comes from, which Merton's strain theory does not. The theory also focuses on the perspective of goals for status, expectations and class rather than focusing on money( as Merton's theory does).
GST introduces 3 main sources of strain such as 1.Loss of positive stimuli (death of family or friend) 2.Presentation of negative stimuli (physical and verbal assaults) 3.The unable of blockage to reach a desired goal.
An example of General Strain Theory is people who use illegal drugs to make themselves feel better, or a student assaulting his peers to end the harassment they causes.
Sources:
# Agnew, Robert. "General Strain Theory." Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice (2014): 1892-900. Web.
Main Article: General Strain Theory
General strain theory (GST) is a sociology and criminology theory developed by Robert Agnew. The core idea of general strain theory is that people who experience strain or stress become distressed or upset which may lead them to commit crime in order to cope. One of the key principle of this theory is emotion as the motivator for crime. The theory was developed to conceptualize the full range of sources in society where strain possibly comes from, which Merton's strain theory does not. The theory also focuses on the perspective of goals for status, expectations and class rather than focusing on money (as Merton's theory does). GST introduces 3 main sources of strain such as
An example of General Strain Theory is people who use illegal drugs to make themselves feel better, or a student assaulting his peers to end the harassment they causes.
Sources:
AlxRgo196 ( talk) 22:13, 8 March 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
You're doing a great job, Alex! You might want to talk about Robert Merton, who we're reading for class this week. He has a whole theory of deviancy and social strain that differs from this general strain theory. You definitely will want to link to his ideas and to his Wikipedia pages. @ AlxRgo196: Alfgarciamora ( talk) 22:23, 8 March 2016 (UTC)
Thank you professor, I have been doing research on Merton as he is the one who developed strain theory. I would like to know is this good enough for the movement to mainspace. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 23:12, 8 March 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
Plan for the Robert K. Merton addition:
Robert King Merton was a sociologist who argued that society maybe set up to enough deviance to a large degree. Merton believe that when socially accepted goals put pressure on the people to conform, people are forced to either work within the system or become a member of a deviant sub culture to achieve the goals. Merton's theory became known as Strain Theory. Merton believe that when individuals become faced with a gap between the social goal and their current state, strain will occur. Then, people have 5 ways to adapt:
It is still a work in progress, but this is want I have so far.
Sources:
AlxRgo196 ( talk) 23:16, 8 March 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
I plan on adding a list of criticism to be put on the talk page shortly. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 20:31, 29 March 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
Robert K. Merton's Strain Theory received several criticisms such as: 1.Merton's theory overstates the crime of the lower working class and understates white collar crimes. 2.Strain Theory fails to explain white collar crime, the perpetrator of whom have many opportunities to achieve through legal and legitimate means. 3.Merton deals with individuals forms of responses instead of group activity which crime involves. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 21:01, 29 March 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
Strain Theory has received several criticisms such as: 1.Strain Theory best applies only to the lower class as they struggle with limited resources to obtain their goals. 2.Strain Theory fails to explain white collar crime, the perpetrator of whom have many opportunities to achieve through legal and legitimate means. 3.Merton deals with individuals forms of responses instead of group activity which crime involves. 4.Merton's Theory is not very critical of the social structure that he says generate the strains. 5.Strain Theory neglects the inter and intrapersonal aspect of crime. 6.Strain Theory fails to explain to us about crimes based in gender inequality. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 21:21, 29 March 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
You've done an EXCEPTIONAL job, Alex. I have learned so much just by reading your page, and I know that people all over the world will benefit from your insights here. One suggestion is for you to try and link some of the words, names, and concepts to their Wikipedia pages. It helps your page if it links up to other pages. I see the direction that you are taking this page, and it looks so great. You've earned a solid A for this rough draft. I commend you for such a great job. @ AlxRgo196: Alfgarciamora ( talk) 17:38, 31 March 2016 (UTC)
I am planning to:
AlxRgo196 ( talk) 13:10, 4 May 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
Strain Theory is a sociology and criminology theory developed in 1957 by Robert K. Merton. Theory states that society puts pressure on individuals to achieve a socially accepted goals (such as the American dream) though they lack the means, this leads to strain which may lead them to commit crimes. Examples being selling drugs or becoming involved in prostitution to gain financial security.
Strain may either be:
Structural: this refers to the processes at the societal level which filter down and affect how the individual perceives his or her needs, i.e. if particular social structures are inherently inadequate or there is inadequate regulation, this may change the individual's perceptions as to means and opportunities; or
Individual: this refers to the frictions and pains experienced by an individual as he or she looks for ways to satisfy his or her needs, i.e. if the goals of a society become significant to an individual, actually achieving them may become more important than the means adopted.
reference: Merton, Robert K. (1932). "Social Structure and Anomie". American Sociological Review 3 (5): 672–682.
AlxRgo196 ( talk) 14:28, 4 May 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
My lasts changes to the Wikipedia article are to add a test and studies section with info on tests and studies done on strain theory. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 21:10, 4 May 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
Strain theory was tested following its development. Most of these test examined ideal goals such as occupational goals and individual expectations, which would most ideally lead to crimes if not achieved under rule of strain theory. However, most of the research found that this was not the case. An example of these studies was a study done by Travis Hirschi in the 1969. He analyzes a large body of data on delinquency collected in Western Contra Costa County, California that contrast with strain theory. These results and other criticisms lead to the abandonment of Strain Theory around the 1970's to the 80's. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 00:27, 5 May 2016 (UTC)
Some of the links in the article such as {Mann, J.J.; Waternaux, C.; Haas, G.L.; Malone, K.M. (1999). "Toward a clinical model of suicidal behavior in psychiatric patients". American Journal of Psychiatry. 156: 181–189. doi:10.1176/ajp.156.2.181} do not work. They do not lead to a proper website and they should be fixed. Gandhiaj ( talk) 22:22, 10 March 2018 (UTC)
This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 22 August 2023 and 15 December 2023. Further details are available
on the course page. Student editor(s):
An anonymous entity (
article contribs). Peer reviewers:
Starfly5.
— Assignment last updated by Dmaccartney ( talk) 18:33, 9 October 2023 (UTC)
Institutional anomie theory (IAT) is a macro-level criminological theory developed in 1994 by Steven Messner and Richard Rosenfeld.
Messner and Rosenfeld concur with Merton's claim that American culture overemphasizes goals of monetary success. Though, they deviate from Merton’s focus on what is now referred to as the legitimate opportunity structure; instead, they argue that the high crime rate in the U.S. is caused by specific cultural values, such as The American Dream, and the dominance of economy over all other social institutions. Messner and Rosenfeld assert that in American culture economic success is valued above everything else, which socializes Americans to value:
These values are also necessary to perpetuate the cultural importance and value of economic gain above all else, and this imbalance between economy and all other social institutions affects society in a few important ways. First, as economic gain is the most important goal, economic pressure becomes more obvious, and promotes action. Second, the diminished value of social institutions, such as family and education, which would usually help to reduce crime rates and provide legitimate opportunities become far less effective. [2]
IAT also helps to explain the motivation for white-collar crime, whereas Merton's focus on opportunity seems to apply mainly to the lower classes. As the already wealthy and powerful would not experience legitimate opportunity strain, IAT posits that success is open-ended. Meaning that even members of society who are already monetarily successful are driven by the constant pressure to acquire evermore wealth, and are celebrated for doing so. [2]
Derived from Merton's Strain Theory, IAT expands on the macro-levels of the theory. IAT's focus centers on the cultural goal of wealth as a determinant of crime.
[1]
[3]
[2]
An anonymous entity (
talk) 21:21, 28 October 2023 (UTC)
An anonymous entity ( talk) 21:21, 28 October 2023 (UTC)
![]() | This article is rated Start-class on Wikipedia's
content assessment scale. It is of interest to the following WikiProjects: | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
This article is or was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment. Further details are available
on the course page. Student editor(s):
Ap842,
Gandhiaj.
Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT ( talk) 10:16, 17 January 2022 (UTC)
This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 23 January 2019 and 15 May 2019. Further details are available
on the course page. Student editor(s):
Zehfussem.
Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT ( talk) 10:16, 17 January 2022 (UTC)
Having 6 or 7 paragraphs without a single wikified link is rare. Just browsing through them, I see many that should be linked according to Wikipedia:Build the web, such as names. I see your the primary editor of this page. Good work! I'll leave the wikify tag off for now, since it's too big and ugly and I'm going to wikify it a bit later. Gflores Talk 07:53, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
The use of the term "goals" for a society is problematic. If you can find a cite that, say, Merton used the word that way, fine. Otherwise, way too much personification. Can a sociologist subsitute another word if it doesn't do violence to the theory? DCDuring 15:27, 11 September 2007 (UTC)
Structural Strain Theory is a duplicative article, it seems, and should be merged into this one. Any objections? Suggestions?-- Typing Monkey - (type to me) 04:08, 27 October 2007 (UTC)
From the lead of that article: "Value-added theory (also known as social strain theory)" - but they seem to discuss different concepts. Should that be removed from that lead? -- Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus| talk 16:43, 24 August 2010 (UTC)
The article I am planning on editing is Strain Theory (sociology). My plan is as follows: 1.Introduces more precise citations into both the article and reference page. 2.I will work on removing useless/incorrect citations, and information from theses sources. 3.Adding more on Strain Theory itself, as the majority of the article centers around the people behind it. 4.Introduces studies done on Strain Theory. 5.Add in the criticism on Strain Theory. 6.Adding information on the people who advanced the theory like Robert K. Merton.
That is my plan for editing this article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by AlxRgo196 ( talk • contribs) 21:55, 23 February 2016 (UTC)
In addition to my original plan, I will try to add in more information about the different strain theories such as Robert K. Merton's original theory as well as Cloward & Ohlin strain based theory. That is all for now. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 17:27, 25 February 2016 (UTC) @ Alfgarciamora:
Bibliography: 1.Bonger, Willem Adriaan, and Austin T. Turk. Criminality and Economic Conditions. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1969. Print. 2.Cloward, Richard A., and Lloyd E. Ohlin. 1960. Delinquency and Opportunity Structure: A Theory of Delinquent Gangs. New York: Free Press. 3.Merton, Robert King. Social Theory and Social Structure; toward the Codification of Theory and Research. Glencoe, IL: Free, 1957. Print. I will you more, but this what I have so far. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 18:17, 25 February 2016 (UTC) @ Alfgarciamora:
I am thinking about putting in a small definition of general strain theory(GST) and a link to the Wikipedia article. I am going to do this to help others as it will separate the two theory, show a more visible way that there is a GST article and a way to get there. I would like some insight on if I should or should not do this. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 18:41, 26 February 2016 (UTC) @ Alfgarciamora:
Main Article: General Strain Theory General strain theory is a sociology theory developed by Robert Agnew. The core idea of general strain theory is that people who experience strain or stress become distressed which may lead them to commit crime in order to cope. An example being people who use illegal drugs to make themselves feel better. The theory was developed to conceptualizes the full range of sources in society where strain possibly comes from. The theory also focuses on the perspective of goals for status, expectations and class rather than money.
Biblography[edit source | edit]
— Preceding unsigned comment added by AlxRgo196 ( talk • contribs) 17:07, 8 March 2016 (UTC)
AlxRgo196 ( talk) 17:10, 8 March 2016 (UTC) @ Alfgarciamora:
Two more planned changes will be:
More information on the changes will be added shortly.
AlxRgo196 (
talk) 17:17, 8 March 2016 (UTC) @
Alfgarciamora:
Plan for the general strain theory addition:
General strain theory (GST) is a sociology theory developed by Robert Agnew. The core idea of general strain theory is that people who experience strain or stress become distressed which may lead them to commit crime in order to cope. The theory was developed to conceptualizes the full range of sources in society where strain possibly comes from, which Merton's strain theory does not. The theory also focuses on the perspective of goals for status, expectations and class rather than money. GST introduces new categories for strain such as
An example of General Strain Theory is people who use illegal drugs to make themselves feel better.
Bibliography
Agnew, Robert. "General Strain Theory." Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice (2014): 1892-900. Web.
Agnew, Robert. "Building on the Foundation of General Strain Theory: Specifying the Types of Strain Most Likely to Lead to Crime and Delinquency." Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 38.4 (2001): 319-61. Web. 8 Mar. 2016. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 19:34, 8 March 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
Main Article: General Strain Theory
General strain theory (GST) is a sociology and criminology theory developed by Robert Agnew. The core idea of general strain theory is that people who experience strain or stress become distressed or upset which may lead them to commit crime in order to cope. One of the key principle of this theory is emotion as the motivator for crime. The theory was developed to conceptualizes the full range of sources in society where strain possibly comes from, which Merton's strain theory does not. The theory also focuses on the perspective of goals for status, expectations and class rather than focusing on money( as Merton's theory does).
GST introduces 3 main sources of strain such as 1.Loss of positive stimuli (death of family or friend) 2.Presentation of negative stimuli (physical and verbal assaults) 3.The unable of blockage to reach a desired goal.
An example of General Strain Theory is people who use illegal drugs to make themselves feel better, or a student assaulting his peers to end the harassment they causes.
Sources:
# Agnew, Robert. "General Strain Theory." Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice (2014): 1892-900. Web.
Main Article: General Strain Theory
General strain theory (GST) is a sociology and criminology theory developed by Robert Agnew. The core idea of general strain theory is that people who experience strain or stress become distressed or upset which may lead them to commit crime in order to cope. One of the key principle of this theory is emotion as the motivator for crime. The theory was developed to conceptualize the full range of sources in society where strain possibly comes from, which Merton's strain theory does not. The theory also focuses on the perspective of goals for status, expectations and class rather than focusing on money (as Merton's theory does). GST introduces 3 main sources of strain such as
An example of General Strain Theory is people who use illegal drugs to make themselves feel better, or a student assaulting his peers to end the harassment they causes.
Sources:
AlxRgo196 ( talk) 22:13, 8 March 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
You're doing a great job, Alex! You might want to talk about Robert Merton, who we're reading for class this week. He has a whole theory of deviancy and social strain that differs from this general strain theory. You definitely will want to link to his ideas and to his Wikipedia pages. @ AlxRgo196: Alfgarciamora ( talk) 22:23, 8 March 2016 (UTC)
Thank you professor, I have been doing research on Merton as he is the one who developed strain theory. I would like to know is this good enough for the movement to mainspace. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 23:12, 8 March 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
Plan for the Robert K. Merton addition:
Robert King Merton was a sociologist who argued that society maybe set up to enough deviance to a large degree. Merton believe that when socially accepted goals put pressure on the people to conform, people are forced to either work within the system or become a member of a deviant sub culture to achieve the goals. Merton's theory became known as Strain Theory. Merton believe that when individuals become faced with a gap between the social goal and their current state, strain will occur. Then, people have 5 ways to adapt:
It is still a work in progress, but this is want I have so far.
Sources:
AlxRgo196 ( talk) 23:16, 8 March 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
I plan on adding a list of criticism to be put on the talk page shortly. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 20:31, 29 March 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
Robert K. Merton's Strain Theory received several criticisms such as: 1.Merton's theory overstates the crime of the lower working class and understates white collar crimes. 2.Strain Theory fails to explain white collar crime, the perpetrator of whom have many opportunities to achieve through legal and legitimate means. 3.Merton deals with individuals forms of responses instead of group activity which crime involves. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 21:01, 29 March 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
Strain Theory has received several criticisms such as: 1.Strain Theory best applies only to the lower class as they struggle with limited resources to obtain their goals. 2.Strain Theory fails to explain white collar crime, the perpetrator of whom have many opportunities to achieve through legal and legitimate means. 3.Merton deals with individuals forms of responses instead of group activity which crime involves. 4.Merton's Theory is not very critical of the social structure that he says generate the strains. 5.Strain Theory neglects the inter and intrapersonal aspect of crime. 6.Strain Theory fails to explain to us about crimes based in gender inequality. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 21:21, 29 March 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
You've done an EXCEPTIONAL job, Alex. I have learned so much just by reading your page, and I know that people all over the world will benefit from your insights here. One suggestion is for you to try and link some of the words, names, and concepts to their Wikipedia pages. It helps your page if it links up to other pages. I see the direction that you are taking this page, and it looks so great. You've earned a solid A for this rough draft. I commend you for such a great job. @ AlxRgo196: Alfgarciamora ( talk) 17:38, 31 March 2016 (UTC)
I am planning to:
AlxRgo196 ( talk) 13:10, 4 May 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
Strain Theory is a sociology and criminology theory developed in 1957 by Robert K. Merton. Theory states that society puts pressure on individuals to achieve a socially accepted goals (such as the American dream) though they lack the means, this leads to strain which may lead them to commit crimes. Examples being selling drugs or becoming involved in prostitution to gain financial security.
Strain may either be:
Structural: this refers to the processes at the societal level which filter down and affect how the individual perceives his or her needs, i.e. if particular social structures are inherently inadequate or there is inadequate regulation, this may change the individual's perceptions as to means and opportunities; or
Individual: this refers to the frictions and pains experienced by an individual as he or she looks for ways to satisfy his or her needs, i.e. if the goals of a society become significant to an individual, actually achieving them may become more important than the means adopted.
reference: Merton, Robert K. (1932). "Social Structure and Anomie". American Sociological Review 3 (5): 672–682.
AlxRgo196 ( talk) 14:28, 4 May 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
My lasts changes to the Wikipedia article are to add a test and studies section with info on tests and studies done on strain theory. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 21:10, 4 May 2016 (UTC)@ Alfgarciamora:
Strain theory was tested following its development. Most of these test examined ideal goals such as occupational goals and individual expectations, which would most ideally lead to crimes if not achieved under rule of strain theory. However, most of the research found that this was not the case. An example of these studies was a study done by Travis Hirschi in the 1969. He analyzes a large body of data on delinquency collected in Western Contra Costa County, California that contrast with strain theory. These results and other criticisms lead to the abandonment of Strain Theory around the 1970's to the 80's. AlxRgo196 ( talk) 00:27, 5 May 2016 (UTC)
Some of the links in the article such as {Mann, J.J.; Waternaux, C.; Haas, G.L.; Malone, K.M. (1999). "Toward a clinical model of suicidal behavior in psychiatric patients". American Journal of Psychiatry. 156: 181–189. doi:10.1176/ajp.156.2.181} do not work. They do not lead to a proper website and they should be fixed. Gandhiaj ( talk) 22:22, 10 March 2018 (UTC)
This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 22 August 2023 and 15 December 2023. Further details are available
on the course page. Student editor(s):
An anonymous entity (
article contribs). Peer reviewers:
Starfly5.
— Assignment last updated by Dmaccartney ( talk) 18:33, 9 October 2023 (UTC)
Institutional anomie theory (IAT) is a macro-level criminological theory developed in 1994 by Steven Messner and Richard Rosenfeld.
Messner and Rosenfeld concur with Merton's claim that American culture overemphasizes goals of monetary success. Though, they deviate from Merton’s focus on what is now referred to as the legitimate opportunity structure; instead, they argue that the high crime rate in the U.S. is caused by specific cultural values, such as The American Dream, and the dominance of economy over all other social institutions. Messner and Rosenfeld assert that in American culture economic success is valued above everything else, which socializes Americans to value:
These values are also necessary to perpetuate the cultural importance and value of economic gain above all else, and this imbalance between economy and all other social institutions affects society in a few important ways. First, as economic gain is the most important goal, economic pressure becomes more obvious, and promotes action. Second, the diminished value of social institutions, such as family and education, which would usually help to reduce crime rates and provide legitimate opportunities become far less effective. [2]
IAT also helps to explain the motivation for white-collar crime, whereas Merton's focus on opportunity seems to apply mainly to the lower classes. As the already wealthy and powerful would not experience legitimate opportunity strain, IAT posits that success is open-ended. Meaning that even members of society who are already monetarily successful are driven by the constant pressure to acquire evermore wealth, and are celebrated for doing so. [2]
Derived from Merton's Strain Theory, IAT expands on the macro-levels of the theory. IAT's focus centers on the cultural goal of wealth as a determinant of crime.
[1]
[3]
[2]
An anonymous entity (
talk) 21:21, 28 October 2023 (UTC)
An anonymous entity ( talk) 21:21, 28 October 2023 (UTC)