Chapter 11: Social structure theories: community, strain, and subcultures

Abstract

Chapter 11 focuses on theories that emphasize structural features of the social environment in relation to delinquency. The most prominent social structure theories of crime and delinquency are social disorganization, anomie, and strain theories. Shaw and McKay’s social disorganization theory argues that certain structural characteristics of communities contribute to a breakdown of community social controls, and thus allow for the emergence of delinquent subcultures and lead to high rates of crime and delinquency. Chapter 11 considers delinquency prevention efforts based on social disorganization theory, and discusses collective efficacy theory, which is a contemporary version of social disorganization theory. Merton’s anomie theory argues that high crime rates result from an imbalance between the emphasis a society places on the cultural goal of economic success and the emphasis it places on the institutional or legitimate means of achieving economic success. Strain theories consider how individuals adapt to conditions of anomie within society. Chapter 11 presents both Merton’s classic strain theory and Agnew’s contemporary general strain theory. Finally, the chapter examines how strain among lower-class boys contributes to gang delinquency, according to Cohen’s reaction formation theory and Cloward and Ohlin’s differential opportunity theory.

Theories

• social disorganization
• anomie
• institutional anomie
• strain
• general strain
• reaction formation
• differential opportunity

Key Terms

• social structures
• social solidarity
• collective efficacy
• cultural goals
• institutional means
• anomie
• modes of adaptation
• status frustration
• reaction formation

Outline

1. Social disorganization theory
   1. The Chicago School
   2. Shaw and McKay’s delinquency areas
      1. The ecology of delinquency
      2. Social disorganization and the breakdown of social control
      3. Cultural aspects of social disorganization
      4. Social disorganization and delinquent subcultures
      5. Strain in social disorganization theory
   3. Testing social disorganization theory in other urban areas
   4. Delinquency prevention in delinquency areas
   5. A contemporary version of social disorganization theory: collective efficacy
2. Anomie and strain theories
   1. Anomie theory
   2. Crime and the American Dream: institutional anomie theory
      1. Critique of anomie theory
   3. Strain theory
      1. Merton’s modes of adaptation
      2. Research on strain
   4. The strain of adolescence: general strain theory
      1. Strain resulting from failure to achieve goals
      2. Strain resulting from the loss of something valued
      3. Strain resulting from negative treatment by others
      4. Explaining the effects of strain
      5. Research on general strain theory
   5. Strain and gang subcultures
      1. Cohen’s reaction formation theory
      2. Cloward and Ohlin’s differential opportunity theory
3. Summary and conclusions