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Criticisms of Merton’s Strain Theory, Lecture notes of Criminology

General strain theory or GST is a criminology theory which focus on an individual deliquency based on negative relationships.

Typology: Lecture notes

2021/2022

Uploaded on 03/31/2022

mathieu
mathieu 🇮🇹

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Criticisms of Merton’s Strain Theory
(Individual Level)
Is crime a “lower class” phenomena?
Cannot explain “expressive” crimes
Weak empirical support
Why do people “adapt” to strain in different ways?
Agnew (1992): General Strain Theory
Overhaul of Merton’s Strain Theory
Three types of strain
Failure to achieve valued goals
Removal of valued stimuli
Can’t escape noxious stimuli
Commonality? All produce negative emotional states/feelings
Put a “charge” into people, motivate reactions
Agnew (GST)
StrainNegative Affective States
Anger, fear, frustration, depression
Can lead to all sorts of delinqeuncy (not just economic crimes)
Illegitamate channels for success (burglary, robbery)
Attack or escape adversity (assault, truancy)
Manage through drugs/alcohol
BUT, how do people react to these states?
Merton: modes of adaptation, but why rebel vs. innovate vs. ritualism?
Agnew: it depends on “coping ability”
Coping Strategies
Cognitive options
“it’s not important,” “it’s not that bad,” “I deserve it”
Behavioral options
constructively reduce strain, seek positive solution
Factors that facilitate coping
intelligence, problem-solving skills, creativity…
Factors that inhibit coping
delinquent peers, criminal disposition, weak social bonds, weak moral
beliefs...
Agnew (GST)
Tests of GST are favorable
But, is it “STRAIN” or something else?
Very different from Merton
Is this theory a theory of “Strain” or a theory of “STRESS?”
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Criticisms of Merton’s Strain Theory

(Individual Level)

 Is crime a “lower class” phenomena?

 Cannot explain “expressive” crimes

 Weak empirical support

 Why do people “adapt” to strain in different ways?

Agnew (1992): General Strain Theory

Overhaul of Merton’s Strain TheoryThree types of strain

  • Failure to achieve valued goals
  • Removal of valued stimuli
  • Can’t escape noxious stimuli

 Commonality? All produce negative emotional states/feelings

  • Put a “charge” into people, motivate reactions

Agnew (GST)

 StrainNegative Affective States

  • Anger, fear, frustration, depression
  • Can lead to all sorts of delinqeuncy (not just economic crimes)
    • Illegitamate channels for success (burglary, robbery)
    • Attack or escape adversity (assault, truancy)
    • Manage through drugs/alcohol

 BUT, how do people react to these states?

  • Merton: modes of adaptation, but why rebel vs. innovate vs. ritualism?
  • Agnew: it depends on “coping ability”

Coping Strategies

 Cognitive options

  • “it’s not important,” “it’s not that bad,” “I deserve it”

 Behavioral options

  • constructively reduce strain, seek positive solution

 Factors that facilitate coping

  • intelligence, problem-solving skills, creativity…

 Factors that inhibit coping

  • delinquent peers, criminal disposition, weak social bonds, weak moral beliefs...

Agnew (GST)

 Tests of GST are favorable

 But, is it “STRAIN” or something else?

  • Very different from Merton
  • Is this theory a theory of “Strain” or a theory of “STRESS?”

 Pirating other theories?

  • Use of control, SLT variables to explain coping

Strain vs. Control or Learning

 Control theory

  • Focus on positive relationships that reduce delinquency

 SLT

  • Focus on positive relationships that can either reduce or increase delinquency

 Strain

  • Focus on negative relationships that increase delinquency

Review of GST

 3 sources of strain

 Strain produces negative affective states

  • Anger most important
  • Charges individuals for action
  • “External motivation”

 In absence of coping, delinquency is likely

  • Uses learning and control variables to indicate whether “coping” is likely

Addressing criticisms of “Classic strain theory”

  1. Strain theory only applies to lower class GST: applies to all classes (all feel strain)
  2. Why different reactions to strain (modes of adaptation)? GST: depends on coping ability, constraints on coping
  3. Weak empirical support GST: moderate to strong empirical support
  4. Strain theory only explains economic crimes GST: explains all types of delinquency/crime