The purpose of this essay is to evaluate two key approaches and explore the contributory factors proposed by established theories in determining the causation of crime. In order to achieve this, one psychological and sociological approach will be selected from the many available to enable providing an analysis to establish the fundamentals behind each concept in to explaining the reasons why criminal and deviant behaviours occurs The first concept to be evaluated is Robert K Merton’s (1938) Strain Theory, ‘Social Structure and Anomie.
Its composition is a functionalist, middle-range, sociological perspective that operates by evaluating the impact of the macro on the micro to ascertain the connection between social cultures and societal structures to explain the functions and dysfunctions that can result in causing strain of anomie for which he proposed could develop to criminal and deviant behaviour and is rooted in Emile Durkheim’s (1858-1917) theory – Anomie.
Emile Durkheim’s (1858-1917) Anomie theory is responsible for the original hypothesis of strain theory. Durkheim suggested that society should be analysed and described in terms functions like any other natural organism with systems composed of independent parts, inter-connected to create a system that functions as a whole.
In addition, he suggests that society’s structures or systems function to support integration by shaping peoples’ behaviour to maintain a central value system to enable a collective consciousness of morals, beliefs and norms to promote a cohesive society, The concept of anomie refers to a breakdown of these social norms or to rapid economic changes or developments, which results in society having little or no influence on individuals’ propensity to follow rules and norms, therefore, they are left without moral guidance and feel disconnected from the collective society.
Durkheim (1897) posited that these changes exert strain which can result in crime. However, he argued that crime serves a purpose in society by providing a moral compass or framework to create cohesion. Sociologist have developed their strain theories to understand the causation of crime based on Durkheim’s theory of Anomie Robert K Merton’s (1938) strain theory is an adaptation of Durkheim’s anomie (1897) and is the single most significant formulation in the sociological approach to crime. Merton applied the notion of anomie to establish his strain theory in relation to why crime and deviant behaviour occurs.
He hypothesised that anomie occurs when there is an imbalance of social structure and culture, specifically the disconnection between legitimate social means and valued cultural goals and used this theory to highlight the interconnected relationship of deviance and crime as being a direct response to a dysfunctional economic system. He argued that people operate outside the norms of society and engage in crime and deviant behaviour when they cannot achieve culturally approved goals through legitimate means.
Merton’s strain theory encompasses two concepts: Firstly, society’s unequal structural factors that inhibit the opportunities for some members of society to have access to provisions that promote the same opportunities for all to be able to successfully achieve cultural goals by acceptable institutionalised means. Secondly, societies cultural factors that place greater emphasis on embracing success goals over the legitimate means of achieving them.
Merton applied these concepts to the ‘American Dream’ which emphasises ‘monetary’ and ‘material wealth as being the determining factors that measures a person’s level of achievement. This pressure to achieve the dream is increased by the culture of success in America, whereby, winning is seen as more important than playing by the rules. The ‘American Dream’ highlights that success and wealth is equally achievable for all citizens for which individuals are supposed to pursue by legitimate means via ducation and hard work (jobs).
However, Merton hypothesised that – if these legitimate means of achieving cultural goals are inaccessible to some members of society because of the inequalities in institutional available means this can inhibit individuals through poverty, poor education and discrimination due to the imbalance between cultural goals and the available means, leaving individuals unable to achieve their goals, therefore, resulting in individuals resorting to illegitimate means to achieve the dream.
Merton posited that poverty is a social cause of crime and that individuals from the lower classes are at a higher risk of engaging in deviant behaviour because they are most likely to experience the inequalities of opportunities in achieving culturally established goals, therefore, are more prone to experience the pressures exerted on them resulting in strain. Although everybody experiences strain in one form or another Merton suggests that one way of dealing with strain is by committing crime!
Merton developed a typology theory to illustrate his concept which explained that the responses to strain depends on whether or not society accepts ‘the means’ and ‘the goals’ to achieve economic success. To achieve this he questioned what type of people or groups may be considered as deviant? This resulted in him devising a framework that enabled him to establish sectioning society into five groups that encompassed deviant or non-deviant behaviour: Firstly, Merton suggested that on the whole citizens conform to society’s expectations of achieving the means and the goals and referred to these people as conformist.
These are the people that accept the culturally approved goals and strive to achieve them by legitimate means. Secondly, he highlighted the innovator, explaining that they accept the goals of what needs to be achieved and accept that money is an important part of society’s ideal. However, they reject ‘the means’ and look for illegitimate means to get the ‘goal’ not accepted by society in an attempt to achieve the money by any means necessary to accomplish the goal. Innovators are generally regarded as criminals.
In ddition, Merton explained that there are individuals that give up on achieving goals and continue to conform because they have internalised the means and so carry on following the rules for their own sake and referred to this process as ritualism. Furthermore, his typology suggested that there are those that engage in deviant behaviour by rejecting both the goals and legitimate means and drop of from society. He referred to this section as retreatist as they are likely to be people who engage in recreational substances e. g. drugs and alcohol or are vagrants.
