Anomie Strain/ Differential Opportunity Theory Essay Example
Anomie Strain/ Differential Opportunity Theory Essay Example

Anomie Strain/ Differential Opportunity Theory Essay Example

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  • Pages: 9 (2466 words)
  • Published: January 21, 2017
  • Type: Research Paper
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This paper will cover Anomie Strain, and Differential Opportunity theory. This will be done by an overview and explanations of the two theories, and by comparing and contrasting the theories based on the explanations Robert Merton, Richard Cloward, and Lloyd Ohlin proposes. To begin, the question that inspired Robert Merton, Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin was to explore what was the cause and explanation of why delinquents commit delinquent acts. Robert Merton created and dedicated his research on this question that later developed into his theory that he named Anomie Strain theory.

Using the framework of Robert Merton, Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin created their own theory in response, which is now known as the Differential Opportunity theory. A more in depth explanations of the theories would help give an in depth under

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standing of the similarities and differences of Anomie Strain Theory and Differential Opportunity Theory. This will help explain the question on why delinquents commit delinquent acts. Anomie Strain was a Theory developed by an American Sociologist Robert Merton. The past works of Emile Durkheim influenced anomie strain theory, where the idea of anomie was first introduced as a state of normlessness.

According to (Regoli, Hewitt and Delisi, 2010 p. 190) described it as, ” A state where a normative structure is disrupted and a state of chaos results, which then produces a state of anomie, or a state with no social norms to follow. ” Robert Merton then furthered Durkheim’s idea of anomie and produced what is now called anomie strain theory. Regoli et al. (2010) defined anomie as a, “Permanent disjuncture between cultural goals that are worth strivin

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for, and institutionalized means or approved ways of reaching these goals”(pg. 91).

What this means is that in each society there are cultural goals that individuals would like to strive for, and there are institutions and approved ways that would help individuals reach their goals. For example, Regoli et al. (2010), “In the U. S. society, the cultural goals are to acquire wealth and status. The ways to achieve these ends were, getting a good education, obtaining job training, and pursuing career advancement”(p. 190). Now society is characterized by unequal access to legitimate means to the cultural goals.

Robert Merton (1938), “The unequal access to legitimate means can be seen in individuals that are less fortunate than those who have an easier path to success. Some people have different qualities, resources, and environmental advantages. People are born Female or male, others have wealthy parents, and some are born in an environment that promotes and values education and hard work” (p. 674). All of these advantages are used in following and keeping the cultural goals of being wealthy, which is believed to be what U. S society is trying to achieve.

Now there are some people who are less fortunate and do not have the advantages that others have. For these individuals access to proper means of achieving socially acceptable goals are blocked. Paths to a good education or a good job can be closed for some people, and can ultimately cause a problem, because those who are blocked to these opportunities will still desire to be wealthy and want to achieve high status, just like the individuals who are more privileged.

justify">According to Regoli et al. (2010), “The main separation or the inequalities of the means and goals create strain”(p. 91). Strain is always present in society, and Robert Merton identified five ways that people adapt to these frustrations or strain. This is known as, Merton’s 5 modes of adaptations. The 5 modes of adaptations consist of conformist, innovators, ritualists, retreatists, and rebellions. Robert Merton et al. (2010), “Conformists are people who accept both the goals of the culture and the social means of achieving them. Innovators are described, as individuals who pursue society’s goals, but do it in ways that do not conform to the norms of society.

They want to become wealthy, but instead of achieving wealth through attaining a good education, or maintaining a good job, innovators will try to achieve wealth and status through various crimes that do not conform to society” (p. 191). “ Ritualists are people who don’t accept the goals of society, but still participate in socially accepted means to support themselves”, according to (Regoli et al. 2010, p. 191).

An example of a ritualists, can be a janitor who understands and accepts that his job will not bring him wealth, but is ok with his everyday routine that allows im to live comfortably. His job as a janitor is a socially accepted job. Retreatists are those who drop out of society altogether like alcoholics, drug addicts, and the homeless individuals who don’t believe in the means nor the goals of society. Society looks at retreatists as member of society that doesn’t contribute, and has created their own norms and means of living. Rebellion is the 5th

mode of adaptation. Here Robert Merton describes rebellions as people who do not accept the means or goals that society thinks are legitimate.

Merton et al. (2010), “Describes rebellions and somewhat revolutionaries that make up their own goals and means, and develop ways in order to achieve their goals and means” (p. 676). Once again these are the 5 modes and ways that people adapt to when confronted with frustration and strain, according to Robert Merton. His theory comes from the positive school of thought, which believes that children are inherently good and only commit delinquencies when their means and goals are blocked.

When their goals are blocked then this results into strain and people react to this strain in the 5 different ways, which is known as the Merton’s 5 modes of adaptation that were previously mentioned. When a person adapts into a rebellion, then this choice leads to delinquencies. Based on Robert Mertons theory of Anomie strain, “if society can eliminate that conditions that create strain or frustration, like poverty or inequality, then society will be able to eliminate delinquency” (Regoli et al. 010, p. 191).

Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin developed differential opportunity theory. The two researches believed that delinquency comes from the separation between what children are taught to want and what is actually available to them. Clinard (1961), ‘Now adolescents who want to achieve success often join delinquent gangs. A problem comes about when the adolescent gangs proper means of attaining success is blocked, then they resort to non-favored means, which then develops into delinquency” (P. 81).

According to Regoli et al. (2010) Richard Cloward and

Lloyd Ohlin believes that , “children of lower class who want to make a lot of money and make it fast are the children who would most likely join a gang. The problem is that these children are interested in having the nice cars, and flashy clothes but are not willing or don’t have the urge to make it to the middle class status or middle class way of life, which is obtained by going to school and getting a good education”(p. 195).

So when a lower class child feels as if he is not succeeding or headed towards financial gains then he may blame his failure on society or himself. If the child starts blaming society, then he believes that it is societies fault for his lack of financial gains in his life, and that he will then disassociate himself from society all together and consider the rules of society not proper. The failing to participate in the ways of society would be because of the child’s belief that the society system was unfair and discriminatory.

As Regoli, et al. 2010) advised, “Boy’s who feel as if society is unfair and discriminatory towards them may be compelled to join a gang, which would then create rules of their own and would be considered legitimate rules. Once the members of the gang become aware of how different they are from the rest of society then they grow farther apart from society. This will develop into a closer relationship within the members of the gang, and ultimately become more dependent upon one another” (p. 195) This is where Cloward and Ohlin identified that there

are three delinquent subcultures.

The types of subcultures that develop in neighborhoods depend on how each neighborhood is organized, and what type of opportunities these neighborhoods have available. The three types of subcultures are a criminal, conflict, and retreatist subculture. The criminal subculture is developed in a stable neighborhood that provides children with un-poper opportunities to become successful criminals. The opportunities to become wealthy come from the characteristics of the neighborhood. There are four characteristics that makes a neighborhood a criminal subculture type.

Regoli et al. (2010) Cloward and Ohlin describes these subcultures characteristics as, “1) There are adult role models who are successful criminals, 2) Children learn through their elders how to commit crimes and how to act when they are caught. This is a product of the Integration of age levels. 3) Cooperation between the offenders and the legitimate people in society like the attorneys, bail bondsman, and politicians, 4) The control of delinquents by adult criminals, by having them cut down from unnecessary violence in order to make money” (p. 95) The second type of delinquent subculture is the conflict subculture.

This second type of subculture according to Regoli et al. (2010) develops, “ Out of disorganized slums, where migration waves come in and out and produces social and cultural rootlessness and conflict. Children have a few opportunities to be successful in this type of neighborhood. Typically the adult criminals that live in these types of neighborhoods are usually failures, so there is no integration with other age groups because the adult criminals have no useful knowledge to pass on.

There are little to no cooperation between offenders

with the legitimate members of society, because there is nothing to that is useful to acquire through associating with or helping these offenders. Since adult offenders have no ability or urge to help neighborhood delinquents reduce their violence, children become frustrated and turn to violence out of frustration because of the lack of legitimate and illegitimate opportunities they have” (p. 195).

The third type of delinquent subculture is the retreatist. Regoli et al. 2010), “In this type of environment children are willing to succeed in the criminal or conflict subculture, but do not meet any of the requirements of any of them. These children also don’t live up to the requirements of the conventional culture. These children are then known as double failures because they cannot succeed in any type of activity they try to do, so then these types of individuals will tend to give up and turn to drugs and alcohol “ (p. 195). The cause of delinquency according to Cloward and Ohlin, is a combination of the pressures to succeed that lower class children face.

If these children had the opportunity to succeed using legitimate means, then delinquency rates for these types of boy’s would decline. A quick overview of this theory is that having restricted access to legitimate means causes frustrations that later leads to juveniles being stressed. When juveniles become stressed they then join together and become a gang. Once in a gang delinquents then commit delinquent acts, and the nature of the delinquent act is determined by the characteristics of their neighborhood.

The characteristics of the neighborhood determine the type of subculture that exists. The subcultures

that are developed are the criminal, conflict, and retreatist subculture. The similarities of the two theories is that they both recognize that there is a disjuncture that exists in society that contributes to the problem of delinquents. Now both theories agree that there are restricted access to the legitimate means and goals. In both theories the cultural goals of attaining wealth and status are the same, but the way they behave towards the strain or frustrations are different.

In Robert Merton’s theory of Anomie strain, people have 5 modes of adaption towards strain, and determining which mode of adaptation an individual chooses, explains the likely hood of delinquency. Robert Merton’s theory explains the possible reaction that an individual has towards strain, but in Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin, they explain that restricted access to legitimate means causes frustration and the theory say’s that individual delinquents will join together and become gangs as a result of frustration.

Individual delinquents now base their acts on new norms, which are the norms of gang’s they just joined, and not the norms of conventional society. The nature and the type of delinquent acts these delinquents commit are based on the type of subculture they belong to. Their decision is now based and influenced around their gang, which is a group setting. In Robert Merton’s theory of Anomie Strain, the decisions in the type of delinquency the delinquent commits was based on their individual modes of adaptations.

Most importantly it was an individual based decision rather than a group influenced decision, which is the case in the Differential Opportunity theory. By introducing both Anomie strain and Differential

Opportunity theories and explaining each theory in depth gives a better understanding and reason’s why each researcher like Robert Merton, and Richard Clowen and Lloyd Ohlin had similar, but yet different approaches on explaining the question on why delinquents commit delinquent acts, and what were the causes of these acts.

For Robert Merton’s theory the main idea was that the disjuncture between the cultural goals that people are willing to strive for, and the institutionalized means to achieving these goals. Now within this disjuncture there are inequalities in society, which creates unequal access to these society means. This causes strain and within the 5 modes of adaptation an individual chooses explains the question on why delinquents commit their delinquent acts.

The Differential Opportunity theory explains the cause of why delinquents commit delinquent acts by also explaining that there is a disjuncture in society between the cultural goals and the means of obtaining these goals, and that this disjuncture creates strain, which both theories agree on. Now the difference between the two theories once again is how and individual reacts to this strain. According to Anomie strain the individual adapts to the strain by adapting to one of the Five modes of adaptations and depending on what mode the individual chooses explains the nature of the delinquent act.

In Differential Opportunity the individual reacts to this strain and frustration by joining a gang. The gang creates it’s own means and goals that differ from conventional society and are usually delinquent acts. The nature of the delinquents acts are determined by three types of delinquent subcultures the individual belongs to. To clarify the similarities

of the two theories once again is that individuals are both restricted from access to the cultural goals and means, but the differences result in the way the individual reacts to this strain. These are the explanations on why delinquents commit delinquent acts.

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