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Strain Theory
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Strain Theory
The strain theory was developed by Robert K. Merton in 1938. According to Ashley Crossman from about.com, this theory traces the origins of deviance to the tensions that are caused by the gap between cultural goals and the means people have available to achieve those goals. In criminology, the Strain Theories state that social structures within society may encourage citizens to commit crime. Following on the work of Émile Durkheim, Strain Theories have been developed by Merton (1938), Cohen (1955), Cloward and Ohlin (1960), Agnew (1992), and Messner and Rosenfeld (1994). Strain may be either:
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 that the means adopted.
Strain Theories are an adaptation of anomie attributed to Durkheim, who used the word in Suicide (1897) when outlining the causes of suicide, to describe a condition or malaise in individuals, characterised by an absence or diminution of standards or values, and an associated feeling of alienation and purposelessness
It is known that societies are characterized by both culture and social structure. Culture establishes goals for people in society while social structure provides (or fails to provide) the means for people to achieve those goals. According to Merton, people use these means to achieve these goals that are established by society, which indicates that this system is in balace. It is when the system is in an ambalance where deviant behavior comes into play.
An example that better explains the strain theory is the idea of economic success. In the U.S., economic success is a highly sought after goal for many Americans. The two quintessential ways to achieve this goal is education and a job. Not everyone has equal access to these factors which results in structural strain that leads to deviance. It is common for lower class individuals to feel this strain and perform deviant behaviors because they aim for economic success, similar to everyone else, but are blocked by their economic constraints.
An example of someone who subjected themselves to deviant behavior in order to gain economic success is Frank Abagnale, who is a former check con-artist, forger and imposter who, for five years in the 1960s, passed bad checks worth more than $2.5 million in 26 countries. He was areested multiple times when finally the the US Federal Government offered him his freedom in return for helping the government against fraud and scam artists without pay.
Economic success is a common factor for deviant behavior discussed in the strain theory. However, the quintessiential factor(s) are violence/murder. On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold entered Columbine High School and began shooting students in the hallways and in the school's library. They also detonated two bombs in the high school's cafeteria. At the end of the day, the two managed to kill fifteen people, including themselves and injuring dozens more. The crime called attention to bullying in school and other factors that contributed to the boys' actions.
The Threat Assessment Group (TAG) made a documentary in 2002 about finding out why the boys did what they did. They found that bullying was a big contribution to the reason, but it wasn't the whole picture. Park Dietz, M.D., Ph.D., leader of TAG, made a list of the 12 signs of mass muder:
- threats
- allusions to violence
- excessive or intimidating references to mass murders or shooting sprees, real or fictional
- Excessive interest in the policce, military
- Intimidating weapon comments
- Inappropriate communications
- Documenting or stalking potential victims
- Anger or suicidal thoughts
- Paranoia
- Repeatedly accusing other people of causing one's problems.
- Unreasonable complaints
Dylan had eleven of these indicators while Eric had ten. These indicators were factors into what happened, with the most important ones being anger, depression, suicide, and excessive interest in the police/military. According to TAG, Eric received notice that he was turned down for the Marine Core a few days before April 20, which may have refeuled and ignited his anger and suicidal thoughts, with Dylan following suit.
What the boys did at Columbine resulted from anger, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Bullying was the only factor on many peoples' minds until TAG assessed that it was not just bullying that drove the boys over the edge, although it was the main factor. According to Park Dietz, they did it for power, control, respect, revenge, infamy, legacy, and to call attention to the problem of bullying. It was decided by TAG psychiatrist Steven E. Pitt, D.O., that both boys had an affective illness or mood disorder.
Aileen Wuornos became infamous for killing seven men in 1989 and 1990 while prostituting. She said she did it in slef-defense due to her accusations of them raping her or attempting to rape her. While making a documentary about her life and crimes, director Nick Broomfield said, "I think this anger developed inside her. And she was working as a prostitute. I think she had a lot of awful encounters on the roads. And I think this anger just spilled out from inside her. And finally exploded. Into incredible violence. That was her way of surviving. I think Aileen really believed that she had killed in self-defense. I think someone who's deeply psychotic can't really tell the difference between something that is life threatening and something that is a minor disagreement, that you could say something that she didn't agree with. She would get into a screaming black temper about it. And I think that's what had caused these things to happen. And at the same time, when she wasn't in those extreme moods, there was an incredible humanity to her." Aileen turned to prostitution as a way to make money due to her lack of education and prior criminal record which prevented her from obtaining a job.
Betty Broderick was convicted to thirty-two years in prison in 1991 after murdering her ex-husband Dan Broderick and his new bride, Linda Kolkena in their California bed in 1989. This case called into attention domestic violence and domestic revenge for Americans around the U.S. During her trial, Broderick said she just wanted to talk with him and if he wouldn't listen, she would committ suicide. Stating it was an accident, she said she heard Linda scream call the police and then "it was all over." She stated she did what she did as a means of not getting back at Dan but getting back to old herself. According to her, he took everything away from her: their children, their home, and her life. This whole case would be an example of her feeling the pressures from society of being the ultimate housewife. She gave everything up for Dan: she worked three jobs at a time to send him to Harvard Law School and Harvard Medical School and she became a stay at home mom when their four children were born. According to her, Dan took her identity when he divorced her for Linda and that caused her to snap. It was proven that while Betty Broderick was not psychotic nor a sociopath, it was proven that she was an extreme narcissist.
I agree with the strain theory on the fact that when people feel pressure to achieve goals established by society, they act in deviant ways. My reason for my choice is that the strain theory does not say that it affects one particular person over another. It does not state that only people with mental illness committ crimes under pressure. Evidence for this is Frank Abagnale who conned many people out of millions of dollars. It was proven that he was afflicted with any mental illness and that he committed his crimes due to his pursuit of being wealthy.