Lecture 6 Messner and Rosenfeld Institutional Anomie Theory- Guns have instant effect- The US non gun homicide rate is 100,000 population- USA has much higher violent crime rate than other countries.- Circular: tautological- Violent culture: violent crime rate indicates it- Messner and Rosenfeld- The American dreamo Achievement A person is evaluated by external achievement Those who has not achieved are considered as “useless underachiever” Is the goal of material successo Individualism The individualists see everyone else as obstacleso Universalism Applies to everyone. Assume that everyone has equal chances of success. Everyone can succeed and everyone can achieve. Pursuing American dream is possible for everyoneo The “Fetishism” of money Material success In American culture, money is an obsession Money is a measurement of a person’s achievement- Institutional anomie and crimeo Institution do something for us as individuals. Goals of life and means of pursuingthese goalso Institutions provide external social control: limit people’s behavior, tell people what to pursue and how to pursue. o In American society, economy is the dominant factor- Effects of a Dominant Capitalist Economy on Other Social Institutions- Devaluationo Education is a means to economic successo The concentration of one’s activities in the family is devaluedo Politics- Accommodationo All other institutions of the society has to move aside for economics. They should not interfere the development of the economyo In America, people get nothing for parental leaveo Blue law: business cannot be open on Sundays- Penetration- The primary goal in the American society is to achieve monetary success- Doing things in a technical efficient way- The crime rate in American is high because crime is very technical efficient- Politics, education, family, and religion do not provide technical efficiency- Weak internal social control- Weakened, non-economic alternatives institutions- American robbery is more violent. It’s qualitatively different- No social safety provided by political
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