CJ 3011 Exam Number Two Study Guide Chapters 6 9 Chapter 6 Key Terms Stratified Society People grouped according to economic or social class characterized by the unequal distribution of wealth power and prestige Social Class Segment of the population whose members are at a relatively similar economic level and who share attitudes values norms and an identifiable lifestyle Culture of Poverty A separate lower class culture characterized by apathy cynicism helplessness and mistrust of social institutions such as schools government agencies and the police this is passed from one generation to the next Underclass The lowest social stratum in any country whose members lack the education and skills needed to function successfully in modern society Social Structure Theory The view that disadvantaged economic class position is a primary cause of crime Social Disorganization Theory Branch of social structure theory that focuses on the breakdown of inner city neighborhoods of institutions such as the family school and employment Strain Theory Branch of social structure theory that sees crime as a function of the conflict between people s goals and the means available to obtain them Strain The anger frustration and resentment experienced by people who believe they cannot achieve their goals through legitimate means Culture Deviance Theory Branch of social structure theory that sees strain and social disorganization together resulting in a unique lower class culture that conflicts with the conventional social norms Subculture A set of values beliefs and traditions unique to a particular social class or group within a larger society Cultural Transmission Process whereby values beliefs and traditions are handed down from one generation to the next Transitional Neighborhood An area undergoing a shift in population and structure usually from middle class residential to lower class mixed use Concentration Effect As working and middle class families flee inner city poverty ridden areas the most disadvantaged population is consolidated in urban ghettos Collective Efficacy Social control exerted by cohesive communities and based on mutual trust including intervention in the supervision of children and maintenance of public order Anomie Theory The view that anomie results when socially defined goals such as wealth and power are universally mandated but access to legitimate means such as education and job opportunities is stratified by class and status Institutional Anomie Theory The view that anomie pervades U S culture because the drive for material wealth dominates and undermines social and community values American Dream The goals of accumulating material goods and wealth through individual competition the process of being socialized to peruse material success and to believe it is achievable Relative Deprivation Envy mistrust and aggression resulting from perceptions of economic and social inequality General Strain Theory The view that multiple sources of strain interact with an individual s emotional traits and responses to produce criminality Negative Affective States Anger frustration and adverse emotions produced by a variety of sources of strain Focal Concerns Values such as toughness and street smarts that have evolved specifically to fit conditions in lower class environments Delinquent Subculture A value system adopted by lower class youths that is directly opposed to that of the larger society Status Frustration A form of culture conflict experienced by lower class youths because social conditions prevent them from achieving success as defined by the larger society Middle Class Measuring Rods The standards by which authority figures such as teachers and employers evaluate lower class youngsters and often prejudge them negatively Reaction Formation Irrational hostility evidenced by young delinquents who adopt norms directly opposed to middleclass goals and standards that seem impossible to achieve Differential Opportunity The view that lower class youths whose legitimate opportunities are limited join gangs and pursue criminal careers as alternative means to achieve universal success goals Chapter 6 Concepts Notes In Class Notes Many gangs today are national organizations that contain thousands of members and may have branches in more than one state More than 37 million Americans now live in poverty and the economic gap between the richest and the most impoverished citizens is growing wider Minorities still have a significantly lower standard of living than whites as well as much higher unemployment rates People in disadvantaged areas develop a siege mentality and mistrust any form of government involvement in their community According to the concept of collective efficacy mutual aid and cooperation at the neighborhood level can in fact help lower crime rates Crime rates may rise in a healthy economy because prosperity makes monetary rewards more attractive encouraging people to gain financial success by any means necessary Children have significantly higher poverty rates than adults Because Crime rates are higher in lower class areas many criminologists believe that the causes of crime are rooted in socioeconomic factors Despite economic headway there are still more than 30 million indigent Americans Some criminologists believe that destructive social forces in poverty stricken areas are responsible for high crime rates The strain and frustration inflicted by poverty are a suspected cause of crime Indigents may become involved in a deviant subculture that sustains and supports criminality Strain theories hold that economic deprivation causes frustration which leads to According to Merton s anomie theory many people who desire material goods and other forms of economic success lack the means to achieve their goals Some may turn to crime Messner and Rosenfeld s institutional anomie theory argues that the goal of success at all costs has invaded every aspect of American life Agnew s general theory of strain suggests that there is more than one source of crime anomie Shaw and McKay first identified the concepts central to social disorganization They found stable patterns of crime in the central city The social ecology school associates community deterioration and economic Collective efficacy can reduce neighborhood crime rates by creating greater decline with crime rates cohesiveness Walter Miller describes the focal concerns that shape this subculture Albert Cohen analyzes the lifestyle of
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