Social Structure Theory Summary

Chapter 6 focuses on social structure theory, which is the idea that the starting point of most crimes can be traced back to the sociological economic disadvantages that are immersed in society. This means that the economic structure of the United States has created a society where statuses are spread out by means of social classes. Different social classes are prone to different opportunities in life and social problems. These opportunities and problems are directly linked to crime rates. The economic structure in society is stratified. There are three distinct classes: the upper class, the middle class, and the lower class. Many problems related to crime can be seen as lower class problems. Others see the lower class in society as having their own culture of poverty. This describes the helplessness of the lower class in ways that display their mistrust for social institution. This can ultimately cause people to become underclassmen, meaning that they do not have the education or skills needed to be successful. Many people who live in poverty often struggle putting off immediate gratification for their …show more content…
Social disorganization theory focuses on the problems in the inner-city neighborhood of institutions. Many of these institutions such as schools are unable to perform their functions needed to better the community. These problems then result in unemployment and violence because people turn to other outlets. Strain theory analyzes how crime happens because people do not have the means to achieve their goals. Similarly, cultural deviance theory looks at the strain and social disorganization as whole. It recognizes that it creates an individual subculture of the lower class that goes against typical cultural norms of the rest of society. Many times criminal behavior is an expression of the lower