General Strain Theory Essay

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I have chosen to write my essay on the article, “Building on the Foundation of General Strain Theory: Specifying the Types of Strain Most Likely to Lead to Crime and Delinquency” by Robert Agnew. Since I first heard of strain theory, I found it to be a fascinating concept that was easily seen in both everyday life and in the media. My favorite example of strain theory involves the plot of the television series, Breaking Bad. In the first few episodes of the show, we learn that the show’s main protagonist, Walter White, had lung cancer and may die; leaving his wife, teenage son, and (soon-to-be-born) daughter with very little to no money. The fact that Walter had little money to begin with was already a strain he was facing then the added …show more content…
It is hard not to when I myself have experienced strain several times in my adult life. As I read the article, I took notes the information that Agnew discussed that I found particularly interesting. A main concept being that most of the research conducted was based on objective strains (which are conditions or events that are disliked by most people within a group), while strain might be more accurately studied as subjective strain (conditions or events that are disliked by the individuals experiencing them) (Agnew, 2001, p. 320-321). Agnew then went on to explain how emotional responses vary and how that will affect the way individuals react to different strains. While I have believed in strain theory since I first learned about it, I never thought about how there would be different individualized reactions to strain. It is a concept that seems quite elementary but one that had eluded me (for reasons I still can not explain) until I read this …show more content…
Another concept that Agnew discusses is the strain’s likelihood of leading to crime. This is generally influenced by the criminal and non-criminal coping options and how appealing those options may be. Strains that are usually viewed as being associated with crime or criminals will usually result in crime as the coping option. It is added that criminal coping may be the individual’s most effective means of dealing with the strain. This reminds me of my initial example of Walter White turning to crime to cope with his strain. While his decision may not have been the only way to solve his problem, in his mind it was the most effective means of obtaining the amount money he desired for his family. I found every assigned article to be very interesting. However, I have always been interested in the concept of strain theory and therefore chose to write my essay about the article discussing General Strain Theory. I have learned quite a bit and agree with the concepts. I feel that knowledge I gained from this article will help me in my future criminology

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