Blow Social Strain Theory

Improved Essays
Criminology Theories Based on the Movie “Blow” Why do people commit crimes? The study of crime and why some people cannot get away from criminal activities while others never have any problems have been examined for decades. The study of criminology targets why individuals commit crimes and why criminals behave in certain situations. This leads to a breakdown based on a true story of the movie “Blow” which tells the story of George Jung, one of the largest cocaine traffickers in the United States in the 1970’s. The movie depicts many criminal theories on why George lived his life the way he did. This paper will explain the theories best noted in the movie “Blow” pertaining to general strain theory, classical theory and social bond theory. …show more content…
Merton. The theory states that social structures may burden citizens to commit crimes. Strain may be organizational, which refers to the processes at the general level that trickle down and affect how the individual recognizes his or her needs. However, strain may also be individual, which refers to the resistances and pains experienced by an individual as he or she looks for ways to satisfy individual needs. For this purpose, these types of strain can propose public designs within society that then stress people to become criminals. Merton suggested a classification of deviant behavior that demonstrated the possible differences between culturally defined goals and the established means available to achieve these goals. A classification is an arrangement order designed to simplify understanding. Furthermore, Merton was suggesting a classification of deviance based upon two criteria. The first criteria is a person's drive or his loyalty to cultural goals and second is a person's belief in how to reach his goals. According to Merton, there are five types of deviance based upon these criteria, but the one that pertains most to this paper is innovation which involves the acceptance of the goals of a culture, but the denial of the traditional reasonable means of accomplishing those

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Merton that strain theory, and crime is not created by society alone. Agnew, and Merton differ in their definition of strain theory in two ways; one being that Agnew takes a more individualist approach to strain theory, and Merton takes a more society based approach to explain crime (AGNEW, 1997, Pg. 50, & Merton, 1938, Pg.672). Agnew argues that Merton definition of strain theory is not able to explain why only some individuals do to their strain turn to crime/delinquency, and also that Merton definition neglects every other aspect of strains other than monetary (AGNEW, 1997, Pg. 50). Agnew ideal of strain theory is that immediate goals such as educational goals should also be taken into consideration when looking at strains that cause individuals to commit crimes (AGNEW, 1997, Pg. 72). Also that bad influence/stimuli, removal of positive values, and failure to achieve positive goals all create a strain on the individuals that can lead him or her into delinquency (AGNEW, 1997, Pg. 72).…

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Nobody fully knows why people commit crimes and negatively affect our society, but society can try to explain some reasons with sociological theories. People can look at three widely known Sociological theories of crime; Strain, social learning, and control theories. Each of these theories explain crime by using social environment such as, family, school, social groups (friends), workplace, community, and society. Each theory is similar but at the same time very different, each theory is different on how social environments cause crime, they take different parts of social environment, and some theories explain differences of the individual and others explain differences in social groups. Strain theory explains that individuals engage in crime because they are stressed or strained.…

    • 900 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    THE SOCIOLOGY OF CRIME AND DEVIANCE AC 1. In this essay I will be explaining the distinction between crime and deviance within society and be able to provide illustrative examples to acquire an easy understanding of them. Later, evaluate and compare some sociological perspectives and their points of views in terms of crime and deviance as well as recognising limitations about particular methods of measure crime.…

    • 1746 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The one thing that criminological theories cannot explain is why a person can commit a crime and feel no remorse, as is the case with Willie. Merton’s Strain Theory identifies that discontent with one’s status, both economic and social, leads to the willingness to commit crimes in order to obtain a different status, especially when the person is already in the lowest possible status. While Agnew’s General Strain Theory identifies the three different ways in which a person may begin to feel the effects of the strain. Although the Strain theories identify causes of crime they do not attempt to identify one of the most important factors of crime. Crime is a behavior that like any other has to be learned, this is the first and arguably most important of the nine key points of Differential Association.…

    • 1729 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Realism In Crime

    • 1544 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Studying crime is an interesting topic because there are so many theories surrounding why people commit crimes. Although there are several theories pertaining to crime, there are few that stand out when exploring criminal activities. Theories such as strain theory or differential association theory are based around a persons surroundings, that those surroundings are what causes them to commit crimes. Although these theories make extremely good arguments, they suggest that others are to blame for criminal activities and not the person who commits the crime. Realism however, looks at the individual who committed the crime as the person at fault.…

    • 1544 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As a result of these strains, some people experience negative emotions such as anger or frustration. When these individuals lack the resources to cope with the strain they are encountering through legitimate means, they will be more likely to alleviate to illegitimate means in which they can cope with the strain. As with any theory, the strain theory has criticisms, namely the issues of the strain theory only being applicable at the aggregate level and the way the strain theory ties disjunction and expectations to strain. Even with the criticisms, researchers have recognized the importance that the strain theory plays when it comes to explaining crime within…

    • 1315 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Jeffery Dahmer On a sad day in May of 1960 Jeffery Dahmer was born in Milwaukee Wisconsin. He was one of America’s most infamous serial killers. Other names attributed to him was the Milwaukee cannibal because he ate the flesh of his victims. At an early age, he began killing animals and put a severed head of a dog on a stake in his yard and a cemetery where he buried them.…

    • 986 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    According to Siegel and Welsh, “Inhabitants of a disorganized inner-city area feel isolated, frustrated, ostracized from the economic mainstream, hopeless, and eventually angry. These are all signs of what sociologists call strain” (2014, p. 104). In order to relieve these strains, sociologists have developed theories to demonstrates how these feelings of strain produce criminal activity. According to Robert Agnew’s theory, there are numerous life experiences that produce strain.…

    • 451 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Strain theory was developed in 1938 by Robert K. Merton. Strain theory proposes that in every society there are culturally prescribed goal, such as the American Dream, and institutionally accepted means to achieve them such as receiving an education. When citizens aspire to societal goals but are unable to achieve them, a strain occurs that can lead them to commit crime and engage…

    • 702 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    On any given day in the United States of America there is more than 1700 prisoners released from incarceration to reintegrate back into society. Annually, the total number of prisoners returning to communities across the country is over 635,000 (Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2016). With such an influx of prisoners returning to society, the odds are definitely stacked against them. They are released requiring employment and housing to even have a fighting chance of remaining free. While this may seem like a simple task to the general population, it is always not the case for the former prisoner.…

    • 1421 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Robert K. Merton was an American sociologist who developed social strain theory. This theory states that social structures may pressure citizens to commit crimes. Crime may be used to reduce or escape from strain, for example, if an individuals experiencing chronic unemployment may engage in theft or drug selling to obtain money (Agnew, Scheuerman, 2015). My hypothesis on strain theory is that crime can be related to economic and educational surroundings. In order to test this theory I would use a survey questionnaire.…

    • 243 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The last conclusion on the strain theory leading to violent criminal behaviour is more focusing on the physical aspect of the stimulus and goals and less of the emotional and mental side as the two previous paragraphs have done so. The last idea of the strain theory that will be discussed in this essay is the presentation side of the strain. _____ states that “ the presentation of a negatively valued stimulus may result in strain” ( 1274). Society puts a lot of stress and strain on individuals to be the best of the best, and to be the best of the best, is by presenting yourself as so. A great example of physically presenting yourself is by proving that you are finically stable.…

    • 287 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Great Essays

    More specifically, this theory holds “crime occurs when members of the lower class experience anger and frustration over their inability to achieve success” (Siegel, p. 143). Individuals feel this way because they fail to achieve what they deem as success through traditional societal means. Considering the individual does not feel successful, the “strain” pushes them to seek other means for success, such as criminal activities. Understanding the background of the strain theory is valuable in order to understand the main concept. Inspired by the Great Depression, Robert K. Merton developed the first major strain theory, which explains why the concept primarily focuses on an individual 's inability to achieve monetary success (Agnew, p. 30).…

    • 1771 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    For many decades and centuries there has been a debate within the criminologists population about the causes to become a criminal. Throughout time, people have tried to come to a conclusion about what could be the cause for crime. It was perceived that there was one single cause for someone to commit a crime, whether it was robbery or murder. The reason in the 17th century would be that, the accused is possessed(Causes of Crime). As technology and society advanced, many criminologists began to have a different perspective.…

    • 1172 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Introduction: There are many unique theories as to why humans commit crime, engage with others in crime, and are lured or motivated by a criminal lifestyle. By studying these theories, one is afforded a chance to develop and then test potential solutions to this enormous social problem that has afflicted humanity since the beginning of time. The various ways of deterring, controlling, preventing, and punishing crime throughout history has changed drastically. Attempting to attack the problem of crime head on, has not worked; so developing different ways to learn why, adapt, and address the root causes of crime is the current strategy. One very important point is that the structural frameworks and contributions from both classical school of…

    • 1226 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays