Crime is a common theme within films, media, literature and popular culture. However, to really make a character within these media believable it is the criminological theories that help to make the motivations and behaviours realistic. Animal Kingdom, is one of many movies which demonstrates criminal behaviour and motivations linked with criminological theories through the main character. This movie follows Josh and how he struggles to survive under his estranged criminal family. A detective tries to save Josh from his family but in the end he fails to do so, and Josh becomes a criminal. In order to demonstrate Josh’s criminal behaviour and motivation, the Differential Association Theory and the Social Structural Strain Theory will be compared,
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It is the overemphasis on obtaining wealth and a home that reduces a person to illegal methods to gaining the typical ‘dream’ (Merton, 1957). The strain theory places the disjuncture of goals and the means to achieving goals, as it being responsible for criminality. Merton created five different ways a person reacts with social strain: conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion. It is stated by Merton that the five types are referred to by “specific types of situations, not to personality” of the person (Merton, 1968 194). Conformity is acceptance of the goals and the legal way of achieving them, whereas innovation is the acceptance of the goals but the rejection of the typically way of achieving them with the common form resulting in crime (Merton, 1968 195). Retreatism and rebellion is the rejection of the goals and the accepted way of achieving these goals, although retreatism involves retreating to alcoholism or drug use where rebellion is the creation of a new set of goals (Merton, 1968 207-209). Ritualism is also the rejection of society’s goals, however they then accept the means of achieving lower level goals (Merton, 1968 203-204). With criminal behaviour, it is the innovation category that is most relevant to how individuals learn how to become criminal. They get innovative about how they achieve their goals, and be doing so criminally …show more content…
Merton’s Strain theory is never really shown to be linked with Josh throughout the duration of this film. Josh is only a teenager so he currently does not have the responsibility to worry about the typically goals set forth in achieving the ‘American dream’. However, Craig used the money he profited from drugs to buy the house for his mother. Achieving the end result through illegal means in contrast with Baz who has been using the stock market in order to gain profit in a legal manner. Both are going about achieving an end result just in two completely different manners. It can be determined that Craig is in the innovation category whilst Baz is in the section of conformity. Merton’s Social Structural Strain Theory plays an element within the film with side characters but not Josh. Josh’s criminal behaviour and motivations are not determined by this theory based on social structure
It is the overemphasis on obtaining wealth and a home that reduces a person to illegal methods to gaining the typical ‘dream’ (Merton, 1957). The strain theory places the disjuncture of goals and the means to achieving goals, as it being responsible for criminality. Merton created five different ways a person reacts with social strain: conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion. It is stated by Merton that the five types are referred to by “specific types of situations, not to personality” of the person (Merton, 1968 194). Conformity is acceptance of the goals and the legal way of achieving them, whereas innovation is the acceptance of the goals but the rejection of the typically way of achieving them with the common form resulting in crime (Merton, 1968 195). Retreatism and rebellion is the rejection of the goals and the accepted way of achieving these goals, although retreatism involves retreating to alcoholism or drug use where rebellion is the creation of a new set of goals (Merton, 1968 207-209). Ritualism is also the rejection of society’s goals, however they then accept the means of achieving lower level goals (Merton, 1968 203-204). With criminal behaviour, it is the innovation category that is most relevant to how individuals learn how to become criminal. They get innovative about how they achieve their goals, and be doing so criminally …show more content…
Merton’s Strain theory is never really shown to be linked with Josh throughout the duration of this film. Josh is only a teenager so he currently does not have the responsibility to worry about the typically goals set forth in achieving the ‘American dream’. However, Craig used the money he profited from drugs to buy the house for his mother. Achieving the end result through illegal means in contrast with Baz who has been using the stock market in order to gain profit in a legal manner. Both are going about achieving an end result just in two completely different manners. It can be determined that Craig is in the innovation category whilst Baz is in the section of conformity. Merton’s Social Structural Strain Theory plays an element within the film with side characters but not Josh. Josh’s criminal behaviour and motivations are not determined by this theory based on social structure