In this next section I will be talking about how biker gangs apply to Robert K. Merton’s strain theory. Strain theory assumes that criminal behavior‚ social class‚ and deviant behavior are closely related‚ but are different based on the nature of the relationship. It was a way to explain human conduct and to explain the abnormality of the criminal. Human conduct is not within the individual but rather in the social institutions‚ social groups and social organization. People respond to different situation
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The goal of this scholarly paper is to apply Robert Merton’s anomie theory to the research findings in Force and Fear by Frederick J. Desroches and The Crime That Pays by Frederick J. Desroches. Anomie theory will be briefly defined and his main theoretical argument will be explained. Robert Merton’s concept of innovation will be used to explain criminal activity. The anomie theory will also be criticized for its flaws because every theory is not perfect. The relevant variables will be identified
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Strain theory was originally pioneered by Robert K. Merton and it was later expanded on by Robert Agnew. Merton’s strain theory argues that individuals engage in deviant or criminal behavior when they cannot achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means (Merton‚ 1938). Essentially‚ deviance is the result of the strain that individuals feel from not being able to achieve their goals through legitimate means. Merton used the American Dream ideology to explain his theory. For example‚ the American
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General strain theory was meant to explain that stress caused crime‚ that crime was sort of a coping mechanism for stress. The main propositions of Agnew’s general strain theory were that there were three types of stain that produced deviance: Failure to achieve positively valued goals‚ removal of positively valued stimuli‚ and confrontation with negative stimuli. Removal of positively valued stimuli refers to stress of adolescents caused by loss of a person or thing of great worth‚ such as‚ the
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Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction The Company. Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX) is a worldwide developer‚ manufacturer and marketer of medical devices with approximately 16‚000 employees and revenue of $5.6 billion in 2004. Boston Scientific ’s mission is to improve the quality of patient care and the productivity of health care delivery through the development and advocacy of less invasive medical devices and procedures. Boston Scientific ’s history began in the late 1960s
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Results Table showing strains form grids 1 – 3 at different pressures Pressure Ɛ1‚Grid #1(μƐ) Ɛ2‚ Grid #2 (μƐ) Ɛ3‚ Grid #3 (μƐ) (Bar) Up Down Avg Up Down Avg Up Down Avg 0 0 0 0 0 29 14.5 0 -12 -6 68.95 31.5 32.5 32 79.5 95 87.25 38.5 46 42.25 137.89 65 65.5 65.25 154 166 160 97.5 103.5 100.5 206.84 98.5 97.5 98 224 231.5 227.75 154.5 161.5 158 275.79 133.5 131.5 132.5 297.5 299.5 298.5 219.5 220 219.75 344.74 166.5 166.5 166
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The strain theory states that deviance is more likely to occur when a gap exists between cultural goals and the ability to achieve these goals by legitimate means. To get a decent job in today’s society requires a college degree. The average four year degree is almost $10‚000 just for tuition. We are expected to start school at a young age‚ keep up with homework‚ extracurricular activities‚ chores‚ and keep a job to pay for future expenses. It is extremely hard to earn enough money to pay for your
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he concluded that offenders had not developed to the unchanging lengths as non-offenders. His method was a structure of biological positivity‚ since it suggested that reliable information is obtained from science‚ reasoning and physical senses. His theory came from his study of prosecuted criminals both deceased and live. Lombroso differentiated the criminal bodily fitness to those of non-criminals‚ as well as people who were identified psychotic. In his study he found‚ to some degree those offenders
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Strain theory is "a micro-level‚ process explanation of individuals criminal behavior based on notion of goal frustration" (Howell‚ 2015). The general strain theory of crime and delinquency was developed by Robert Agnew’s in 1985 (Akers & Sellers‚ 2009). The theory has three explanatory factors which is first the strain that lead to negative emotion then to behavior‚ but what can impact a person response to a strain is the internal and external constraints. An internal constraint is the type of value
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The concept behind strain theory is that when there’s a gap between what society wants such as wealth or success and the means to these things are difficult‚ individuals might feel strained and feel the need to use shortcuts to obtain these riches in life. This tension could result in deviant actions because people are attempting to reach these desired objectives using unorthodox or non-accepted means. This strain is caused by individuals’ inability to achieve their
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