Assess strain theories as an explanation of crime and deviance in contemporary society
The relationship between offending and subculture explains how a situation for example society preventing certain groups particularly working class males from succeeding in terms of material achievement and this creates group response whereby the group rejects the values and of that society and develops alternative values ‘subculture’ and this leads to values generated by the subculture being justified and leading to antisocial behaviour and crime. Strain is a term used to refer to explanations of criminal behaviour that argue that crime is a result of certain groups of people being places in a position where they are unable for whatever reason to conform to the values and beliefs of society.
Strain theory was introduced by Merton who tried to locate deviance within a functionalist framework. Merton argued that capitalist societies suffer from anomie a strain/conflict between the goals set by society and the legitimate means of achieving of them. Merton argued that all societies set their members certain goals and at the same time set socially approved ways of achieving them. The system worked well as long as there was a reasonable chance that a majority of people were able to achieve their goals. However, if the majority of the population were unable to achieve the socially set goals, then they became disenchanted with society and found an alternative usually deviant way of behaving. Merton maintained that American and British society socialises individuals to; meet certain shared goals the ‘American Dream’ which is similar to the drug dealers who have been attracted to the rapidly expanding, multibillion dollar drug economy precisely because they believe in the American dream. American and British society also socialises individuals to follow approved means or ways to achieve