Strain Theories and White-Collar Crime

Summary

In this discussion, Danielle McCartney explores strain theories and their relation to white-collar crime, primarily drawing from Robert Merton's concepts of anomie and adaptations to societal pressures for economic success. Merton outlines various responses to strain, including conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion. The video also highlights the extensions of strain theory by Messner and Rosenfeld, emphasizing the dominance of economic values in society, as well as Robert Agnew's general strain theory, which addresses how negative emotions can lead to criminal behavior. The session concludes with an overview of relative deprivation theory, which examines the impact of perceived inequality on crime motivation.

Takeaways

• 😀 Strain theories explain how societal pressures can lead individuals to engage in criminal behavior, especially in white-collar contexts.
• 📈 Robert Merton's Anomie Theory suggests that rigid adherence to American values, particularly economic success, contributes to crime and deviance.
• 🏫 Merton identifies 'institutionalized means' like education and employment as approved methods to achieve economic goals.
• 🛠️ The 'Innovator' adaptation occurs when individuals accept societal goals but use unapproved means, such as fraud or embezzlement, to achieve them.
• 📉 'Ritualists' strictly follow societal rules but have given up on achieving economic success, often resulting in bureaucratic stagnation.
• 🚶‍♂️ 'Retreatism' involves withdrawing from societal goals entirely, representing individuals who reject both goals and means.
• 🆕 'Rebels' reject societal goals and means, proposing new structures, which can sometimes lead to collective embezzlement within organizations.
• 💼 Messner and Rosenfeld's Institutional Anomie Theory emphasizes the dominance of economic institutions, leading to weakened social controls and increased crime rates.
• 😡 General Strain Theory by Robert Agnew posits that strain causes negative emotions that can lead to various forms of criminal behavior, including white-collar crime.
• 📊 Relative Deprivation Theory focuses on how perceived inequalities and comparisons with others can create feelings of deprivation and motivate criminal actions.

Q & A

What is the main focus of strain theories in relation to white-collar crime?

Strain theories argue that societal pressures create incentives for individuals to engage in criminal behavior, particularly when legitimate means to achieve success are blocked.

How does Robert Merton's concept of anomie explain crime rates?

Merton's concept of anomie suggests that rigid adherence to the American values of economic success leads to high rates of crime, as individuals may feel pressured to achieve these goals through illegitimate means when approved pathways are unavailable.

What are the four adaptations to strain that Merton identified?

The four adaptations are conformity, innovation, ritualism, and retreatism. Conformity involves accepting societal goals and means, while innovation refers to creatively pursuing goals through unapproved methods. Ritualism involves adhering to rules without achieving goals, and retreatism signifies withdrawal from societal goals and means.

What distinguishes an innovator in the context of Merton's strain theory?

An innovator accepts societal goals, like economic success, but uses unapproved or illegal means to achieve them, such as embezzlement or fraud, often found among white-collar criminals.

What is the difference between ritualists and retreatists according to Merton?

Ritualists continue to follow societal rules without the hope of achieving goals, while retreatists have given up on both the goals and means, often withdrawing from society.

How do Messner and Rosenfeld's institutional anomie theory build upon Merton's work?

They argue that economic interests dominate other social institutions, limiting their ability to provide alternative definitions of success and leaving individuals vulnerable to the pressures that lead to crime.

What is general strain theory and who developed it?

General strain theory, developed by Robert Agnew, posits that strain results in negative emotions that can lead to various criminal outcomes, including white-collar crimes, and identifies multiple sources of strain beyond economic goals.

According to Agnew, what types of strain are more likely to result in criminal behavior?

Strains perceived as unjust, those of high magnitude, strains that create incentives for criminal coping, and strains associated with low social control are more likely to lead to crime.

What role does relative deprivation play in motivating crime?

Relative deprivation theory emphasizes that individuals may feel motivated to commit crimes based on their perceived lack of resources or status compared to others, leading to feelings of frustration and grievance.

How can the culture within an organization, like Enron, influence criminal behavior?

The culture at Enron encouraged unethical behavior, rewarding traders for engaging in shady schemes, demonstrating how organizational culture can shape responses to strain and promote criminal activity.