Exam 6: Social Structure Theory

Political ideologies, such as affirmative action, have erased the economic disparities between whites and minorities

According to Shaw and McKay, a __________ neighborhood is an area wracked by extreme poverty and suffering high rates of population turnover.

Cohen's theory of delinquent subcultures focuses on social conditions that prevent lower-class youths from achieving success legitimately. Cohen labels this form of culture conflict ______.

Some social structure theorists argue that destructive forces in poverty-stricken areas are responsible for high crime rates.

A promising trend in the last 10 years is the closing gap of unemployment rates among races; African Americans and non-Hispanic Whites both have unemployment rates around 14 percent nationally.

Merton's view of anomie has been one of the most enduring and influential theories of criminality.

Strain theory holds that crime is a function of ______.

According to sociologist Walter Miller, clinging to lower-class _________________, such as toughness and fate, promotes illegal or violent behavior.

Social ecology school criminologists associate crime rates and the need for police services to ______.

Collective efficacy refers to the social control exerted by cohesive communities that is based on mutual trust.

Delinquent subculture theory was first articulated by Emile Durkheim in 1936 to explain displaced juveniles following the Great Depression.

Social control exerted by cohesive communities and based on mutual trust is known as _____.

When members of the lower class are unable to achieve symbols of success via conventional means they feel anger, frustration, and resentment. These feelings are collectively referred to as ______.

Which theory focuses on the urban conditions, such as high unemployment and school dropout rates, to explain crime?

_____________ theory holds that crime occurs when members of the lower class experience anger and frustration over their inability to achieve success.

Because of differential opportunities presented to youth, disadvantaged young people are likely to join one of three types of gangs; the gangs which develop in communities unable to provide either legitimate or illegitimate opportunities are called ____________ gangs.

Why are personal relationships, including establishing communication and common goals, strained in socially disorganized neighborhoods?

Agnew suggests that criminality is the direct result of __________-the anger, frustration, and adverse emotions associated with destructive social relationships.

General strain theory is not purely a structural theory because it focuses on how life events influence behavior.

The most important wielder of informal social control is the ______.