What Do You Know About The Notion Of Social Structure Theory Flashcards

stratified society people grouped according to economic ot social class characterized by the unequal distribution of wealth, power and prestige social class segment of the population whose members are at a relatively similar economiv level and who share attitudes, values, norms, and an identifiable lifestyle culture of poverty a separate lower-class culture, characterized by aathy, cynicism, helplessness, and mistrust of social instituions such as schools, governement agencies, and the police, that is passed from one generation to another underclass the lowest social stratum in any country, whose members lack the education and skills needed to functino siccessfully in modern society social sturcture theory the view that disadvantageed economic class position is a promary cause of crime social disorganization theory branch of social structure theory that focuses on the breakdown in inner-city neghborhoods of instituitions such as the fmaily, school, and employment strain theory branch of social structure theory that sees crime as a function of the conflict netween people's goals and the means available to obtain them strain the anger, frustration and resentment epereienced by people who believe they cannot achieve their goals through legitimate means cultural deviance theory branch of social structure theory that sees strain and social disorganization together resulting in a unique loewr-class culture that conflicts with conventinoal social norms subculture a set of values, beliefs, and traditions unique to a particular social class or group within a larger society cultural transmission process whereby values, beliefs and traditions are handed down from one generation to the next transitional neighborhood an area undergoing a shift in population and structure, usualy from middle-class residential to lower-class mixed use concentration effect as working and middle class fmailies flee inner-city poverty-ridden areas, the most disadvantaged popluation is consolidated in urban ghettos collective efficacy social control extorted by cohesive communities and based on mutal trust, including intervention in the supervision of children and maintenance of public order anomie theory the view that anomie results when socially defined goals (such as wealth and power) are universally mandated but access to legitimate menas (such as education and job opportunities) is stratified by class and status institutional anomie theory the view that anomie pervades U.S. culture because the drive for material wealth dominates and undermines social and community values American Dream the goal of accumulating material goods and wealth through individual competitions; the process of being socialized to pursue material success and to believe it is achievable relative deprivation envy, mistrust, and agression resulting from perceptions of economic and soail inequality relative strain theory (GST) the view taht multiple sources of stain interact with an individual's emotional traits and responses to produce criminality negative effective states anger, frustration, and adverse emotions produced by a variety of sources of strain local concerns values, such as toughness and street smarts, that have evolved specifcally to fit conditions in lower-class environments delinquent subculture a value system adopted by lower-class youths that is directly opposed to that of the larger society status frustration a form of culture conflict expereinced by lower-class youths becasue social conditions prevent them from achieving success as defined by the larger society middle-class measuring rods the standards by which authority figures, such as teachers and employers, evaluate lower-class youngsters and often prejudge them negatively reaction formation irriational hostility evidenced by young deliquents, who adopt norms directly opposed to middle-class goals and standards that seem impossible to achieve differential opportunity the view that lower-class youths whose legitimate opportunities are limited, join gangs and pursue criminal careers as alternative means to achieve universal success goals