Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

guild - Essay ExampleThe social roots of delinquency restrain been examine using theories developed by sociologists as well as criminologists. Some of them view delinquency as function of one individual while others describe it from the macro level of societal structure (Bernard 1984). The theories that give be presented here leave behind be applicable to analyze of crime and delinquency in society. Society has embedded many ideas promoting the success in life. It puts a large emphasis on money, power, commodities, and material goods to switch off who we are and how much one has accomplished. Unfortunately we are all given the idea that success is one universal lifestyle and we should all aim to work towards it. However, only few have the means to piss these goals. In this paper I will discuss the correlation between social classes and delinquency. It is important to line up the root of the delinquency in order to start eliminating it, leading to a brighter future for those in a trim back-class, enabling the youth to have fair opportunities in society. It is a widespread opinion that youth from lower socioeconomic class is much open for delinquency and crime. Through the theories of such sociologists as Merton, Cohen, Cloward and Ohlin I will try to prove that this opinion is right. The strain theory is similar to the structural functionalism and argues that raft who commit crimes have basically the same values as everybody else.., however, the avenues for the achievement of success are greatly restricted for people in the lower class. Thus, they are faced with a cruel dilemma either they abandon the study American values of success and prosperity or they abandon a nonher - obedience of the law (Leighninger 331).TheoriesMertons stemma TheoryStrain theory is mainly applied to juvenile delinquency among the boys of lower class and is ground on the idea that the value of success they have is shared with the larger culture, but the stratified accult uration makes it impossible to compete effectively. Therefore, this pressure is causing the strain and young adults are trying to resolve it. The designer of the society prevents the poor youth from attaining success and lead to defiance of socially accepted norms. Merton has provinced that sometimes the society is structured in the way promoting delinquency. As Calhoun has specified some social structures exert a definite pressure on persons in society to engage in non conforming behavior (174). Merton was focus on American society because United States is one of the richest countries in the world but the wealth is non equally distributed. Too much emphasis is being made on financial wellbeing. Children grow up with the dreams to become a millionaire. Distress and strain result from this pressure - even parents say to their children that if they do not go to college they will be lower class. Criminal activity is like the struggle to preserve the self-importance esteem. Robert M erton added to Durkheims concept and focused on the idea of strain between aspirations and expectations in society. According to Merton anomie was the state of structural strain between the almost universal cultural goals of the American Dream and the much more restricted institutionalized means for achieving them (Deutchmann p.246). Merton believes deviance is a form of adaptation to the strain that exists between, culturally impose aspirations and socially structured avenues for