Chapter 6-Social Structure Theory Flashcards
Stratified Society
People grouped according to economic or social class.
Social class
Segment of the population whose members are at relatively similar economic level and who share attitudes, values, norms, and an identifiable lifestyle.
culture of poverty
A separate lower-class culture, characterized by apathy, cynicism, helplessness, and mistrust of social institutions such as schools, government agencies, and the police, that is passed from one generation to the next.
underclass
The lowest social stratum in any country, whose members lack the education and skills needed to function successfully in modern society.
social structure theory
The view that disadvantaged economic class position is a primary cause of crime.
social disorganization theory
Branch of social structure theory that focuses on the breakdown in inner-city neighborhoods of institutions such as family, school, and employment.
Strain Theory
Branch of social structure theory that sees crime as a function of the conflict between people’s goals and the means available to obtain them.
strain
The anger, frustration, and resentment experienced by people who believe thay cannot achieve their goals through legitimate means.
cultural deviance theory
Branch of social structure theory that see strain and social disorganization together resulting in a unique lower-class culture that conflicts with conventional 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, usually from middle-class residential to lower-class mixed-use.
concentration effect
As working and middle-class families flee inner-city poverty-ridden ares, the most disadvantaged population is consolidated in urban ghettos.
collective efficacy
Social control exerted by cohesive communities and based on mutual trust, including intervention in the supervision of children and maintenance of public order.
anomie theory
The view that anomie results when socially defined goals are universally mandated but access to legitimate mean 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 competition; the process of being socialized to pursue material success and to believe it is achievable.
relative deprivation
Envy, mistrust, and aggression resulting from perceptions of economic and social inequality.
General strain theory (GST)
The view that multiple sources of strain interact with an individual’s emotional traits and responses to produce criminality.
negative affective states
Anger, frustration, and adverse emotions produced by a variety of sources of strain.
focal concerns
Values, such as toughness and street smarts, that have evolved specifically 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 experienced by lower-class youths because 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 the negatively.
