Dear 85-ga;
As a person who has spent my entire adult life in the field of law
enforcement, I love to respond to issues pertaining to law and
criminal justice and I am pleased to be able to provide this research
to you:
Robert K. Merton, an American sociologist, is the source of the
"means-end theory of deviance", also called the “Strain Theory”.
Merton disputes Emile Durkheim's observations in that he contends that
problems with society (as they pertain to crime) are brought about
because of the social structure and not sudden social change. That is
to say that the same goals are available to all members of society but
the equal means of achieving them are not. According to Merton, it is
this lack of cultural expectation vs. what the culture permits that is
the root cause of deviant behavior; and the behavior then, is a
symptom of the social structure rather than social change.
Merton's theory had little to do with crime itself, but serves merely
as a means of understanding the behavior. Merton theorized that
society’s emphasis on certain goals (wealth, health, comfort, etc.)
have a major impact on it’s members. This is true, he asserts, because
there seems to be a distinct correlation between the goals and the
means to achieve them. Since not everyone in society has the equal
means (education, employment opportunities, etc.) the stage is set for
a strain (thus, the “Merton’s Strain Theory”).
According to Merton’s theory, here are the five fundamental balanced
and unbalanced modes (adaptations) into which all people can be
categorized:
CONFORMIST
The conformist (the most common form of adaptation) accepts and lives
up to societal norms. He accepts the goals offered by society as
legitimate, realistic expectations. The conformist accepts the means
available to him as reasonable and sufficient to aid in the
achievement of the goals society expects him to achieve.
INNOVATOR:
The innovator accepts societal goals but has few, or no, legitimate
means to achieve those goals; therefore he must become innovative and
create his own means of “getting ahead” (by committing robbery, theft,
and other such criminal acts).
RITUALISTS
The ritualist makes a half-hearted attempt at the goals established by
society but eventually abandons them, believing that the goals are not
within their reach. They learn to accept their fate and maintain their
current menial lifestyle. The ritualist is known to play by the rules
and maintain a safe daily routine within his perceived range of
achievable means.
RETREATISTS
The retreatist adaptation is given to those who give up their goals
and also the means by which to achieve them. They often retreat into
the sordid world of alcoholism and drug addiction. These individuals
often escape into a nonproductive, no striving lifestyle
REBEL
The rebel is the final adaptation in Merton’s list of adaptations. He
rejects all cultural goals and the legitimate means. They make their
own set of goals and attempt to achieve them by their own means. These
persons often protest the norms of society or become involved in
revolutionary activity.
As for the second part of your question, “four reasons why people
refused to report crime to police”, I base my answer in part upon my
own 20 plus years of law enforcement experience in the specialized
fields of patrol officer, detective and director of police
communications:
The four most common reasons what people do not report crimes to
police are:
FEAR OF REPRISAL
Citizens, indeed even victims, often fail or refuse to report crimes
because they fear the reprisal from the person who committed the
crime. A witnesses name, address and telephone number are often public
information or can be obtained as part of the Freedom of Information
Act. To ignore the crime is to remain anonymous, and therefore safe.
SELFISH INDIFFERENCE/REFUSAL TO BECOME INVOLVED
People often refuse to report crimes because they do not want to
become involved. They develop an indifferent “live and let live”
attitude. Often a witness turns a blind eye because of the possibility
of being named in the paper, having to endure a lengthy prosecution
and trial or being disenfranchised in some other way. They want to
mind their own business and refrain from entering into matters that
don’t concern them.
LACK OF EDUCATION
Some people, frankly, just don’t realize that what they are seeing is
a crime. They have very little information to base an educated
decision upon and do not readily associated what they are seeing with
that of a crime in progress. People chasing each other in the parking
lot of the mall, for example, might seem odd or perhaps even childish
to them, but nothing more.
COMPLICITY
There is a certain element of society who actually supports the crimes
of others, either actively or passively. They have a “good for him”
attitude when they see a criminal benefit from the victimization of
innocent people and envy the criminal’s ill-gotten gains. Their
unspoken loyalty to one another (even though the criminal and the
witness may never have met) prevents members of certain criminal
elements from reporting the crimes of their contemporaries.
I hope you fin my research useful and informative.
Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga
Merton’s Strain Theory
http://www.hewett.norfolk.sch.uk/curric/soc/crime/mert_str.htm
The Varieties of Strain Theory
http://faculty.ncwc.edu/toconnor/301/301lect09.htm
Outline of Strain Theory
http://www.rouncefield.homestead.com/files/a_soc_dev_19.htm
Criminological Theory on the Web
http://home.attbi.com/~ddemelo/crime/crimetheory.html
Some of Durkheim's works can be found at:
http://www.pscw.uva.nl/sociosite/TOPICS/Sociologists.html#durkheim
"Margaret Evans" - Biography of Robert K. Merton with an overview of
his theories http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/merton.htm
"Merton's Strain Theory" - gives a brief synopsis of Merton's Strain
Theory http://www.hewett.norfolk.sch.uk/curric/soc/mert_str.htm
"Class Bios of Robert Merton" - gives a brief synopsis of Merton's
theories http://www.utexas.edu/coc/journalism/SOURCE/j363/merton.html
"Strain Theory"- outlines Merton's Strain Theory
www.indiana.edu/~theory/Kip/Strain.htm |
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