Social Structure Theory And Crime

Introduction:
The make up of a community, and its locality, have powerful influences on its members.
There are a number of strands which weave together to create situations where
individuals learn how to survive. The cultural background of individuals is formed by the
availability of education, employment, family belief systems and the level of congestion.
When you add peer pressure and the subliminal images of the advertising industry the
individual has little say in how they will behave because the pressure to conform over
rides their wishes. A trust in education allows any individual to become academically
qualified. A child whose learning difficulties are not recognized and or who has no
support at home has a greater chance of leaving school illiterate than someone who is
helped. Both individuals have the same desires for money, good clothes, nice food and
respect from the world at large. The person with little of no achievements at school is
already at a disadvantage. In some families no one has a job. Welfare supplies the money
they need but this is limited in amount and the temptation to acquire more illegally is
strong. When there s a culture of unemployment it is difficult to understand how the
children can learn otherwise. Having a lack of self respect can come about when there is a
family belief system that the members are not of value. A lack of self respect can make
someone present a front of indifference to what happens to them. People with little
education and low wages tend to live in areas which are not pretty and which cram as
many people into the space available as possible. Congestion is shown among animals to
be a cause of stress and it is no different for humans. Fear of not conforming controls the
actions of many. Being an outsider is frightening because there is no support system. To
be an insider is to conform to the accepted behavior of that group, even if it is against the
conscience of the individual. Advertising shows airbrushed perfection and without the
education to see it for what it is, an individual could believe that is what the rest of the
world has. All these factors are relevant because they are elements in the commission of
crime. A large proportion of the prison population are there because they lack education,
a belief in self in a healthy way, or they come from a culture where this is the way of life.

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 While there are some individuals who have managed to escape from this culture, many
do not. An individual who is given support and education has a greater chance of not
breaking the law than someone whose environment supplies none of those needs.

ECOLOGICAL APPROACH:

Basically ecological approach relate with environment and crime. Social structure than
how it is related with crime. This is early explanation of structalist. This early approach
was not systematic and proper. This approach was basically base on social environment
and social aspects of society. The early ecological school in the united states was centered
during the 1920 and 1930 at the university of the works of Ernest w Burgess, Robert Ezra
Park and others who attempted to explain the relationship between ecology and crime in
Chicago. They saw the city as a living growing organic whole and the various areas of the
city as organs that served different functions for knowing about the crime and criminal
behavior they conduct research on Chicago city. They want to know about the changes
occurring in the city. They distribute the city in 5 zones.

The characteristics of Chicago model is given below:

Zone 1:
According to environmental criminologists the land values at the core are much higher
due to the small space and high density of population. This area is ideal for commerence
and governmental offices. Basically this zone is called central business district.

Zone 2:
Surrounding the central business district the zone of transition from residential business.
This is transitional zone, how because the resident area. Pattern change people coming
and start business. So this area also replace business area, before this people were lower
class here life is not so expensive. So this is transitional zone because when the physical
shape of the city is change along with this behavior of the individual also change. So here
the crime ratio is high as compared to other zones.

Zone 3:
This is none less disturbance area of the city working class are living here. And the
working class people earn the money just to fulfill basic needs. So this area is less
ditoriatate less disturbance. Here basic luxurious of life is fulfilled.

Zone 4:
The area of middle class dwellers is populated largely by professional people clerical
forces owners of small business and the managerial class.

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Zone 5:
This zone is called commuter area. Where the people going to work in morning and
return in evening. People are living commuter like situation on the daily base work.
This zone includes satellite towns and suburbs.

Emile Durkheim (1985):

Several versions of these theories thrived in both Europe and America between the late
nineteenth century until the 1950s. These theories sought to explain laws against crime as
expressions of a consensus of social and moral views. The functionalist view suggests
that although crime and deviance are problematic, they can also play an important role in
pushing forward moral boundaries. Therefore functionalists can regard crime as a price
worth paying for the possibility of progress (this idea is most prominently associated with
Emile Durkheim). Consensus and functionalist views take for granted that criminals
exists who must be controlled and do not seek explain why people behave in the way that
they do (although criminal behavior is not regarded as pathological or abnormal).

Robert K.Morton:
Robert K.Morton characterized social structure in two elements (1) Goals (2) Means it
means that criminal behavior is result of legitimate means and cultural goals ( legitimate
means those sources through which we get our goals). Legitimate means proper
approved. Basically he talks about goals and means of the society which is exist in our
society. The means socially approved method and that involves the elements of norms
which are defined culturally. A society norm defines the goals and the method by which
the goals may be obtained. Simply means by which the goal are achieved. It means that
every society have norms. And the goals and means define the norms of the society. It
means that every individual has a goal but every individual have not excess to achieve
that goals Mean not available for all individual then individuals goes towards illegitimate
means. And turn to unapproved and unacceptable mean to achieve those goods. The result
is a situation of normlessness or anomic. Every society have defend goal but the most
important goal of every society is monitory goal. Economic individual or economic
relation.

5 modes of adoption:
The methods or modes of adoption that is available to those who read to society, goals
and means. He identifies the 5 goals for social structure.

1. Conformity:
The first mode is conformity refers to the acceptance of a society goal and its
approved means for achieving them. For example education degree or Msc degree of
sociology proper mean are available and goals are define. If a person both seriously
except he will be conformist not he will be deviant.

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2. Innovation:
In this type of behavior individual accept the goals but reject the means. For example
individual think that money is valuable goal thing so here he except the money is
important. He except the cultural goal but reject the process. He reject means so he gets
money through illegal means or illegal mean is lead criminal. Goals except is getting
money rejection of means is innovation. It is also one type officinal behavior. For
example if college degree is the goal the student who adopt the goal but who choose to
reject the acceptable means for achieving it may cheat.

3. Ritualism:
The third mode of adaptation is ritualism. It is opposite of innovation except the
legitimate means but reject the goals. For example some students have no goal but they
get education. Another example is that religious values e.g. prayers.

4. Retratism:
Here individual eject the both cultural goal and legitimate means. For example drug
addict reject both means and goals. They are the opinion that life is nothing similarly
money is nothing. So the drug addicts also criminal behaviour n our society and they
commit different crimes in society for fulfill of drinking or drugs.

5. Rebelion:
Reject the both but they have their own means and goals and they want to replace the
existing system. They want new system and they want system replace. For example Sri
Lankan Tamil Tigers or in Pakistan Taliban. Taliban is totally different from present
structure pressure developed upon government to change the system through their own
goals and means to impose own ideas. So because of this reason they create
normlessness, lawlessness in society.

Routine Activity Approach:

Routine Activity Approach contribution comes under the umbrella of social structure.
They define crime under three elements which are (1) Offenders (2) Suitable targets (3)
Absence of gurd. The first element is offenders those people are motivated to commit
crime is called offenders. For example we relate the offenders to structure it means that
what are the factors to motivate the individual to commit crime. Means what are factors
in structure that responsible to born the criminals in society.
The 2nd one is the suitable targets it means that the availability of the things that are for
criminals is called suitable targets.
The 3d one element is absence of guidance’s. It means that guardians are not present in
any time so here the three elements are also involved. For example offenders in society
means criminals and the thing is value for criminals and the gurdiance is not presence.
For Example in urban society female are going to shopping in evening they lock the
houses this is called absence of guidance’s.

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This theory we apply on whole society for example absence of police, security forces in
Islamabad or absence of social structure so the offenders commit crime in group from in
Islamabad.
So these are three elements motivated Factor that are responsible for crime.

Strain Theory:
This is recently developing theory of social structure. Robert Agnew one of the theorists
inspired by Merton’s concept of strain and he attempted to focus more directly upon the
impact of strain upon individuals (1992). Agnew reworked Merton’s notion of strain into
three types and produces a version of strain theory that paid more attention to the
psychological impacts of strains. In terms of policy the existence of strain can lead to a
promotion of social justice, trying to provide for an equalizer of opportunity for all and
promotion of less competitiveness. Basically focus negative structure for achieving
positive variables. For examples if a person want to done degree of masters. Objectives
are valuable but the social structure of the security not provides the proper opportunities
of jobs or proper education system. This thing creates strain tension in mind of individual
because of this strain frustration they move towards different types of crime for getting
goals. Some individual have no money to buy the basic needs of the life. Because the
society structure not provide different opportunities. Or the wealth is not properly
distributed among people. The structure of the society support the specific persons this
thing create strain tension, aggressions in mind of individuals. But one thing one point is
more important that this theory is not applied on situational crime. This theory is only
applied on murder or other crimes.

Conclusion:
From above explanation we can conclude that structure approach contribute a lot in
criminology. On the basis of different theories we can say that there are some aspects in
our social structure which create criminals in our society. Especially Pakistani society is
more farer able place for criminals. On the other hand on the basis of structure
functionalist’s perspectives we can say that crime is normal and positive because it gives
structure society. It is impossible to eliminate crime from society; we can control the
crime but do not completely eliminate crime from society.

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References:

1. Reid Titus sues. Crime and criminology. Florida state university. Pp 141-144.

2. Treadwell James. (2006). Criminology sage publications. Pp 44-48.49.

3. Mukerjee Doel. Women and URBAN crimes. (2005). Kalpaz publications India,
New Delhi. Pp172-173.

4. Macinonis. John. Sociology, second edition. Pp 16-17,206-209.

5. James Treadwell. “Criminology”. Pp 44-45-46.

6. http://www.helium.com/items/1232393-sopcial-structure-theory-and-crime