Theory Major premise Strengths Research focus

Social disorganisation theories

Shaw and McKay's Crime is a product of Identifies why crime rates Poverty; disorganisation.
concentric zones theory transitional are highest in slum areas.
neighbourhoods that Points out the factors that
manifest social produce crime. Suggests
disorganisation and value programs to help reduce
conflict. crime.
Social ecology theory The conflicts and Accounts for urban crime Social control; fear;
problems of urban social rates and trends. collective efficacy;
life and communities unemployment.
(including fear,
unemployment,
deterioration, and siege
mentality) influence crime
rates.
Strain theories
Anomie theory People who adopt the Points out how Frustration; anomie;
goals of society but lack competition for success effects of failure to
the means to attain them creates conflict and crime. achieve goals.
seek alternatives, such as Suggests that social
crime. conditions, and not
personality, can account
for crime. Explains high
lower-class crime rates.
Institutional anomie Material goods pervade all Explains why crime rates Frustration; effects of
theory aspects of American life. are so high in American materialism.
culture.
Relative deprivation Crime occurs when the Explains high crime rates Relative deprivation.
theory wealthy and the poor live in deteriorated inner-city
close to one another. areas located near more
affluent neighbourhoods.
General strain theory Strain has a variety of Identifies the complexities Strain; inequality;
sources. Strain causes of strain in modern negative affective states;
crime in the absence of society. Expands on influence of negative and
adequate coping anomie theory. Shows the positive stimuli.
mechanisms. influence of social events
on behaviour over the life
course. Explains middle-
class crimes.
Miller's focal concern Citizens who obey the Identifies the core values Cultural norms; focal
theory street rules of lower-class of lower-class culture and concerns.
life (focal concerns) find shows their association to
themselves in conflict with crime.
the dominant culture.
Cohen's theory of Status frustration of lower- Shows how the conditions Gangs; culture conflict;
delinquent gangs class boys, created by their of lower-class life produce middle-class measuring
failure to achieve middle- crime. Explains violence rods; reaction formation.
class success, causes them and destructive acts.
to join gangs. Identifies conflict of lower
class with middle class.
Cloward and Ohlin's Blockage of conventional Shows that even illegal Gangs; cultural norms;
theory of opportunity opportunities causes opportunities are cultural conflict; effects of
lower-class youths to join structured in society. blocked opportunity.
criminal, conflict, or Indicates why people
retreatist gangs. become involved in a
particular type of criminal
activity. Presents a way of
preventing crime.