Anomie and Strain Theory: A Crime Control Policy
This paper examines anomie and strain theories as articulated by Robert Merton and Émile Durkheim, explaining how societal norms and the gap between cultural goals and available means contribute to deviant behavior and criminal activity. It explores how low-status individuals face disproportionate pressure to achieve culturally defined success with limited legitimate resources, driving some toward illegal means. The paper further discusses the relationship between mental health and crime, critiques existing policies, and proposes a policy framework emphasizing mental health awareness, achievable social standards, and education for younger generations as practical tools for crime reduction.
- Introduction to Anomie and Strain Theories: Overview of anomie theory and its key sociologists
- Goals, Means, and Criminal Adaptation: How the goals-means gap drives criminal behavior
- Mental Health, Deviance, and Criminal Behavior: Link between mental health issues and criminal deviance
- Proposed Crime Control Policy: Policy recommendations rooted in anomie theory
- Conclusion: Summary of theory-based crime control strategies
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds its policy argument directly in theoretical frameworks, maintaining a clear thread from Merton and Durkheim's concepts to practical recommendations.
- It uses concrete examples — drug trafficking, kidnapping, terrorism, and addiction — to illustrate abstract theoretical categories, making the argument accessible.
- The transition from theory to policy proposal is logical and explicit, demonstrating applied sociological thinking rather than purely descriptive analysis.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates theory-to-policy application, a core technique in applied sociology and criminology. Rather than stopping at theoretical description, the author uses anomie/strain theory as a diagnostic lens to identify root causes of crime and then constructs a policy response that directly addresses those causes — namely, unrealistic social standards and inadequate mental health support.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with an introduction to anomie/strain theory and its major proponents. It then deepens the analysis by examining the goals-means gap and how different social classes respond to it through Merton's adaptations. The third section connects mental health conditions to societal strain. The paper then shifts to a normative policy argument, proposing systemic changes in social expectations and youth education. It closes with a brief conclusion reinforcing the central recommendations.
Introduction to Anomie and Strain Theories
Anomie and strain theories have been discussed by several sociologists who sought to explain why deviant behaviors occur. The most prominent anomie theories are those articulated by Robert Merton and Émile Durkheim. Many individuals in society are affected by societal pressures that make their lives difficult. For example, an individual could be well-educated, have a legitimate source of income, and live a reasonably good life in comparison to others. However, some of these individuals may still feel incomplete or constrained by the norms of society, which limit how they are permitted to live. Such individuals may end up committing harmful acts as a consequence of mental and emotional strain, largely fighting personal feelings against the expectations society imposes on them.
According to Brezina (2012), some individuals are unable to adapt to prevailing norms due to resistance to change, while others simply fail to internalize the values embraced by society. As a result, the standards set by society can lead individuals to develop mental health issues and deviant behaviors. This paper explains anomie and strain theories and develops a policy that will assist in crime control with reference to those theories.
References
Bolton, D., & Bhugra, D. (2020). Changes in society and young people's mental health. International Review of Psychiatry, 4(3), 11–18.
Brezina, T. (2012). Routledge Handbook of Deviant Behavior. Routledge.
Featherstone, R., & Deflem, M. (2003). Anomie and strain: Context and consequences of Merton's two theories. Sociological Inquiry, 73(4), 471–489.
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