Sociological theories of crime

Abstract

Social structure theories assert that the disadvantaged economic class position\ris a primary cause of crime. The theories state that neighborhoods which are “lower\rclass” create forces of strain, frustration and disorganization that create crime.\rWhen you look at the theory, the strains might not necessarily come from\rpeople's frustrations with acquiring The American Dream, but rather a mixture in\rstrains such as homelessness, abuse and neglect, subcultures, deviant values and\rfrustrations about poverty. Meaning, there might be more than one factor in play when a\rperson is “influenced” to commit a crime by interacting within an imposed economic\rclass. A person might encounter one of these factors by themselves and not decide to\rsuccumb to peer pressure or let his/her abuse trauma lead them to a life of crime. A\rperson might face poverty but have enough resilience through family values to make a\rchoice of lawful actions.\rSome aspects of these theories seem a bit outdated because there have been\rmany community initiatives that promote culture pride and community involvement in\rthe “disadvantage” neighborhoods which are not being accounted for in the theories.