SOCIAL CLASS, ANOMIE AND DELINQUENCY

• NCJ Number: 18901
• Author(s): L D WILCOX
• Date Published: 1969
• Length: 244 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DISSERTATION - COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY

Annotation

A STUDY OF THE RELATION OF SOCIAL CLASS TO ANOMIE AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR, SPECIFICALLY THE EXTENT OF EMPIRICAL SUPPORT FOR MERTON'S THESIS OF DIFFERENTIAL OPPORTUNITY AND ITS FAILURE TO EXPLAIN DELINQUENCY ADEQUATELY.

Abstract

FROM THE ANALYSIS OF THE RESPONSES OF 403 ELEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN AREA TO A QUESTIONNAIRE, THE AUTHORS FOUND - 1) FAIRLY STRONG SUPPORT FOR MERTON'S THESIS THAT THE INCULCATION OF SUCCESS VALUES ARE PATTERNED CHARACTERISTICS WHICH CROSS-CUT SUBGROUP DIFFERENCES, 2) STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE HYPOTHESIS THAT DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN ASPIRATIONS FOR SUCCESS AND MEANS TO SUCCESS ARE NEGATIVELY RELATED TO SOCIAL STATUS, 3) NO SUPPORT FOR THE HYPOTHESIS THAT EITHER ANOMIE AS A SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE OR DELINQUENCY ARE MORE COMMON IN THE LOWER STRATA OF SOCIETY, 4) NO RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR MEASUREMENT OF DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN ASPIRATIONS AND AND THEIR ACCESSIBILITY AND SUBJECTIVE ANOMIE OR DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR, 5) A MODERATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BOTH UTILITARIAN AND NONUTILITARIAN DELINQUENCY AND SUBJECTIVE ANOMIE. HENCE, THE CONCLUSIONS OF THIS RESEARCH ARE THAT ANOMIE AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR ARE NOT CLASS LINKED PHENOMENA, AND THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUBJECTIVE ANOMIE AND BOTH UTILITARIAN AND NONUTILITARIAN DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)