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The social deviance anomie theory also known as strain theory is defined as means to an end. This means that if the goals that society holds for people are unreachable individuals may turn to illegitimate ways of getting there. Throughout this paper I will provide details as to why we should use anomie theory when defining deviance among brothel workers presented in Brothel Mustang Ranch and its Women written by Alexa Albert.
Anomie theory presents many key factors that we will examine and then put them in context with the actions of the sex workers, the motivations of clientele, particular problems of the sex workers, and other experiences in their professional or private lives, that can be explained by utilizing the anomie theory. First off, we know that these brothel workers turned to prostitution for a reason so we need to analyze what goals were not being met for them to turn to “deviant acts”. Deviance is defined as violations of society norms that result in negative sanctions. According to Robert Merton, there are five general responses to goal attainment, Conformist, Innovationist, Ritualists, Retreatists, along with Rebels and each one we will discuss further.
Conformist is defined by an individual that follows the rules of society. They maintain the “right” way to succeed and work hard to reach those goals. Albert is the greatest example of a conformist from the book. Albert is dedicated to researching the condom usage among prostitutes but does so in the right manner. After being turned down a time or two, she finally got the opportunity to advance her knowledge. Instead of choosing deviant acts in order to obtain the information she was looking for, her patience, motivation, and hard work paid off in the end.
An inn...
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...ong with being a stripper is not a family oriented job position. The clients are out seeking attention from another female that is not their life long partner so to think that legalized brothels are the blame for men having affairs is absurd. If a person is determined to cheat then they are destined to find a way, even if that means gaining a secret lover. The women are people just as everyone else; they just need the necessary tools to prove that. Many of the women were educated at least with a high school diploma, some came from broken homes with absent fathers, while others grew up in two-parent homes, and fewer than half reported having experienced childhood sexual abuse (pg. 67). The underlining issues presented here are the goals that society presents and the means or ability to achieve them.
Works Cited
Brothel Mustang Ranch and its Women by Alexa Albert
: In reading How to Be an Undividual, it is clear that the author David Koloff is a full-fledged nonconformist, although, believes in the natural order of finding yourself; even if it involves being an intentional conformist in the beginning. He quickly lets the reader know his stance on conformity in the first paragraph, that illustrates the isolated feeling that children feel as they’re thrown from institution to institution as they grow up. However, how is Koloff himself a conformist? Well, Koloff is obviously a very successful writer. He seems to follow a trend in one of the aspects of his writing. Koloff uses satire, wit and irony as devises. Although, considering he was inspired to write this piece because of the conformity he sees in
During this time in society the industry of prostitution was an economic gold mine. The women operate the brothel while very distinguished men in the community own and take care of the up keep. The brothel keepers are seen as nothing more than common home wrecking whores. However, the owners of the brothels are viewed as successful business men.
Strain theory suggests that crime is a result of people’s goals and the means available to achieve them. Nino Brown’s ultimate goal is to obtain the American Dream which means having a lot of money. It is implied in his criminal behavior that he does not view the legitimate means as a way of achieving that goal. As a man who is undereducated and Black, the normal means of achieving the American Dream are pail in comparison to the illegal means. In fact, he sees the illegal means as more effective; this is the Anomie. The Anomie theory holds that socially defined goals are mandated, but the means to achieve them are stratified by class and society. The Cash Money Brothers program The Carter is built on a culture of poverty that has developed abnormally as a result of crack cocaine, and crime becomes the answer as a result of a breakdown in family, school, and employment. The Social Disorganization theory, in New Jack City, would mean that the criminal behavior demonstrated by the Cash Money Brothers is direct result of a serious degradation in the quality of capable guardians, the school system, and the absence of legitimate jobs stemming from Raegonomics. Therefore, the drive for material wealth dominates and undermines social and community values, thereby, providing room for criminal behavior to become more appealing and effective
General Strain Theory views most humans as being lawful and moral citizens in their society. The average citizen only turns to deviance when they become inflicted with negative emotions brought on by one or more of the three main types of strain. The three types ...
...ther, and nearly kills an innocent woman. In a broader perspective, conformity can leave people walking aimlessly down the beaten path with no real direction except conformity, doomed to live yet another meaningless life in a society based on archaic principles.
Adler, Patricia A., and Adler Peter. Constructions of Deviance: Social Power, Context, and Interaction. 6th ed. Belmont: Thomas/Wadsworth, 2009.
According to Robert Agnew, “Strain Theory is based on the idea that delinquency results when individuals are unable to achieve their goals through legitimate channels, achievement or strike out at the source of their frustration in anger”. (Agnew, R. (1985). A Revised Strain Theory of Delinquency. Oxford journals. 64(1).151-166). The norms are violated to alleviate the strain that accompanies failure. When a good look is taken at the theories the strains might not only come from peoples frustrations with acquiring “ The American Dream”, but it becomes a mixture of strains such as economic deprivation, abuse, neglect, or the loss of a loved one. However, most people that experience strains do not commit crimes.
Kelly’s article has raised valid points regarding safety to the prostitute within a brothel, but there is so much evidence that proves the ill effects of this experiment in other countries that the evidence cannot be ignored. Although, parts of the sex trade industry may initially see positive results for some of the workers, the majority would end up worse off than before. Due to the illegal nature of this industry and the control exuded by the pimp, the physical and psychological risk to the prostitute, the highly addictive nature of sex, and the organized crime behind the scenes orchestrating and controlling ever aspect of the industry, it is clear that decriminalizing prostitution would result in significant negative affects on society, prostitutes and those with sexual addictions.
Goode, E. (2011). Constructionist Perspectives of Deviance. Deviant Behavior (Ninth Edition ed., ). Upper Saddle River, NJ : Prentice Hall, Inc..
There exists conflicting theories among sociologists in the area of determining why a person is considered to be a deviant, and the reasons behind why he or she has committed a deviant act. From a positivistic perspective, deviance is based on biological or social determinism. Alternatively, from a constructionist perspective, deviance is created and assigned by society. Both perspectives seek to give a theory for why a person may become known as deviant. Although they both view similar acts as deviant, the basic differences between positivists and constructionists theories are clear.
If conformity means to “conform to a social role… brought about by a desire to ‘fit in’ or be liked,” then the characters of Never Let Me Go are a wonderful example (McLeod). In Hailsham, the school where the Ruth, Tommy, and Kathy grow up, the Guardians expect all of the students to be extremely creative;
This sweeping remark on the life and times of female strippers was extracted from a popular Washington, D.C. magazine called DC One, which focuses on the dining, entertainment, and nightlife featured in D.C. This particular issue was dubbed "The Men's Issue," and contained an exposé on stripping in "gentlemen's clubs." The quotation above demonstrates the tension that exists in the world of stripping, both within the private world of the strippers themselves, as well as in the public perception of this occupation. Is stripping empowering for women? Or, is it purely objectifying, and does it serve only the interests of the men who are the viewers and the consumers? The comment above would suggest that the money and accolades that these women receive creates a mutually exploitative situation; one that is beneficial for both parties involved, albeit in a different manner. But then the writer second-guesses herself, forging ahead to say: "But how far will it stretch before they fall victims to their own universe?" (DC One, 37). What is this "universe" and is it ultimately as damaging as the author might imagine? Although the article does little to respond to this issue, many decades of researchers have attempted to look at this and other questions surrounding the occupation of stripping. The results of the studies have been varied and suggest that there is no one way to view either the strippers themselves or the clients who access this service.
Some ask why prostitution spreads like a wildfire through our cities and streets. This is an easy question for functionalists, prostitution flourishes because it satisfies sexual needs that are not able to be met elsewhere(Henslin 51). Prostitutes almost seem to serve as an outlet for sexually frustrated men. When a man is unable to find a partner he always holds the option of paying for sexual pleasure. A functionalist, Kingsley Davis, concluded that prostitutes provide a sexual outlet for men who: have difficulty in establishing sexual relationships, cannot find long-term partners, have a broken relationship, want sexual gratification that is defined as immoral, desire quick sexual gratification without attachment, are curious, and are sexually dissatisfied in marriage. From this it is shown that by meeting such needs prostitution functions as a form of social control over sexual behavior. This is beneficial because it brings men with sexual desires away from unwi...
Strain theories of criminal behaviour have been amongst the most important and influential in the field of criminology. Taking a societal approach, strain theories have sought to explain deficiencies in social structure that lead individuals to commit crime (Williams and McShane 2010). Strain theories operate under the premise that there is a societal consensus of values, beliefs, and goals with legitimate methods for achieving success. When individuals are denied access to legitimate methods for achieving success, the result is anomie or social strain. This often leads an individual to resort to deviant or criminal means to obtain the level of success that they are socialized to pursue. This is the basic premise of strain theory. This paper will explore the evolution of strain theories by first examining their intellectual foundations which laid the foundation for Robert Merton’s theories of anomie and strain. Merton’s strain theory will be discussed in detail including the modes of adaptation that people use when faced with societal strain. Finally, the paper will conclude with the strengths and weaknesses of Merton’s strain theory and an examination of the criminological theories and social policies it has influenced.
Katherine: So what is conformity? The Psychological Sciences textbook defines it as “the altering of one’s behaviors and opinions to match those of other people or to match other people’s expectations” (Gazzaniga, 2012).