Strain Theory, Essay Example

Elise seeks to find education, this is her culturally defined goal. However, the barriers which obstruct her from attaining these goals is her financial situation. Because she lives in a very poor section of Philadelphia, in a single-parent household, being the eldest among four children, higher education does not fit to seem an option for her. Even though her mother has always been supportive of her schoolwork, there are just no financial means for her to be able to attain her higher goals of going to medical school. Being in a low-income economic environment, Elise’s social standing does not guarantee her to be able to reach her goals as easily as those who are in a well-off socio-economic sphere.

The socially acceptable means of achieving Elise’s goals are very limited. She can always apply for a student loan and work while she studies. This would be very difficult for a med-student, though. Or, she can choose to work for a while and earn enough money to support herself through medical school. However, this option would take a long time, and it would add to the frustration of her situation. If Elise is motivated enough to achieve her goal, she would be able to do this, but if she lets the social strains get to her, she may just be pushed to deviate from society. Elise can achieve her goals in a conformist way if she were to follow the norms of society, and do what is considered acceptable by the measures of society. Or, she can choose to deviate, and approach her situation as an innovator. She can do this by committing robbery, soliciting prostitution or even drug dealing. These ways will get her to her goal faster, but is considered wrong according to society’s standards.

Durkenheim states that deviance is whatever society deems as wrong. It can be something very small and informal, such as leaving smelly garbage bags in your front lawn, or it can be something big, like committing first degree murder. Whatever the wrong act is, it is based on how society sees it, and if society claims it to be socially acceptable or not. Deviance does not have to be a bad thing all the time, it can be something in which people look down upon, but then again if it weren’t for deviant behavior in history, there wouldn’t be great changes. Deviance is not just doing something wrong, it is something against the norms of society. For example, if the society in which Elise lives in believes that no woman can enter medical school, then her goal to be able to further her education in medical school would be wrong. It all has to do with the functionalisms in society and this way we can better understand how deviance is actually good for society.

Power plays a big role in what is considered to be deviant and what is considered acceptable in society. According to the strain theory, power is unequally distributed in society. People who are less fortunate and who live in economically struggling places have more chances of being labeled as deviant and greater punishments. Whereas, those who are better-off in society will get a minor slap on the hand if ever they perform a deviant act. This is because the crimes, or deviations committed by those people living on different spectrums are very different. Someone living in an impoverished area will commit a petty crime of robbery in something like a convenience store, and someone who lives in a better-off society can commit the act of robbery, but doing it in the way of corporate fraud, or something to that effect.

It is because of labeling that’s why society can claim to know what is deviant and what is not. It’s not necessarily about the act itself, but how people may react to the act. For example, in the United States, it is completely normal for women to wear shirts which are sleeveless, however in Muslim countries this would be looked down upon by society. It is not that the act is terribly wrong, it’s how people from different societies and cultures look at the act.