Coping with strain
Cognitive coping
Emotional coping
Behavioral coping
Coping Strategies
Cognitive coping:
ignore and reduce the seriousness of the negative relationship, increase positive
outcome/reduce negative outcomes,
accept responsibility
Example:
Blaming yourself for the negative relationship.
Emotional coping:
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Alleviate the stressor/strain
Example:
Meditation
Drug use
Behavioral coping:
Reduce, remove, or satisfy negative emotions
Example of conventional coping :
Ending the negative relationship
Skipping school
GENERAL STRAIN THEORY (GST) EXPANDS THE REASONS FOR STRAIN
RESEARCH
Classic Strain and General Strain theory
Research on classic strain
STRAIN PERSPECTIVE BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT AN ECONOMIC
CONDITION IN THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE COUPLED WITH A CULTURAL
CONDITION
OF ANOMIE GENERATES STRAIN THAT RESULTS IN SOME FORM OF
ADAPTATION.
CLASSIC STRAIN: MERTON
STUDIES HAVE NOT FOCUSED TO ADAPTATION OF STRAIN
Which adaptation is most likely linked to crime?
Classic strain
Based on the theory: individuals who expect to receive less education than they aspire
will experience strain and therefore will be more likely to commit CRIMES.
Research on classic strain
EXAMPLE OF MEASURES:
Aspiration: “How much schooling would you like to get eventually”—Kubrin et al.
2009
Expectation: “How much schooling the respondent actually expected to obtain”
—Kubrin et al. 2009
Findings: “those whose aspirations exceeded expectation were no more likely to be
delinquent than those with identical aspirations and expectations.
In addition, “the gap
between aspirations and expectation is not a significant predictor of delinquency b/c not
many subjects experienced a gap between aspirations and expectations”
HOW WOULD YOU TEST MESSNER AND ROSENFELD’S INSTITUTIONAL
ANOMIE THEORY?
Research Messner and Rosenfeld: Institutional Anomie
VERY DIFFICULT TO TEST:
CROSS-NATIONAL TEST WOULD BE THE IDEAL WAY
Therefore, cross-national data that is data looking at different
nations is very difficult because data collection systems and crime
definitions are not similar enough to compare.
It is very difficult to generalize institutional anomie theory to crimes
—such as robbery or burglary because all the research is done on
homicide.
Most studies have looked at homicide (counties, metropolitan
areas and nations).
Research on General Strain
RESEARCH – SOME ASPECTS OF THE THEORY ARE SUPPORTED IN SOME
SITUATIONS
KEY COMPONENT IS NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL STATE WHICH TENDS TO BE
WEAKEST LINK
Anger mediates some of the effects of strain on crime. Many other studies find that strain
has an effect on crime without the role of anger.
Most studies focus on trait anger, that is “angry people” not situational anger
In addition, there is a weak link with frustration and depression
PROBLEMS/ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS
MANY RELATIONSHIPS CAN EASILY BE DERIVED FROM OTHER
THEORIES, ESPECIALLY SOCIAL CONTROL THEORY.
Example: relationship between people. But one looks at weak bond
freeing people to commit crimes and the other looks at a pressure to
commit crime.
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- Spring '08
- Staff
- Sociology, Strain, Social Disorganization, general strain theory, General Strain
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