| Crime and the American Dream Note: reading this should not be a substitute for reading the book carefully. The exam will cover more detailed aspects of the book not discussed here. Chapter 1 The authors make three broad points in this chapter. First, the US has very high levels of "street crime" (and corporate crime) along with high levels of public fear of street crime. This leads us to respond in irrational ways (we have the highest imprisonment rates in the world, we are the only modern country still using the death penalty, etc.) � our crime policy is as "violent" as our crime! Second, at least part of the reason for this is what we call the "American Dream" � our all-out pursuit of a prosperous materialistic life-style (with 5% of world population, we consume about 25% of world resources/production/etc.). Third, the anomie perspective (based largely on the work of Robert Merton) long ago argued that the American Dream had a destructive side. Anomie refers to "no norms" and Merton used the concept to point out that our norms and values are weakened by our pursuit of material goods. (Example � Americans work much more than Europeans and the many extra hours spent working weakens our families, communities, etc. thus generating more crime and juvenile delinquency than in comparable European countries). Chapter 2 Our culture tells us (through media, advertising, etc.) that we must work more to have more and this becomes an end in itself (rather than slowing down and enjoying life). Our culture also is tolerant of cheating if it produces success (as in Corporate Predators) � our culture tells us to succeed "by any means" rational/honest or not. So we honor the "successful" (those with the "most toys") while we turn our ire to those who are not successful in our over-achieving society (especially the poor, etc.). One of the most popular books in criminology is titled "The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison." Chapter 3 This chapter is difficult but very important. The authors argue that criminology has focused on explaining individual aspects of crime and usually less-serious crime (example � we often focus on individuals committing petty street crimes and pay less attention to causes of violent/corporate crime.). Focusing on the young and poor, criminology has explored how their criminal behavior is learned (cultural-social learning theories) and how their disorganized culture and neighborhoods lead to crime (disorganization-control theories). These two approaches debate which is the best approach to explaining crime in general. The authors argue that both approaches come from the same origins (the social conditions associated with street crime � poverty, run-down neighborhoods, etc.), that they need to be combined into a single theory of crime, and that anomie theory can accomplish this. The idea that they propose is that the American Dream tells us (all of us, not just the poor) to succeed by any means � legitimate or not. This is the cultural learning aspect of their approach. Meanwhile, the dominance of the economy over everything else (family, community, etc.) weakens the ability of these institutions to keep our ambitions under control. The high ambitions combined with the lack of social control leads to high street crime rates and also high forms of other kinds of harmful behavior (corporate crime, domestic violence, political corruption, etc.). Chapter 4 In Chapter 4, the authors explain the value foundations of the American Dream � they describe four aspects of our drive to achieve/accumulate (these lead to crime/deviance). Then they describe how our basic institutions have been converted into support structures for economic achievement (which destroys social control and leads to crime/deviance). At the end of this chapter they give some specific examples (read these carefully!). Some quick over-simplifications: males have higher crime rates because they are more achievement oriented and less attached to social institutions (like the family). Minorities have higher crime rates because they have been denied achievement and are trying to get ahead by any means, while their social institutions (families, etc.) have been destroyed by racism and discrimination. Juvenile crime is high because kids are taught to get ahead by any means while the restraints of their families/communities (social control) have been weakened because their parents are out working more to try to "get ahead." Chapter 5 In this chapter the authors suggest some solutions to our crime problems, after pointing out that our crime policies have consistently failed to reduce crime. Conservative approaches fail because they tell us to get ahead by any means (work harder, produce more, consume more) while punishing those who fail (mainly the poor who have no jobs so try to get ahead by other means � go back to Robert Reich for a moment � the poor have no jobs because our jobs are "disappearing" - globalization). Liberal policies fail because they emphasize more economic equality (extend the AD to everybody!) but not repairing the social institutions that exert social control. The authors propose that we should slow down our drive for economic dominance and spend the time that we save (not working) rebuilding our families, communities, etc |