Who's Fault

Throughout history, society has assumed that living the "American Dream" is a commonality everyone shares. Although the basic specifications of what the "American Dream" entails varies by demographics, core elements, such as, the glorification of material success, are embedded into American economy. Still, the overall concept and desired outcomes are relatively the same. For instance, individuals who reside in Indianapolis may view season tickets for NASCAR in high regard, where as in the Greater Phoenix area, individuals view owning a home in North Scottsdale in high regard. However, both elicit the same response Ð'- admiration and respect from their peers. While there is a definite social structure within the American system it cannot be considered a caste system. America is referred to as the "land of opportunity." To set goals just "above the bar,' is what American culture promotes and it is theorized that those who are willing and determined to work hard, no matter their economic, ethnic, and/or cultural background, will advance and succeed as a result of their endeavors. Unfortunately, the reality is that the social structure denies many the opportunities to attain these goals. Therefore, the reason some people choose the path of decadence to achieve the attainment of desirable goods over socially accepted means of attainment is explored. Three theories are summarized to lay the foundation for Labeling Theory, which, in summation explains the identity aspect of criminality. These three base theories, Social Disorganization Theory, Anomie Theory, and Social Strain Theory, are used to examine and highlight the effects of social disorganization, anomie, and societal strain on crime and deviance.

Social disorganization is the breakdown and weakening of relationships within the community. The more disorganized a neighborhood becomes then the more likely it is to experience crime. John Tierney used the sociology of Emile Durkheim "to examine those aspects of his work that are particularly pertinent to issues of crime and deviance [Ð'...]" (81). It is not simply a matter of poverty; it is a matter of a difference between what was expected and what is possible, this difference occurs when social disorganization occurs. The disorganization can also be viewed as anomie. Anomie is the breakdown in norms or rules. It is theorized that as the level of social disorganization increases, thus, so does the level of anomie. In addition to the increase of crime within the community the overall appearance of the neighborhood decreases and the type of people who reside in the community are the ones who are unable to afford to move out of the neighborhood and into a better one. When this takes place, achieving social order is virtually impossible, because, deviance and crime are symptoms of anomie. This connects with the positivists' school of thought that crime is not the fault of the individual but a condition of the individual's social surroundings and predicament. The positivist school argues that if you change the restraints experienced by those in less affluent and less positive societies then their basic desire and need to commit deviant acts in order to get ahead will desist. However, according to Durkheimian argument, "crime is both inevitable and necessary"(85), not as a societal boundary, but to elicit a "collective response to crime" (88). A society with no crime would be one in which the constraints of the collective conscience were so rigid that no one could oppose them. However, until that becomes a reality, then, the crime rates of societies with elevated disorganization will presumably continue to escalate.

Since the individuals remaining in the deteriorating neighborhoods have fewer avenues available to assist them in the excavation of the neighborhood, they start to feel the strain of wanting what they cannot attain and recognizing the meagerness of their existing reality. The following are five adaptations to the societal condition of anomie and strain: 1) conformity, 2) ritualism, 3) retreatism, 4) rebellion, and 5) innovation. The first adaptation, conformity, is when people choose to accept the means and the goals by continuing to attempt to further their economic status even though all efforts have not produced the desirable outcome. Then, there are those who choose to continue with the means but lower their goals and they are known as the ritualist. The third adaptation is retreatism. Retreatists completely reject the means and the goals and therefore remove themselves from the conforming consensus. Even though the rebellionist (revolutionist) also rejects both the means and goals, they attempt to make societal changes. The last adaptation is innovation. The innovator usually rejects the means but accepts the goals. Usually, the attainment of these goals is by illegal means. Innovation is most commonly associated with criminals and crime.

According to the Labeling Theory people are considered or labeled a deviant or criminal is after their actions are identified and sanctioned as such by their audience, the conforming consensus. When this happens they are known as primary deviants. Primary deviance occurs once an action has taken place that elicits a negative response from the audience. It is argued that those who are labeled as such are more likely to commit deviant acts in the future. This is thought to be because the greater the societal control the individual experiences after they are labeled, the less likely they are to be treated as equals by their non-deviant peers. For instance, when the "deviant" attempts to gain legitimate employment they may find it difficult to do so because of their previous infraction(s) with the law. This in turn makes them feel the only way to adequately supply their needs and the need of their family (if they have one) is by means of illegal activity. In addition, because of their newly acquired status among society, the caliber of individuals they associate with is less than admirable. Furthermore, not many non criminals are subject to fraternize with their deviant counterparts for fear of being labeled a criminal as well. Even more, because of the lack of positive influence within the group they are associated with and the excess of negative influence, they