Sociology & Criminology for a Changing World
Émile Durkheim’s The Rules of Sociological Method (1895) marks a milestone in establishing sociology as an autonomous, empirical discipline. While earlier approaches were often philosophical or speculative, Durkheim formulated the foundations for systematic research based on observable, verifiable data. The work remains central for understanding the scientific core of sociology and the role of objective
Émile Durkheim (1858–1917) is considered one of the founding figures of modern sociology. In his seminal work The Division of Labour in Society (De la division du travail social, 1893), he examines how social order and cohesion are maintained in complex societies. His central thesis: while traditional societies are held together by mechanical solidarity, modern
Theory of Differential Opportunities combines insights from learning, subcultural, anomie, and social disorganization theories to explain why not everyone exposed to strain or blocked opportunities turns to crime. It emphasizes that access to illegitimate means varies and shapes the pathways into criminal behavior. Key Points Differential Opportunity Theory Main Proponents: Richard A. Cloward and Lloyd
Subcultural theory, developed by Albert K. Cohen in the 1950s, explains juvenile delinquency as a collective response to status frustration in a class-stratified society. It argues that marginalized youth form subcultures with alternative norms and values that reject those of mainstream society. These subcultures provide an alternative system of status and recognition, often encouraging deviant
Institutional Anomie Theory (IAT) argues that high crime rates result from a cultural emphasis on economic success combined with institutional imbalance. When economic values dominate other social institutions—such as family, education, and politics—social control weakens, leading to higher levels of utilitarian, self-interested behavior and, ultimately, crime. Key Points Institutional Anomie Theory (IAT) Main Proponents: Steven
Robert Agnew’s General Strain Theory (GST) extends and refines the classical anomie and strain approaches by broadening the range of sources of strain and by offering a more nuanced, psychologically informed explanation of how strain leads to crime. Unlike Merton, who focused on the disjunction between culturally valued goals and socially legitimate means, Agnew emphasized