Question

Natalie will be one of the first in her family to earn a college degree. She is determined to earn her bachelor’s degree in psychology and then possibly go on to a master’s degree, or even a doctorate. However, these dreams need to deal with reality. She has two children to raise on her own, and has to stay active with work as well as her children’s lives. She is proud of her accomplishments and hopes that her children will go as far, if not further with their education. Natalie’s two brothers did not seem to have the same chances. Her oldest brother seems to have the most difficult time. He was always angry as a teenager and got suspended from school on a number of occasions due to fights. Once, he got into an altercation with a teacher and hit the teacher pretty hard; he was expelled from school. He took his GED at a boys’ boot camp run by the sheriff’s office. When he was released at the age of eighteen, he had a difficult time landing a job and worked on and off as a day laborer. He was later arrested for stealing tools from a construction site and sent back to jail. This only seemed to increase his anger towards everyone. Natalie stopped visiting him and now keeps in touch sporadically. The last she heard, he was working odd jobs and relying on alcohol and drugs. Natalie wonders why her brother has turned out so different. Of course, they all had the same childhood, and their father was an abusive alcoholic. But all the more reason, she thought, her brothers would choose a different path. She wondered if they had the same choices as she did. Did being a male make life harder? She always thought men had it easier in life. She wondered if her brothers were to blame for their decisions and life choices, or if they ever had a real choice at all. She felt frustrated that, with all her psychology courses, she still could not tell why her brothers turned out so differently.

Research theories related to gender and crime. Identify scholarly, peer-reviewed sources for use in this assignment.

Based on the scenario, your readings and research, respond to the following:

Select at least two different, contemporary theories that would apply to the case.

Employ the theories to explain why Natalie and her brothers have chosen different paths in life.

Give reasons in support of your responses.

Write your initial response in 4–6 paragraphs. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) Let us consider two theories for this case. The first would be the ‘social strain theory’ and the second would be the ‘general strain theory’.

Social Strain Theory – This was a theory proposed by Robert K. Merton. Merton suggested that strain is caused when a person is expected to achieve certain goals by the society. However, the society does not particularly give the individuals these tools to achieve these goals.

We can say that Natalie and both her brothers are victims of this. They are all expected to rise like a phoenix from the ashes of an abusive past. However, the society does not make it easier for Natalie to acquire her degrees at an affordable price. Also, it does not make it easier for her and her children to thrive gracefully in the society either.

General Strain theory – Natalie and her siblings went through the same circumstances. General strain theory attempts to understand why they have each reacted differently. According to the GST, our mental development depends upon:

Our aspirations – A woman’s aspirations are generally building strong relationships whereas a man’s expectations are concerned with material success.

Our expectations of outcomes – A woman expects to be expressive about things whereas a man is more likely to retaliate with aggression if things do not go his way.

Our reaction towards certain incidents – Women are more likely to manifest depression and self-blame. However, a man is more likely to react with anger and is more open towards blaming others.

Therefore according to the work of Agnew and Broidy, a person like Natalie is less likely to turn to a life of crime like her brothers. This might be because she has focussed on reliving her troubles by talking about how she feels about them. Natalie may have cried about her problem more frequently than her brothers. This has helped her overcome them more gracefully and be emotionally stronger.

Natalie would want to have a well-structured personality and life simply because she wants a life that is different from her past. She might want this for herself and for her children as well. This is why Natalie might not focus on getting angry at how unfair society is but rather might focus her energy on building a good life and overcoming difficulties.

Therefore, it can be assumed that Natalie has exhibited more social control than her brothers because of the strong social ties she has created, especially with her children.

Brezina, T. (n.d.). Agnew, Robert: General Strain Theory. Encyclopedia of Criminological Theory. doi:10.4135/9781412959193.n3

BROIDY, L. M. (2006, March 07). A TEST OF GENERAL STRAIN THEORY*. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1745-9125.2001.tb00915.x