Strain and Opportunity Structures

Traditional strain theory received substantial empirical attention for a prolonged period of time, but it currently occupies a marginal position in criminology. Efforts to revitalize and elaborate it have occurred under the rubric of Agnew's general strain theory. These theories share a focus o...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:  
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor principal: Hoffmann, John P. 1962- (Autor)
Otros Autores: Ireland, Timothy O.
Tipo de documento: Electrónico Artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2004
En: Journal of quantitative criminology
Año: 2004, Volumen: 20, Número: 3, Páginas: 263-292
Acceso en línea: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Journals Online & Print:
Gargar...
Verificar disponibilidad: HBZ Gateway
Palabras clave:
Descripción
Sumario:Traditional strain theory received substantial empirical attention for a prolonged period of time, but it currently occupies a marginal position in criminology. Efforts to revitalize and elaborate it have occurred under the rubric of Agnew's general strain theory. These theories share a focus on how contextual factors, in particular what are commonly referred to as opportunity structures, affect the relationship between stresses and strains and delinquency. Using national-level data, this study considers empirically the impact of several illegitimate opportunity structures conceptualized at the school-level on the association between strain, stressful life events, delinquency, and self-concept. The results indicate that both stress and strain affect changes in delinquency and self-concept over time. Yet there is little evidence that these relationships are conditioned by access to illegitimate opportunity. These results suggest that strain and stress affect delinquency uniformly across a variety of illegitimate opportunity structures.
ISSN:1573-7799
DOI:10.1023/B:JOQC.0000037734.89980.57