Clarify the association between social structure and crime According to social structure theory, the root cause of crime can be traced directly to the socioeconomic disadvantages that have become...

Clarify the association between social structure and crime According to social structure theory, the root cause of crime can be traced directly to the socioeconomic disadvantages that have become embedded in American society. People in the United States live in a stratified society; social strata are created by the unequal distribution of wealth, power, and prestige. The crushing lifestyle of lower-class areas produces a culture of poverty that is passed from one generation to the next and is stained by apathy, cynicism, helplessness, and mistrust of social institutions. Lower-class people are driven to desperate measures, such as crime and substance abuse, to cope with their economic plight. Aggravating this dynamic is the constant media bombardment linking material possessions to self-worth.