Which theory holds that crime is a function of conflict between goals of the lower class and what they can realistically hope to achieve?

• A. Strain/anomie
• B. Differential Association
• C. Social Disorganization
• D. Labeling Theory

Answer: (A)

Strain theory explains crime as a response to the gap between culturally prescribed goals and the legitimate means available to achieve them. For people in the lower class, access to education, jobs, and other opportunities is often more limited, creating pressure or strain when they can't realize those socially valued goals through lawful avenues. To cope, some adopt innovative or illegitimate methods to achieve those goals, which can manifest as crime. This idea is the reason the statement describes crime as a function of conflict between what society says should be achieved and what people can realistically reach.

Other theories focus on different mechanisms: learning criminal behavior through associations with others (differential association); crime arising from the breakdown of community controls in disorganized neighborhoods (social disorganization); or crime stemming from how society labels certain acts and people as deviant (labeling theory). The scenario specifically ties crime to blocked opportunities and the resulting strain, making strain/anomie the best fit.