ABSTRACT
Strain, social control, and differential association theory are all sociological theories: They explain delinquency in terms of the individual’s social relationships. Strain theory is distinguished from social control and social learning theory in its specification of the type of social relationship that leads to delinquency and the motivation for delinquency. The classic strain theories of Robert Merton, A. Cohen and Richard A. Cloward and Lloyd E. Ohlin focus on only one type of negative relationship: relationships in which others prevent the individual from achieving positively valued goals. The classic strain theories of Merton, Cohen, and Cloward and Ohlin argue that the cultural system encourages everyone to pursue the ideal goals of monetary success and/or middle-class status. Lower-class individuals are often prevented from achieving such goals through legitimate channels. In line with such theories, adolescent strain is typically measured in terms of the disjunction between aspirations and expectations.
