Anomie/Strain Theory Historical Context The theoretical framework of strain theory can be attributed to the sociologist Emile Durkheim. Durkheim's research provided a platform for other sociologists to further develop strain theories of crime. One of these is Robert Merton. One of Durkheim's major works that opened the door to further research into tension theories was his book, Suicide. In this book Durkheim tries to understand why it leads to its own self-destruction. Emile Durkheim studied the suicide rate and its association with the crisis. Durkheim noted trends in suicide rates associated with economic prosperity and economic crisis. “According to Durkheim, the state of absence of norms in which people find themselves following a crisis is called anomie.” (Paternoster, Bachman, 2001, p.142) Anomie occurs when one finds oneself in an uncomfortable position due to failure to achieve goals. Anomie can occur during times of financial crisis, death, or family crisis. Durkheim also examined the difference in suicide rates between Catholics and Protestants. He found that suicide rates were higher among Protestants than Catholics. In Durkheim's findings, studying suicide rates, he formulated a model for anomie/tension. His model says that tension causes anomie, which in turn causes an individual to want to commit suicide or other deviant acts. Development of the theory of anomic tension Sociologist Robert K. Merton took up Durkheim's concepts of anomie and tension to develop his own perspective. He is given the greatest credit for the development of this theory. Merton based his version of the theory on the fact that American society places its value on material wealth and that all people should strive to achieve material wealth. “According to Merton, A...... half of the article ......e.g. Works Cited Paternoster, Raymond and Ronet Bachman. 2001. “Introduction to Anomie and Tension Theories of Crime” in Paternoster and Bachman (eds.) Explaining Criminals and Crime. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury.Merton, Robert 1938. “Social Structure and Anomie” American Sociological Review 2: 672-682.Messner, Steven F., and Richard Rosenfeld. 2001. “An Institutional-Anomie Theory of Crime” in Paternoster and Bachman (eds.) Explaining Criminals and Crime. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury.Agnew, Robert. 2001. “An Overview of General Strain Theory” “In Paternoster and Bachman (eds.) Explaining Criminals and Crime. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury.Agnew, Robert 1992. “Foundation for a General Theory of Crime and Delinquency " in Criminology 30(1): 47-87. Burton, Velmer S., and Francis T. Cullen. 1992. "The Empirical Status of Strain Theory" Journal of Crime and Justice 15:1-30