A Typology of Criminal Personality: Deconstruction of the American Dream

By Omar Garrison

The author's endeavor is to deconstruct important influences the American dream has on individuals' personality. In the American social structure, there exists a conflict between legitimate and illegitimate means of goal achievement. The design of social structure indicates the manner in which institutions within the society exhibit predictable patterns of behavior those individuals depend on in daily social interaction. Secondly, criminal personality emerges from a social structure that exerts pressure on certain individuals to achieve the American dream. Moreover, he examines how individuals shift from one class status to another within the social structure because of the pressure to achieve success. Finally, he displays a comprehensive model of adaptation that illustrates, explains, and classifies where individuals fit in the continuum of adopting cultural values and suggests several strategies societies can use to decrease criminal personality.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 11, 2011
• ISBN: 9781462870011

Omar Garrison

Omar Garrison is a former law enforcement officer and a professional military soldier. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology and a Master degree in Criminal Justice. He is currently a member of The American Society of Criminology (ASC), The National Coalition of Independent Scholars (NCIS), and The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE). His current book, A Guide to Effective Solutions for Reducing Prisonization is available in many bookstores. He has several potential books in progress, which will be published soon.

Book preview

Copyright © 2011 by Omar Garrison.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2011907355

ISBN: Hardcover     978-1-4628-7000-4

ISBN: Softcover      978-1-4628-6999-2

ISBN: EBOOK           978-1-4628-7001-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Criminal Personality Disorder

Social patterns

Discrimination

Legal norms

Criminal thinking patterns

Childhood experiences

Dysfunctional family

Political power

Working harder to achieve less success

Knowledge of the law

Equality of opportunity

Social conflict

Chapter 2

Understanding Criminal Personality

The American Dream

Success

Wealth

Inequality of opportunity

Education

Virtues vs. vice

Family

Unemployment

Community crime

Poverty

News media

Ballot

Government

Chapter 3

Figure 1.

Adaptation

Figure 2.

Conformity

Innovation

Ritualism

Retreatism

Rebellion

References

In pursuance of the American dream, this book examines influences the dream has on individuals’ personality. In America, there is a conflict between inequality of opportunity and the legitimate means of goal achievement. Furthermore, this book illustrates how criminal personality emerges from inequality of opportunity in a social structure that prevents certain individuals from achieving the American dream; this social structure points out the way in which societies achieve success within institutions, companies, and governments. Some individuals in America shift from one class status to another within the social structure because of social pressures to achieve success. Additionally, the book provides a construct model of adaptation to explain and classify where individuals fit in the continuum of adopting cultural values. Lastly, the book offers several strategies society can use to prevent criminal personality . . .

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 examines criminal personality and inequality of opportunity. It illustrates how criminal personality emerges from inequality of opportunity in a social structure that prevents certain individuals from achieving the American dream; this social structure points out the way in which societies achieve success within institutions, companies, and governments. It explains how failure to achieve success leaves many individuals exhibiting predictable social behaviors such as criminal activity—a criminal personality that is influenced by antisocial factors within the social structure. Lastly, it explains the two main elements (i.e., goals and institutional means) that drive individuals toward legitimate or illegitimate objectives to achieve those goals within society.

Criminal Personality Disorder

Merton (1968) suggested that criminal personality emerges from a social structure that prevents certain individuals from achieving the American dream—social structure points out the way in which societies and institutions exhibit predictable social patterns of organization, activity, and social interaction. The two main elements of social structure are goals and institutional means as legitimate objectives for all individuals of the society. Social patterns and social factors will be used interchangeably in this chapter. Some individuals allow these patterns to shape their status in society (Merton 1968). Some social patterns include (a) dysfunctional family, (b) discrimination, (c) dysfunctional legal system, and (d) inadequate education.

These patterns prevent some individuals from attaining their goals; some individuals perceive goals achievement as money, car, house, or a combination including a healthy family life. A failure to achieve these goals is disappointing and may cause some individuals to develop criminal personality. Distinct thought patterns of individuals’ behavior denote criminal personality.

Yochelson and Samenow (1976) stated that disappointment makes individuals with criminal personality experience an adrenaline rush and imagine them behaving violently. These individuals may desire the same goals, but the opportunity to achieve these goals is blocked; social patterns prevent most individuals from achieving success due to inequality of opportunity, and they have less money and power for social mobility. They may fantasize about attaining money and power through force and deception because of blocked goals.

In this chapter, I will present the work of three theorists Merton, Turk, and Samenow to form a framework for criminal personality development. I will also include other theorists’ work that elaborate and collaborate on criminal personality development. I will illustrate a comprehensive description of criminal personality by presenting predictable social patterns within the social structure that hinder an individual’s opportunity for achieving the American dream. The following paragraphs provide a brief description of the theories, ideas, and perspectives on criminal personality and its development of Merton (1996, 1968), Samenow (2002, 2004), and Turk (1969, 1982).

Social patterns

Merton (1996) suggested that social patterns discourage some individuals’ genuine aspirations from pursuing the American dream; all individuals can achieve their goals through legitimate hard work. Some social patterns encourage individuals to pursue the American dream through illegitimate means. The American dream is available to everyone, but some social factors may discourage many individuals from achieving their goals.

Criminal personality development indicates that something is wrong within the social structural of America: the interruption of family and education within social institutions may interfere with an individual’s goal achievement. Merton (1968) suggested that cultural emphasis on social structure produces intense pressure for deviation (p. 200) in society. The social structure’s patterns interfere with an individual’s socialization process and may illustrate continual patterns of adopting cultural values—cultural values vary depending on the individual’s position in life. Individuals may be law-abiding; however, due to social patterns, the individuals may move toward criminal behavior (Merton, 1968). The socialization process is an educational development where individuals acquire values and beliefs.

Merton (1968) indicated that the socialization process of adopting values is when people react normally to abnormal social patterns. American citizens become frustrated about losing their jobs, which means less or no income, and some working-class Americans commit crimes to attain money. Turk (1982) emphasized that ongoing social patterns symbolize how some individuals will behave in society. There is not a conflict between normal and abnormal behavior because most individuals adjust their lifestyle according to social patterns. Some individuals who experience abnormal social patterns may choose to remain law-abiding, use drugs, or violate the law.

Mednick, Moffitt, and Susan (1987); and Turk (1969) suggested lawbreakers are not criminals until official negotiation of criminal status takes place; police, judges, and offenders are involved in the process of defining criminality. Police and judges ponder if the individuals require jail time, or is it important to release them back into the community. Turk (1982) suggested that officials negotiate an individual’s criminal behavior only when plea-bargaining and/or when convicted by a court of law. Some people with limited access to employment have some high school education and depend on government assistance, are more likely to be convicted by a court of law or to negotiate a plea bargain. The working class-arrest rates for illegal incidences are at a higher rate in comparison to the middle class—their work income range around $57,000 for men and $40,000 for women