So I just finished the third episode of season 2, and I must say im quite impressed. The show itself really has a weird way of hooking its audience. Its not like the show 24 that has constant action 24/7 (no pun intended). Im quite impressed with the intertwining of the two seasons. Not only do you get the excitement of the Avon Barksdale case, you also get the women trafficking corrupted blue collar docks men. I cant wait to see what happens.
On a more serious note, season 2 really exemplifies this idea of Agnew's strain theory. Right from the beginning theres strain everywhere. The strain that the docks men experience is one that involves money. As we saw in the first three episodes times are hard on the docks. You begin to realize the people that work the docks are no cleaner then the water itself in baltimore. First and foremost starting with the head Frank. Strain causes Franks own son to steal from the company and make a profit on his own. Whether you believe strain causes crime is up to your own discretion. Also, I believe its episode 3 where you see one of Franks workers tell him that he is going to leave the docks. As a result Frank tells him to go get a drink on him and tell him the answer in the morning. To his surprise a money roll is waiting for him at bar. Whether or not this money was obtained legitimately or not is still up in the air, but we can make assumptions. Strain can turn the nicest man into a corrupt man.
I felt that the institutional anomie theory could apply on a micro level as well. For example, I would say that Nick's girlfriend wanted the American Dream which ultimately put pressure on Nick to make more money so that he could get his own place and raise him family "the right way." As a result, since he wasn't making enough money through his job at the docks (legitimate means to gain economic achievements), he ended up resorting to stealing and selling cameras (illegitimate means) to try to achieve the American Dream.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with both of you and the same themes popped out at me in the first three episodes. I thought it was ironic that when Ziggy suggests to Nick that they sell drugs to make money, Nick completely shuts him down saying drug dealing is for wastes of life. Yet he steals from his own uncle to make a profit. Is one sort of criminal acitvity better or more acceptable than another?
ReplyDeleteThe points here about IAT applying at the micro-level are a bit mis-placed...when you take it to that level you are really looking at Agnew's GST (or perhaps Merton's anomie theory). The micro-level insight is solid, but just not in line with Messner & Rosenfeld ever proposed. Though drawing inferences from macro to micro (or finding a middle, integrated range) is analytically astute in many ways, it's important not to automatically reduce macro- or structural-level forces to the micro- or individual-level.
ReplyDeleteThat whole worker receiving money at the bar upon Frank's request of buying him a drink definitely concerned me if that money was tainted. And if so is that money used to be hush money for that worker not to report him to some higher authority about worker conditions/opportunities at the docks? I do agree season two is starting on a strong and interesting note, way different than the start of season one. I am also interested in how Franks character is going to pan out, he is definitely becoming one of my favorite character's this season so far, and I am not sure if I am classifying him as a bad or good guy yet...
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