1. Subcultural strain theories

Question 1

Outline Cohens Status fustration theory

Cohen

Answer 1

Cohen’s ‘status frustration’ theory focuses on WC boys in schools who fail to succeed in MC environments, in turn, form delinquent subcultures that go against MC norms & values.

Subsequently, WC boys try to succeed within subcultures by trying to rise in the hierarchy, which they have more chance of succeeding in.
This explains why people commit non-utilitarian crimes.

Question 2

Outline Cloward & Ohlin: 3 Subcultures

Answer 2

Cloward and Ohlin develop Cohen’s status frustration theory by suggesting there are 3 types of subcultures:

• Criminal subcultures provide ‘apprenticeships’ for utilitarian crime. They exist in areas with stable criminal cultures, with hierarchies of professional criminals(e.g. drug dealers).
• Conflict subcultures exist in areas of high population turnover. There is social disorganisation and only loosely organised gangs(e.g. postcode/turf wars).
• Retreatist subcultures are formed of people who fail in both legitimate AND illegitimate means and may turn to illegal drug use(e.g. ‘junkies’).

Question 3

A03

Evaluation of Cloward & Ohlin

Answer 3

Their theory overpredicts the amount of WC crime like merton & Cohen they ignore the wider power structure including who makes & enforces the law

Unlike Cohen they they provide an explanation for different types of WC deviance in terms of diff subcultures. (strength)

Strain theories have been called reactive theories because they explain subcultures as forming in reaction to the failure to achieve mainstream goals, they are criticized for assuming that everyone starts off sharing the same mainstream success goals

Miller argues that lower class have its own independent subculture separate from main stream culture, with its own values -this subculture does not value success in first place so members not frustrated by failure