Crime and Deviance: Functionalism: Cloward and Ohlin

Question 1

What do Cloward and Ohlin argue?

Answer 1

Cloward and Ohlin expand on Cohen’s Status Frustration Theory and say that the type of subculture the the individuals turn to depends on the circumstances in which they live in.

Question 2

What are the 3 types of delinquent subcultures?

Answer 2

1. Criminal subcultures
2. Conflict subcultures
3. Retreatist subcultures

Question 3

What are criminal subcultures?

Answer 3

Criminal subcultures are characterised by utilitarian crimes such as theft. They develop in a more stable working class area where there is an established pattern of crime. The youth of these subcultures have adult role models to learn from and aspire to be like.

Question 4

What are conflict subcultures?

Answer 4

Conflict subcultures emerge in areas with weak social cohesion and a high population turnover. These factors mean that there are no stable adult criminal subcultures for the youth to learn from and therefore they turn to street crime and gangs. They gain their rewards in this subculture through respect for doing the crimes from their peers.

Question 5

What are retreatist subcultures?

Answer 5

Retreatist subcultures emerge among the working-class who have failed to succeed in both the mainstream society and the criminal subcultures. Their response is to turn to things such as drugs and alcohol in which they pay for through things such as petty theft and prostitution.