explaining youth deviance: functionalist

Question 1

What is merton’s theory ?

Answer 1

• A strain between the goals wanting to be achieved and the lawful ways of achieving these means
• This strain can lead to deviance and law breaking
• May happen due to deprivation, poverty and lack of education
  Young people have 4 ways of dealing with this :
• Innovation - finding new ways to achieve goals (criminally)
• Ritualism - going through the motions
• Retreatism - turning to drugs or alcohol in desperation
• anomie - political and social rebellion

Question 2

What is Cohen’s theory ?

Answer 2

• explains why so many young people committed offences from WC backgrounds
• due to low self-esteem and low status at school
• boys behave more likely to behave and engage in anti-social behaviour
• due to the norms of the subculture, their bad behaviour provides status

Question 3

What is Cloward and Ohlin’s study ?

Answer 3

• Disagree with Merton that delinquents share the same goals as the rest of society
• happens because of ‘blocked opportunity’ so they cant get on legitimately
• They develop an illegitimate career structure (illegal)

Question 4

What were Cloward and Ohlin’s 3 delinquent subcultures ?

Answer 4

1. criminal subculture - in slum areas where there is hierarchy and criminal opportunity
2. Conflict violent subculture - formed in disorganised areas with no hierarchy. Violent disputes over territory
3. Retreatist subculture - petty theft supports retreatism. Retreating from the norms and values of a society

Question 5

What was Miller’s study ?

Answer 5

• challenges the idea of value consensus
• says working class boys don’t try to gain academic success
• focal concerns = being in trouble, being tough being streetwise

Question 6

What are evaluative points of the functionalist view ?

Answer 6

• too general when talking about working class culture
• unreprsentive
• not all working class people are the same
• stereotypical