Functionalism- Cloward & Ohlin

Question 1

Legitimate opportunity structure

Answer 1

Opportunities to be successful through legitimate means

Varies through classes and races etc

Question 2

Illegitimate opportunity structure

Answer 2

Opportunities to be a successful criminal also vary

For example different neighbourhoods

Question 3

Criminal subculture

Answer 3

Occurs in areas where there is already a criminal underworld
So adolescences become ‘apprentice criminals’
They learn from older men

Question 4

Conflict subculture

Answer 4

No clean criminal underworld to organise young men into the life of crime
So men turn to gangs and territorial boundaries for identity
E.g. Patrick’s Glasgow gang observed

Question 5

Retreatist subculture

Answer 5

These subcultures are double faulted
Failed to find success through criminal behaviour or through territorial conflict
So form a retreatist subculture

Question 6

Evaluation +

Answer 6

Provide explanation for different types of working class deviance 
Provides explanation for non economic crimes

Question 7

Evaluation -

Answer 7

Ignore crimes of wealthy
Marxists would argue they ignore wider power structures
Raises postmodernist question does a main stream culture even exist