Functionalism & Subcultures

Question 1

Merton

Answer 1

-Crime caused by feelings of strain (frustrations at failure to perform in life) and anomie (feeling alienated and disconnected)
- subcultural theory built on mertons work

Question 2

Merton: Strain theory

Answer 2

Argues individuals choose a route when facing these feelings
- conformity: accept societal, cultural and institutional means (get a boring job and pay bills)

• innovation: accept cultural means but reject institutional (use what you know to start a crime based organisation, drugs etc)
• ritualism: taking what institution gives (welfare abuse)
• retreatism: reject both cultural and institutional means (drug addict)
• rebellion: dissociate from culture and institutions themselves (riots, murder)

Question 3

Cohen

Answer 3

• WC youth believe in success but don’t have means to get there (status frustration)
• leads to formation of delinquent subcultures where validation and respect is gained through this

Can argue this is somewhat outdated (from 1970) as there is a lot of community work now to give WC good prospects

Question 4

Cloward & Ohlin

Answer 4

Build on Cohens work, arguing his theory doesn’t allow for diversity of responses among WC - C&O focus more on individual

Question 5

Cloward & Ohlin: types of subculture

Answer 5

Criminal subculture: commit utilitarian crimes to attain money/status which has previously been denied to WC (for personal gain)

Conflict subculture: oppressive crimes targeted against those who represent their oppression (smashing a fancy car etc. - emotionally motivated)

Retreatist subculture: those who have failed in society and been rejected by other subcultures (hopeless drug addicts) and no one accepts them. Don’t gain validation/status in same way as others

Question 6

Evaluating Merton

Answer 6

• doesn’t explain why everyone who feels strain and anomie doesn’t turn to crime
• doesn’t take into account that people may get value from helping others etc. not just about money
• fails to account for why already accomplished people commit crime (white collar)

Question 7

Evaluating cohen

Answer 7

• explains WC as a group not individuals
• assumes wc accept mainstream values as “superior”