functionalist: cohen's status frustration

Question 1

subcultural strain theories

Answer 1

• deviance is the product of a delinquent subculture with different values from mainstream society

Question 2

subcultural strain theories

Answer 2

• they provide alternative opportunity structure who are denied the chance to live by legitimate means
• it is a solution to a problem and functional for their members

Question 3

COHEN influenced and agreed with MERTON

Answer 3

• agreed that deviance is largely a lower class phenomenon

Question 4

COHEN criticised MERTON’s theory

Answer 4

• merton only focused on utilitarian crime and ignoring crimes w/out an economic drive
• merton ignored that most deviance is committed in groups

Question 5

working class boys suffer from..

Answer 5

• lack of opportunities to succeed in society due to cultural deprivation
• this leaves them at the bottom of the status hierarchy and suffer from status frustration

Question 6

alternative status hierarchy

Answer 6

• subcultures values are defined by spite, malice, hostility and contempt for outside subculture
• the delinquent subculture inverts the values of society so what society condemns they praise
• it offers boys an alternative status hierarchy

Question 7

strengths

Answer 7

+ Cohen explains non utilitarian crime e.g. vandalism

+ Cohen’s ideas about status and respect are still relevant to an understanding of gang culture

Question 8

weaknesses

Answer 8

• he assumes that working class boys start off sharing middle class goals and reject them when they fail (maybe they never shared them to begin with)
• feminists said that it ignored female delinquency
• MILLER; working class juvenile delinquency isn’t the result of strain but they are acting out and exaggerating the values