Other Subcultural Theories of Crime

Question 1

What do Marxists say about subcultural explanations?

Answer 1

Subcultures are how young, working-class people react to capitalism, coping with alienation by using deviance, e.g: petty theft, to obtain advertised products, conforming to teenage consumerism.

Question 2

What do Left Realists say about subcultural explanations?

Answer 2

Lea and Young, crime is a response to social and economic inequalities. Relative deprivation leads to groups feeling disadvantaged, resulting in frustration and a desire to acquire wealth. This marginalisation results in the formation of subcultures to cope.

Question 3

What do the New Right say about subcultural explanations?

Answer 3

Murray = underclass who reject mainstream values, being supported by an overgenerous welfare state which leads to a dependency culture. Typically single-parent families with low employment, alcoholism, etc leading to high crime rates.

Dennis and Erdos = ‘fatherless families’, young men from these committing the most crime. Need tougher penalties/zero tolerance, as well as removing welfare benefits to encourage work and deter crime.

Question 4

Postmodernist evaluation of Subcultural Theories (EDGEWORK):

Answer 4

Katz and Lyng = people commit crime purely for pleasure, seek thrills and risk-taking which is motivation for crime rather than material gain.

Question 5

Evaluation of Subcultural Theories (TECHNIQUES OF NEUTRALISATION):

Answer 5

Matza = criticising subcultural theories for suggesting that a delinquent is ‘other’. Argues that people drift in and out of delinquency, using techniques of neutralisation such as ‘they deserved it’ (justifications) to do so.
- ‘Subterranean values’ = the values of risk-taking delinquents that we suppress before adulthood.