subcultural strain theories

Question 1

What is anomie according to Durkheim?

Answer 1

anomie= a shift in society, caused by industrialisation-> loss of what norms are anymore

Question 2

How does Cohen both support and criticise Merton? (1 support, 2 crits)

Answer 2

1. deviance is mainly a working class phenomenon- cannot legitimately achieve success
2. Merton sees deviance as an individual response to strain BUT deviance is committed in groups
3. Merton focuses on utilitarian crime ignores crimes with no economic motive (assault, vandalism etc)

Question 3

What did Cohen find in his study of the working class boys?

Answer 3

• the boys faced anomie in mc school and suffered from cult deprivation-> lacking skills to achieve legitimate success
  THUS, bottom of status hierarchy, rejected mainstream mc values-> formed and joined delinquent subcultures to find an alternative status hierarchy, status from peers

Question 4

One positive for Cohen’s theory and one criticism:

Answer 4

1. positive- offers an explanation for non-utilitarian deviance e.g. vandalism unlike merton
2. assumes that the working class boys started off sharing mc success goals, but may never have seen themselves as failures in the first place

Question 5

how do Cloward and Ohlin agree with Cohen and Merton? how do they crit also

Answer 5

agrees that working class youths are denied legitimate opportunities to achieve “money success”
BUT
C+O recognise that not everyone in this situation adapts to it through innovation, identify 3 different types of deviant subculture

Question 6

What are the three different types of deviant subcultures according to Cloward and Ohlin?

Answer 6

1. criminal subcultures
2. conflict subcultures
3. retreatist subcultures

Question 7

What are criminal subcultures? (C+O)

Answer 7

organised crime where career criminals can socialise youths into their own criminal career-> material success e.g. mafia

Question 8

what are conflict subcultures? (C+O)

Answer 8

gangs organised by young people, based on claiming territory from other gangs-> “turf wars”

Question 9

what are retreatist subcultures?

Answer 9

people who are unable to achieve legitimate or illegitimate success, double failures

Question 10

3 criticisms of Cloward and Ohlin’s theory:

Answer 10

1. South- they draw the boundaries too sharply between each subculture, the drug trade is a mix of disorganised crime and pro subcultures
2. Miller- assumes all people have the same mainstream success goals- deviant subcultures have their own goals
3. Matza- most delinquents aren’t strongly committed to their subculture, drift in and out of delinquency

Question 11

What do recent strain theories recognise that earlier theories may not have?

Answer 11

• many young people may pursue other goals other than money success e.g. desire to be treated like real men
• recognise that failure to achieve these goals may result in delinquency BUT middle class juveniles too may have problems achieving these goals

Question 12

What is Messner and Rosenfeld’s institutional anomie theory?

Answer 12

• an obsession with material success at the expense of values and respect for others, a “winner takes all attitude” at the expense of welfare and care for others= increasing crime is inevitable
• argue that in societies based on free market capitalism and lacking adequate welfare provision, high crime rates are inevitable
• Savelsberg agrees- post common societies of Eastern Europe - rapid rise in crime after fall of communism in 1989- communist values replaced by western capitalist “money success goals”