Subcultural theories

Question 1

Cohen

Answer 1

• develops Merton’s strain theory
• individuals experience a strain between their position in society and society’s norms and values
• this leads to status frustration- they seek status from subcultural groups
  x Marxism- this is too focused on white collar crime

Question 2

Cloward and Ohlin

Answer 2

• illegitimate opportunity structures- different neighbourhoods provide different criminal educations
• criminal, conflict and retreatist
  x South- these boundaries are too vague and often overlap

Question 3

Miller’s criticism of Cohen, Cloward and Ohlin

Answer 3

• w/c youths have never had m/c values
• focal concerns- excitement, toughness, smartness, authority, trouble, fate
• these lead to non-utilitarian crimes
  x feminism- these might be masculine traits not working class ones

Question 4

Marshall et al

Answer 4

• subcultural theories don’t account for the complexity of criminal groups
• levels of criminality are not always the same across every group
• peer groups, gangs and organised criminal groups

Question 5

Brake (Neo-Marxism)

Answer 5

• w/c youths develop their own culture to deal with the problems of their generation
• ‘magical resistance’ which appears to be solving their problems
• Cohen and the ‘skinhead’ subculture
  x Carlen- ‘gender blind’