Subcultural Theories of Crime Flashcards
What are subcultural theories of crime?
Try to explain why juvenile delinquency has a subcultural character; it is committed as a part of a wider group or gang.
Albert Cohen: Lower-class reaction theory & status frustration
deviance =result of strain between goals and the means of achieving them
Young, working-class boys want status, and to feel valued- unable to achieve this through the middle-class values of the education system, leave school with few or no qualifications and unable to obtain employment.
As they are unable to live-up to middle class values, they experience a form of anomie called status frustration.
They use deviance as a way of reacting against society, they reject theMC values and form gangs/subcultures.
Walter Miller: Focal Concerns
Wc delinquents are merely acting-out and exaggerating the mainstream values of male working-class subculture. Working-class youth subculture has developed a series of ‘focal concerns’ which give meaning to their lives outside of education and low-level work.
What are the working class values?
Toughness: A concern for masculinity and wanting to act tough
Trouble: Accept their lives will involve violence
Smartness: The capacity to outfox, outwit and dupe others
Excitement: The search for thrills through gambling, drugs.
Fate: Believe little can be done about their lives
Autonomy: Independence from authority figures such as parents is important
Living out these ‘focal concerns’ compensate for the boredom of school and low-level jobs.
Cloward & Ohlin: Differential Opportunity Structures:
Combined subcultural theory with strain theory. Suggested that lower working class boys have their own deviant values. When they are denied access to succeed in the labour market, they are attracted to the illegitimate opportunity structure of crime.
What are the 3 delinquent subcultures according to Cloward & Ohlin?
Criminal Careers
Conflict Subcultures
Retreatist Subcultures
