Subcultural theory Flashcards
what does subcultural theory mean?
- culture within a culture
- group in society who’s members share same norms + values which may be diff to wider society
why is Merton’s strain subcultural approach?
Rebellion-> replaced mainstream values with something else
Cohen
Status frustration
Status frustration
- working class boys suffer status frustration bc of cultural deprivation + inability to suceed in middle class world leaving them at bottom of status hierarcy
- due to unable to achieve status legitimately (education) they suffer status frustration
- resolve this by rejecting mainstream middle class values + form/join delinquient subculture
how is status frustration similar and different to Merton strain?
similar-> deviance largely lower class phenomenon bc cant achieve mainstream success goals by legitmate means
different-> Cohen ignores crimes with no economic motive, Cohen acknowledges
what is alternative status hierachy?
diff way to gain status
- subculture offers this to boys as create own illegatimate opportunity structure to win status from peers through deliquient actions
evaluation of Cohen
- non-ultaliatarian deviance explanation eg status frustration/ explains traunacy
- assumes WC boys start off sharing MC success goals only to reject when fail- ignores could have not shared goals in first place
Cloward and Ohlin
Illegitimate opportunity structures
how is Cloward and Ohlin similar and different to Merton strain?
similar-> WC youths denied legitimate opps to achieve money success
different-> believe thers unequal access to illegitimate opportunity structures, impact of geography
what is illegitimate opportunity structure?
- not got connections eg countryside so in response take drugs
- everyone doesnt have equal access to these opportunities bc different neighbourhoods provide different illegitimate for young to learn criminal skills
3 deviant subcultures from Cloward and Ohlin?
- criminal
- conflict
- retreatist
Cloward and Ohlin
what is a criminal subculture?
- youths provided with apprenticeships for career in utilitarian crime
- neighbourhoods with stable criminal culture
- young to associate with adult criminals to provide them training and opportunities for employing criminal career
Cloward and Ohlin
what is a conflict subculture?
- in high population turnover (lower WC area) = high levels of social disorganisation
- prevents stable criminal network so onlu illegitimate opps are in loosely organised gangs
Cloward and Ohlin
what is a retreatist subculture?
- fail in both illegatimate opportunity strcutures and legitimate ‘double failure’
- go to drug use
evaluation of Cloward and Ohlin?
- provide explanation for diff types of WC deviance (subcultures)
- ignores crimes of wealthy
- over-predicts amount of WC crime
- ignores wider power structure- who make/create laws
Miller
focal concerns
how is miller similar and different to Mertons strain?
similar-> WC boys got values leading to crime
different-> dont intend to break law but focal concerns make it inevitable
focal concerns
- smartness= person should be quick witted, cheeky-> stopped by police will be cheeky
- toughness= important to demonstrate stronger than others-> violent
evaluation of Miller?
- where do values come from?
- demonised WC/ blames them for deviant values
Matza
subterranean values
what does Matza mean by drift?
people able to switch between conformist or deviant. all have potential to commit crime to excuse it
Matza
techniques of neutralisation
- people seek ways to justify behaviour
- question their responsibility of maintstream values
- therefore must understand + share values
- eg denial of responsibility ‘it wasnt me’
why is Matza’s theory different to the other subcultural theories?
suggests we ALL have delinquient values just most of us supress it
evaluation of Matza?
- explains why WC in crime stats
- explains why MC less likely to commit crime/ be in crime stats
Messner and Rosenfield
Institutional Anomie theory
Institutional anomie theory
- obsessive with money success exerts pressure towards crime where people are encouraged to adopt an ‘everything goes’ mentality
- economic goals valued above all
how do Downey and Hansen back up Messner and Rosenfield?
- backs up that societies that protect poor have less crime
why does institutional anomie theory support merton?
its those who dont work hard and be successful and wealthy are deviant/criminal
2 marxist subcultural theorists
- Hebdidge
- Brake
Marxist subcultural
what do Hebdidge and Brake say?
- WC youths develop own youth culture and style as means of resisting exploitation in captialist society
- style= clothes, haircut, hair colour
Teddy boys
taking aspect of MC (suits) and subverting it to a WC thing
why are young more likely to join ‘style’ subcultures?
- less tied in by capitalist system
- lack of responsiblities
- fewer consequences
evaluation of marxist subcultural theory?
- youth subcultures today are about fashion, consumerism, media trends than resistance
- consumerism- having to buy the clothes from mod movement, young still supporting captitalist economy
- other reasons for joining eg peer pressure
