Albert Cohen - Status Frustration
- Created by: Amy
- Created on: 23-04-15 17:37
View mindmap
- Cohen - "Status Frustration"
- Adressed the issue of subcultures and gangs among young working class males in the 1950's
- He argues that they face anomie in the middle class dominated school system
- Due to cultural deprivation and a lack of skills to achieve, they are unable to achieve in the middle class world, leaving them at the bottom of the status hierarchy.
- Because of this they suffer from status frustration.
- They resolve their frustration by rejecting mainstream middle class values and turning instead to other boys in the same situation and forming/joining delinquent subcultures.
- The role of the subculture is to offer the boys an alternative status hierarchy in which they can achieve. They win status from their peers through delinquent actions
- They resolve their frustration by rejecting mainstream middle class values and turning instead to other boys in the same situation and forming/joining delinquent subcultures.
- Because of this they suffer from status frustration.
- Due to cultural deprivation and a lack of skills to achieve, they are unable to achieve in the middle class world, leaving them at the bottom of the status hierarchy.
- He argues that they face anomie in the middle class dominated school system
- Evaluation
- Downes - conducted a thorough study of east London adolescents and found no evidence for the existence of groups that could be considered a proper 'subculture'
- Postmodernists would argue that a dominant 'mainstream culture' doesn't exist, as in todays fragmented society it is impossible to speak of just one culture
- Adressed the issue of subcultures and gangs among young working class males in the 1950's
Comments
No comments have yet been made