Cohen's Subcultural Theory
- Created by: Hollymurray99
- Created on: 12-12-17 15:28
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- Cohen's Subcultural Theory
- Juvenile delinquency
- Cohen was influenced by Merton and was interested in the fact that Merton had not addressed juvenile delinquency
- Cohen observed that delinquency is often malicious in nature and not linked to material or financial goals. E.g. vandalism, recreational drug use and gang violence.
- Delinquent boys
- According to Cohen, juvenile delinquency is caused by a strain between cultural goals and the institutional means of achieving them. He argues that young people's main cultural goal is the desire for status and respect.
- Middle class boys usually gain this through their parents and their educational success.
- Working class boys are denied this by wider society - their parents don't equip them with the necessary skills and they are placed in bottom sets at school.
- Status frustration and the subcultural response
- Cohen's theory suggests poor access to good education and job opportunities left working class juveniles frustrated with their inability to achieve status. They experienced a form of anomie, which he called 'status frustration'.
- They responded by developing delinquent subcultures of like-minded boys, who reversed the norms and values of the dominant culture and awarded one another status on the basis of anti-school and delinquent behaviour.
- The interactionist critique (Matza)
- Matza suggest problems with subcultural theories as they assume delinquents are different from others but their values are similar to mainstream society.
- Delinquents are often outraged by crime.
- Delinquents often express regret and remorse when they are caught offending.
- Only a minority of working class youths become part of a gang.
- Evaluation
- Still relevant now.
- Ignore female or middle class crimes.
- Juvenile delinquency
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