subcultural theories
- Created by: alicegrieve
- Created on: 01-03-18 14:52
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- SUBCULTURAL THEORIES (functionalist)
- COHEN - status frustration & reactive delinquent subculture
- WC youth believe in the success goals of mainsteam culture but their experiences mean they have little opportunity to attain them
- the groups react to the strain by developing their own norms & values within a delinquent subculture
- in the subculture they react & rebel against accepted forms of behaviour through vandalism, stealing, intimidation & violence
- EVALUATION OF COHEN
- helps explain WC delinquency as a group rather than just individuals
- miller is critical of Cohens work - argues the WC have always had their own subculture so wouldn't identify with mainstream values
- however Cohens theory assumes young WC delinquents accept mainstream values as being desirable & develop delinquent values as a reaction to what they can't achieve
- CLOWARD & OHLIN - 3 subcultures
- 1) CRIMINAL - utilitarian crime, offers illegitimate means to achieving financial reward, young members navigated away from non- utilitarian crime e.g. vandalism that'll draw attention of police
- 2) CONFLICT- occur in socially disorganised areas with high rate of population turnover. street crime, violence, gangs. both approved & illegal means of achieving mainstream goals are blocked or limited. express their frustration in violent ways
- 3) RETREATIST- emerge amongst low class youths who are 'double failures'. response to failure is drug addiction or alcoholism, paid for by petty theft, drug dealing or prostitution
- EVALUATION OF CLOWARD & OHLIN
- explains ho WC delinquency may take different forms
- difference between 3 subcultures exaggerated, some overlap.
- MILLER- focal concerns
- identifies a dsitinctive WC subculture
- subculture involves & revolves around the focal concerns of toughness, thrill seeking, resistance of authority & trouble
- the vaules become exaggerated on the lives of young people involved 7 make them more susceptible to law breaking
- the desire for status frustration also perpetuates criminality e.g. being the toughest in the group
- EVALUATION OF MILLER
- MATZA challenges the subcultures in 2 ways
- 1) challenges that people in subcultures are different to everyone else
- 2) argues many people at some point will be involved in a delinquent subculture but is only a phase
- COHEN - status frustration & reactive delinquent subculture
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