Matza - Delinquency and drift

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Subcultures

Matza is sceptical about the existence of hard and fast subcultures with alternative sets of norms and values.

Delinquents are similar to everyone else in their values and voiced similar feelings of outrage about crime in general. When caught they expressed feelings of remorse and extended justifications for their acts. 

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Subterranean values

We all hold 2 levels of values.

The values that guide us most of the time are the respectable, conventional ones, in which we play the good role in society e.g. daughter, but there are occassions when the underlying (subterranean) values of sexuality, greed and aggressiveness emerge. 

These subterranean values are generally controlled, but all of us hold them and occassionally give vent to them.

Delinquents are more likely to behave according to subterranean values in 'inappropriate' situations. 

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Techniques of neutralisation

If delinquents are as much committed to conventional values as anyone else and express condemnation of similar crimes to their own(but committed by others) why should they commit them at all?

Delinquents are able to put forward justifications for their particular crimes as exceptions to the general rule - 5 justifications/techniques of neutralisation.

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Justifications/techniques of neutralisation

1) Denial of responsibility - It isn't the culprit's fault, something made him/her do it e.g. 'I was drunk'

2) Denial of victim - The crime in general is wrong, but the victim in this particular case deserved it e.g. 'he was asking for it'

3) Denial of injury - The victim is seen as not being harmed in any way by the crime e.g. 'they can afford it'

4) Conbdemnation of condemners - The delinquent argues that the accusers are no different than he/she e.g. 'Yeah I was driving when drunk, but so does everybody else - even you'

5) Appeal to higher loyalties - The delinquent claims that he/she had to do it because of some general 'moral' standard e.g 'I couldn't leave my mates (during a fight)'.

Techniques of neutralisation act as a justification for why the general rules can be broken and are based on commonly held and understood mainstream values.

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Drift

Youth is a period in 'no mans land', not yet an adult but no longer a child. They feel that they lack any control over their lives and long to gain some power over their destiny, 

The period of drift loosens the adolsecent from constraining bonds of society, so he/she is more susceptible to suggestions of deviant acts by the peer group.

In an effor to show that he/she has control over their life, the youth may commit a delinquent act. However, there is no deviant career, the youth isn't committed in any way to a life of crime and he/she tends to drift out of crime again e.g. when they have a decent job. 

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