subcultural theories

Question 1

Cohen

AO3

Answer 1

• WC boys are culturally deprived in the MC education system
• at the bottom of the official status hierarchy
• no opportunities to achieve through legitimate means
• subculture offers illegitimate opportunity structure
• win status through an alternative status hierarchy
• inverts mainstream values

assumes all WC boys share the same values

Question 2

Cloward and Ohlin

AO3

Answer 2

• agrees that WC youths’ deviance stems from a lack of legitimate opportunities
• not everyone adapts to it by turning to innovation
• some resort to violence if no access to the illegitimate opportunity structure
• professional, conflict and retreatist subcultures

ignores crimes of the wealthy
matza - delinquents drift in and out of crime and are not strongly committed to their subculture