Subcultural strain theory(Topic 1)

Question 1

Subcultural strain theory

Answer 1

See deviance as a product of a delinquent subculture with different values from main stream society; they provide an alternative opportunity structure for those denied a chance to achieve through legitimate ways

Question 2

Cohens criticisation

Answer 2

He criticises Mertons explanation as he sees deviance as an individual response to strain ignoring that much deviance is committed in groups and he ignores crimes such as assault and vandalism focusing on utilitarian crime

Question 3

WC boys

Answer 3

Cohen focuses on deviance among WC boys saying they suffer from cultural deprivation and lack of skills to achieve leaving them at the bottom of the status hierarchy suffering status frustration ; their solution is to reject MC values and joining a delinquent subculture with other boys

Question 4

Alternative status hierarchy

Answer 4

The delinquent subcultures invert the values of mainstream culture by opposing what they praise so the subcultures function offers an alternative status hierarchy where they can achieve by gaining status with peers from delinquent actions

Question 5

Evaluation (Cohen)

Answer 5

• Strength is that he offers an explanation for non utilitarian deviance that explain non economic delinquency such as vandalism
• Weakness is that it assumes that the WC start of by having MC success goals then later rejecting them however it may be that they didn’t share these goals in the first place and didn’t see themselves as a failure

Question 6

Cloward + Ohlin

Answer 6

They note that not everyone that denied the opportunity to achieve turns to innovation instead different subcultures response to the situation in different ways; unequal access to illegitimate opportunity structures also have a role

Question 7

Illegitimate opportunity structures

Answer 7

Different neighbourhoods provide different illegitimate opportunities for young people to learn criminal skills and develop criminal careers

Question 8

3 Types

Criminal subcultures

Answer 8

• Provide youths with an apprenticeship for a career in utilitarian crime
• Only in neighbourhoods with a long standing and stable criminal culture ; established hierarchy of adult crime
• Youngs associate with adult criminals who select those with the abilities providing them with training for employment in a criminal career

Question 9

Conflict subculture

Answer 9

• Areas of high populations resulting in social disorganisation preventing a stable professional criminal network
• Illigitimate opportunities are available within loosely organised gangs
• Gangs provide violence as a release for frustration of blocked opportunities as well as providing status by gaining territory from rival gangs

Question 10

Retreatist subculture

Answer 10

• Not everyone who wants to be a professional criminal or gang leader succeeds
• Double failures
• Turn to a retreatist subculture based on illegal drug use

Question 11

Evaluation

Answer 11

• They draw boundaries too sharply; South found that the drug trade is a mixture of both conflict and criminal subcultures with some retreatist users as professional dealers
• Miller argues the lower class have its own independent subculture away from mainstream goals which does not value success in the first place so do not experience frustration from failure
• Matza argues most delinquents are not strongly committed to their subculture instead drift in and out of delinquency

Question 12

Recent strain theories

Answer 12

Young people may pursue a variety of goals other than money success such as popularity or autonomy and also argue that MC juveniles may also have problems achieving goals offering an explanation for them

Question 13

Institutional anomie theory

Answer 13

Messner and Rosenfelds theory also focuses on the American dream arguing the obsession with money success pressures towards crime; in American economic goals are valued above all undermining other institutions

Question 14

Example

Answer 14

Schools become geared for preparing pupils for the labour market at the expense of other values ; therefore in societies based on free market capitalism and a lack of welfare provision high crime rates are inevitable

Question 15

Evidence

Answer 15

Downes and Hansen found in a survey of crime rates and welfare spending in 18 countries, the more societies spent on welfare the lower rates of imprisonment