Why young people participate in deviant subcultures (Functionalism and New Right)

Question 1

What is the functionalist theory of delinquent subcultures?

Answer 1

They see society as a system that works as various parts support each other and each have a function and this applies to youth culture. They aim to identify the functions that youth culture performs for its members and wider society.

Question 2

Talcott Parsons on socialisation

Answer 2

In modern industrialised society there’s a big gap between childhood and adulthood and they need to develop a special stage of youth. Young people are segregated into specialised institutions and undergo socialisation.

Question 3

What specialised institutions are young people segregated into?

Answer 3

Education and training

Question 4

What do young people learn during socialisation in specialised institutions?

Answer 4

How to become an adult and how to take on adult responsibilities and jobs.

Question 5

Why is the segregation of youth important for society?

Answer 5

It allows cultural heritage and shared values to pass smoothly from one generation to the next

Question 6

Why may youth in modern day society become confused about their identity?

Answer 6

They are neither children nor fully grown adults

Question 7

What are important functions of youth culture?

Answer 7

Provides young people with support of a peer group whilst they find themselves. Can be a collective solution to their problems and they can feel understood by others and it gives them a sense of power and control
By being adventurous and experimenting with different styles and identities they mature and grow up and they can develop stable personalities

Question 8

What does Miller say about the lower class culture?

Answer 8

Adopts a functionalist view that working class youth do not care about what the middle class think about them so delinquency isn’t a reaction to middle class contempt but about youngsters expressing lower class values (toughness/excitement)

Question 9

What does Miller believe about adolescence?

Answer 9

It is a stage whereby young people are unsure about themselves and seek status and need to feel that they belong, finding this in a delinquent gang

Question 10

What are the advantages about Millers findings?

Answer 10

+ Marxists would support in regards to class division in youth subcultures. Lower class children emphasise values like toughness and middle class value education
+ Gained support from other sociologists like Merton (class frustration and Cloward and Ohlin)

Question 11

What is a disadvantage of Miller’s research?

Answer 11

• He focuses on delinquent working class youth but other sociologists would disagree, Young studied middle class hippies in Notting Hill that were very delinquent and even criminal as they smoked drugs. Miller should focus on other social classes and subcultures being deviant

Question 12

Social structure and Anomie

Answer 12

Merton, originates from functionalism and Durkheim, all members of society share values but not everyone has he opportunity to access and act upon these values creating deviance

Question 13

How did Merton use the USA in 1930 as an example of Social structure and anomie?

Answer 13

The members of American society share values of the American culture and one of these values is the goal for success, measured in wealth. The “American Dream” shows this.
Success is seen as very important, however how success is achieved isn’t as important.
American society is unstable and individuals try to strive for success by any available means (even if this means committing crime).

Question 14

The “American dream”

Answer 14

states that all members of society have an equal opportunity of achieving success via education, talent, hard work, drive, determination and ambition.

Question 15

When does anomie occur?

Answer 15

When rules cease to operate

Question 16

Anomie

Answer 16

A society where there is a disjunction between goals and means

Question 17

What are the five modes of adaptation?

Answer 17

conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion

Question 18

Conformity as a mode of adaptation

Answer 18

The population learn to accept their disappointment and position. They conform and work hard and will not commit crime

Question 19

Innovation as a mode of adaptation

Answer 19

Some people reject the means of acquiring wealth and adopt illegal means (innovation). Lower classes might not have qualifications and have poorly paid jobs so they might turn to crime and deviance. The middle class might bend the rules and commit crime to make more money.

Question 20

Ritualism as a mode of adaptation

Answer 20

People who have lost sight of their goals, but carry on doing meaningless jobs, becoming lost in routine. This affects the lower middle classes who are stuck in a rut, and they become deviant because they reject the goals held by the majority of society.

Question 21

Retreatism as a mode of adaptation

Answer 21

People drop out of society and reject goals altogether. They can become drug addicts, homeless or commit suicide. These people belong to the under-class of are in the lower strand of the working class

Question 22

Rebellion as a mode of adaptation

Answer 22

A few people might rebel and will try to replace shared goals with alternative and opposing goals and values, examples might include terrorism or shocking crimes.

Question 23

What are the advantages of Merton’s work?

Answer 23

+ Successfully explains why the lower classes may commit crime and be deviant but fails to explain why the middle class youth do
+ Sumner (1994) (Marxist) supports and claims the main cause of deviancy is capitalism
+ Research by Willis, ‘Learning to labour’ supports the lower class becoming deviant due to anomie or a lack of opportunities

Question 24

Sumner (1994)

Answer 24

The main cause of deviance in modern society is capitalism and young people feel alienated and disillusioned by the impossible goals that capitalism has set. Youth become frustrated with their economic position and anomie begins. This may be the catalyst for youth to join gangs or be anti-social

Question 25

Willis: Learning to Labour

Answer 25

Found that working class males didn't do well at school and dropped out early with a lack of qualifications (similar to retreatism). Males had problems in employment and challenged authority just like they did at school. Delinquents with a lack of opportunity

Question 26

Murray (1984) New Right

Answer 26

Youths in deviant subcultures haven't received the appropriate socialisation into the value consensus held by the rest of society.

Question 27

What does Murray (1984) say about deviant subcultures and their norms and values?

Answer 27

Deviant subcultures have a set of norms and values that are based on criminality, laziness and dependency, the underclass depend on the welfare state, therefore are seen as a deviant subculture

Question 28

What in the modern world does Murray (1984) condemn?

Answer 28

The increase of single mothers raising young boys with no fathers as it explains the high rates of crime among male youths from deprived social backgrounds.

Question 29

What does Murray believe happens to boys without a father?

Answer 29

Boys without fathers have poor impulses control and can become sexual predators or not want a job.

Question 30

What does Murray believe happens to girls without a father?

Answer 30

Girls without fathers often seek a father substitute and get pregnant at an early age.

Question 31

What does Murray argue the greatest indicator of criminality is?

Answer 31

Single parent families

Question 32

What are the advantages of the new right?

Answer 32

+ supports Functionalist ideas about consensus, agrees that youths who go against social consensus and order are more likely to be delinquent and commit crime. They should be punished for it because they threaten to society + Supported by the Labelling and interactionist approach whereby the young under class are negatively labelled and stereotyped by society such as the police, teachers and members of the public. They are more likely to be seen as problematic and therefore have a very high chance of being, "stopped and searched" and targeted by the police as opposed to middle class or upper class youths

Question 33

What is a disadvantage of the New right?

Answer 33

Emphasises that a generous welfare state increases delinquency and crime rates. However, Sweden has a very generous welfare state system but the crime rate is extremely low, so it's incorrect for the NR to assume that a generous welfare state system leads to the crime rate increasing. Other factors need to be considered too such as how youth are socialised by their parents and education