Cohen

• Cohen, subculture theorist

  Most deviance is a result of the lower classes inability to achieve success by legitimate means
• Cohen criticizes Merton

  • Saw deviance as an individual response to strain, ignoring group deviance of delinquent subcultures
  • Merton = focused on crime for material gain, doesn't consider vandalism or assult
• Cohen argues w/c boys face anomie in education system:


  Culturally deprived and lack of necessary skills to succeed > left at bottom of official status hierarchy > status frustration > resolve by turning against m/c values > turn to delinquent subcultures
• Cohen's alternative status hierarchy

  • Winning status through delinquent behaviours
  • Values are spite, hostility and contempt for those outside it
  • Have different values to others in society, e.g. society teaches respect for property of others, whereas boys gain status from vandalising it
• Criticisms of Cohen


  Assumes w/c boys start off sharing same success goal as m/c boys, believing that they form a subculture then they fail > possibly never shared goals so don't react to failure