1.3 Subcultural Strain Theories

Cards (14)

  • What are 2 criticisms of Cloward & Ohlin?
    -Ignore crimes of the wealthy
    -Not everyone has the same goals
  • Retreatist subcultures
    -People fail in legitimate & illegitimate means of gaining status
    -Turn to drugs & alcohol as they feel they have no other option
  • Conflict subcultures
    -Arise in areas of high population turnover which results in social disorganisation
    -Only opportunities in loosely organised gangs to gain status
  • Criminal subcultures
    -Provide youths with an apprenticeship for a career in utilitarian crime
    -Only in neighbourhoods with professional adult criminals
  • What are the 3 types of deviant subcultures according to Cloward & Ohlin?
    Criminal
    Conflict
    Retreatist
  • How do they develop Merton's ideas?
    Into an explanation of why different social groups choose to adopt forms of deviance
  • What did Cloward and Ohlin believe?

    -People are socialised to value 'success'
    -Those who have the means, do so legitimately or if they don't, they do it illegitimately
  • What are 2 criticisms of Cohen?
    Makes the assumption that everyone is looking for the status
    Focuses on WC & non utilitarian crime
  • How does anomie create status frustration? How does it offer the boys an alternative status hierarchy?
    -The boys face a problem of adjustment at their low status in mainstream society
    -They reject MC values & join a delinquent subculture
    -They can win status through their delinquent actions through their own illegitimate opportunity structure
  • What did Cohen say about deviance in WC boys?

    They face anomie in the MC dominated school system and leaves them at the bottom of the status hierarchy
  • Utilitarian Crimes
    Crimes related to money and material possessions
  • What did Cohen criticise about Merton's viewpoint?

    1. Deviance is often a group response to strain, especially for young people (not just individuals)
    2. Violent crime & vandalism have no economic motive but are very common
  • What do they think subcultures provide?
    An alternative opportunity structure for those who are denied the chance to achieve by legitimate means- mainly those in the working class
  • How do subcultural Strain Theorists see deviance?
    As the product of a delinquent subculture with different values from those of mainstream society