Types of Subculture

• Types of Subcultures

  1. Delinquent
  2. Criminal
  3. Spectacular
  4. Anti-school
  5. Gangs
• Delinquent subcultures 


  When young people collectively commit low-level crime, like vandalism and joy riding. Usually non-utilitarian crime, done just for the thrill.
• Hall & Jefferson

  • Teddy Boy's crime was based on protecting territory, loyalty, and breaking class boundaries
• A.Cohen - Functionalist

  • Working-class boys strove to emulate middle-class values in school but lacked the means for success
  • As result of their status frustration they inverted the traditional school values, rewarding each other for bad grades and bad behaviour
• Criminal subcultures 


  Youth who carry out illegal acts within their groups, such as theft, robbery, and assault. Mostly utilitarian crime that is economically motivated.
• Venkatesh

  • Criminal gangs are functional as it gives members a 'job' with opportunities for pay, promotion, and a purpose.
  • Outlaw Capitalism - mirrors a corporate job
• Cloward & Ohlin - Functionalists

  • Working class are more likely to have access to the 'illegitimate opportunity structure' as they are less likely to succeed in the 'legitimate opportunity structure'
  • Provides opportunities for them to earn money in a capitalist society
• Spectacular subcultures


  Very noticeable and highly visible due to their flamboyant styles.
• Hall - Marxist

  • Hippies rejected consumerism by wearing bright colours, peace and flower symbols, and long hair.
  • Advocated for the protection of the environment and ending the Vietnam war
  • Took hallucinatory drugs and promoted free love to symbolise their rebellion against mainstream culture.
• Hebdige - Marxist

  • Used semiotic analysis to show how punks rebelled against mainstream culture
  • Redefined everyday household items, like bin bags and safety pins.
• Anti-school subcultures


  Groups of pupils who reject the culture of school and invert them to create their own distinctive values and norms.
• Willis - Marxist

  • Working-class boys valued 'having a laff' over academic success and felt superior to their teachers.
  • 'Semi-class-conscious' as they were aware life isn't meritocratic and the capitalist system was set against them.
  • Might have trapped them further in the system as their misbehaviour led them into low paid, exploitative jobs.
• Gang subcultures


  Group of people who regularly associate together to commit crime. Most commonly used in media to describe groups who cause harm to a community and are involved in persistent criminality.
• Harding

  • Girls use their social skills to gain street capital and carve out a role
  • They become 'fixers' but can never be leader - e.g. hiding drugs and trading information with other gangs.
  • Physical and sexual violence is used regularly to 'keep them in line'
• Batchelor et al

  • No evidence of girl gangs out of a sample of 800 girls
• Patrick

  • Violence is often used as an entrance into a gang
  • Violent situations are sought out on purpose
  • Gained access using a 'gatekeeper' but was too afraid to publish his research for another 20 years