Functionalists & Subculture

• Parson


  • Different social roles associated with age groups help society function smoothly
  • Youth culture provides a transition stage that allows them to learn to become an adult - solves the problem of transition
  • This learning period creates a well rounded adult, citizen, and worker which positively impacts the future economy and society
• Eisenstadt (Functionalist) 


  • Rebellious style and behaviour allows youth to play with their identity and find their sense of self, which creates a more stable adult which will benefit the future society and economy
  • Groups like Scouts and YMCA encourage and supervise youthful boundary-pushing, and avoids youth culture becoming deviant
• Anomie definition


  The breakdown of a sense of norms and values, a breakdown of social control. Normlessness.
• Durkheim 


  • The transition between childhood and adulthood can lead to anomie due to the large amount of change (like puberty and changing friendships) and not knowing whether to adhere to norms for children or adults.
  • Youth culture provides stability through a level of social order using their peers
  • Avoids anomie and make them more stable adults
• A.Cohen 


  • Subcultures allow lower class boys to gain status through misbehaving and inverting traditional values.
  • Originally strove to emulate middle class values but were unable, which led to status frustration
  • Functional as it allows them to gain status outside mainstream society
• 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
• Decker & Van Winkle 


  • Pushes for youth to join gangs: close relationships for youth from dysfunctional families, protection in deprived neighbourhoods
  • Pulls: the attractiveness of the gang, status and money
• Venkatesh 


  • Membership to a gang provides a defence mechanism as members protect you from aggression
  • Outlaw capitalism - access to hierarchy, money, and status
  • Helped out the neighbourhood when the government wouldn't