cohen

• what is Cohen's functionalist case study: Subcultural Theory of Crime?


  working class boys have the same success goals as wider society but due to cultural deprivation are stuck at the lowest level of the stratification system and suffer from status frustration leading to criminality, an alternative route to success and becoming members of a criminal subculture.
• what is the evaluation to Cohen's Subcultural Theory of Crime?

  working class youths do not necessarily accept mainstream success goals but rather they exhibit delinquent behaviour out of resentment against those whose values they do not share (teachers, successfuk middle class students).
• what perspective is cohen?

  functionalist
• why did cohen believe that working boys suffered from status frustration?

  as a consequence of their lack of oppurtunities.
• what did cohen believes limits working class boys' educational sucess?

  cultural deprivation
• what alternative route of sucess do working class boys take?

  they turn to crime, joining a deviant subculture, which values stealing, vandalism, and truancy. They are rewarded with recognition and prestige by their peers.