Subcultural Theory

Cohen lower class reaction theory

crime is a result of strain between goals and legitimate means of achieving them
YWC boys wants status respect and value cannot achieve this in middle class dominated society

Cohen status frustration

few qualifications, unable to obtain employment
rebel against middle class values
obtain status in subculture delinquent activity, unable to achieve otherwise
form of anomie

Miller Focal concerns

delinquents are acting out and exaggerating mainstream values of male working class culture
give meaning to their lives outside of education or low level work
Toughness, Triuble, smartness, excitement, fate, autonomy

Coward and Ohlin Differential Oppurtunity theory

lower working class boys have their own deviant values
attracted to illegitimate oppurtunity structure of crime
criminal careers, conflict subcultures, retreating subcultures

Criminal careers Cloward and Ohlin

organised adult crime areas
criminal role models
mirror legitimate business
climb up professional criminal ladder
finically rewards
Invitation merton

conflict subcultures Cloward and Ohlin

lack skills and knowledge to profit from criminal activity
territory based respect driven violence

retreating subcultures cloward and Ohlin

double failure in legitimate and illegitimate
cannot make money or achieve status from crime
drug use and shop lifting to fund

Matza delinquency drift theory

individuals offend at certain times in their lives
the arrest rate is highest when social controls are weakest at 17-20
younger have strong controls by monitoring of parents/teachers
older strong obligations to spouse/children/career
period of drift less supervision but no major obligations

Matza Subterranean values

most delinquents acting out, not a life of crime
these values hidden for most of population
e.g. deviant sexual behaviour, alcohol abuse, violence
deviants express these values during drift that are hidden for rest of population