crime and deviance - subcultural strain theories

What do subcultural strain theories see deviance as the product of?

the product of a delinquent subculture with different values from those of mainstream society. They see subcultures as providing an alternative opportunity structure for those who are denied the chance to achieve through legitimate means. They both criticise Merton’s theory and build on it.

Cohen - status frustration

focuses on deviance among w/c boys. Argues that they face anomie in the m/c dominated school system. They suffer from cultural deprivation and lack the skills to achieve. Their inability to succeed leaves them at the bottom of the status hierarchy. As a result, the boys suffer ‘status frustration’. Cohen argues that they resolve this frustration by rejecting mainstream m/c values and instead, turn to other boys in the same situation, forming/joining a delinquent subculture.

Cohen - Alternative status hierarchy

The delinquent subculture inverts the values of mainstream society. What society condemns, the subculture praises, and vice versa. For example, society praises regular school attendance and respect for property, whereas in the subculture, the boys gained status from vandalising property and truanting. Function is that it offers the boys an alternative status hierarchy. Failed in the legitimate opportunity structure - create their own illegitimate one in which they can win status from their peers. (link to symbolic capital)

How is Cohen evaluated?

(+) it offers an explanation of non-utilitarian crime/deviance, unlike Merton

(-) like Merton, Cohen assumes that the w/c boys start off sharing m/c success goals, only to reject these when they fail. He ignores the possibility that they didn’t share these goals in the first place.

Cloward and Ohlin evaluation of Merton and cohen

note that not everyone experiencing this strain adapts to it by innovating. Different subcultures respond in different ways. Argue that responses aren’t due to the unequal access to legitimate opportunities, but rather unequal access to illegitimate opportunities. For example, not everyone who fails by legitimate means, then has an equal chance to become a successful safecracker.

Cloward and Ohlin - three subcultures

three types of deviant subculture:

1.      Criminal subcultures – provide youths with an apprenticeship in utilitarian crime. Arise only in neighbourhoods with a longstanding and stable criminal culture with an established hierarchy of adult crime. Allows the young to associate with adult criminals, who can select those with the right characteristics and skills.

2.      Conflict subcultures – in areas of high population turn over, which results in higher levels of social disorganisation and prevents a stable criminal network developing. Its absence means that only illegitimate opportunities are available within loosely organised gangs. In these, violence provides a release for young men’s frustration at their blocked opportunities, as well as an alternative source of status by winning ‘turf’ from rival gangs.

Retreatist subcultures – in any neighbourhood, not everyone aspires to be a professional criminal or gang leader actually succeeds. These ‘double failures’ turn to a reteatist subculture based on illegal drug use.

How are cloward and ohlin evaluated?

(-) They agree with Merton and Cohen that most crime is w/c, thus ignoring crimes of the wealthy. They overpredict the amount of w/c crime.

(+) While they agree with Cohen that delinquent subcultures are the source of much deviance, unlike Cohen they provide an explanation for different types of w/c deviance in terms of different subcultures.

(-) They draw the boundaries too sharply between the subcultures. For example, South found that the drug trade is a mixture of both ‘disorganised crime’ (conflict subculture), and professional ‘mafia’ style criminal subcultures.

How does miller criticise strain theories?

(-) for assuming there is value consensus. Miller = the lower class has its own ‘independent subculture’ separate from mainstream culture, with its own values. Doesn’t value ‘money success’ in the first place, so its members aren’t frustrated by failure.

What do recent strain theories argue?

that young people may pursue a variety of goals other than money success. These include popularity with peers or the desire of some young males to be treated like ‘real men’.

How are recent strain theories evaluated?

(-) still deterministic

(+) They also argue that m/c youth may also have problems achieving these goals, this offers an explanation for m/c delinquency.