Subcultural Strain Theory

What does subcultural strain theorists argue?

They both criticise Merton’s theory, since he focuses too much on individuals, and build on it as they see deviance as a product of delinquent subcultures.

What does Cohen argue about Merton’s strain theory?

He assumes all w/c people start of by sharing m/c goals and then rejecting them through deviance.

How is Cohen’s argument different to Merton’s?

There is status frustration- the inability achieve goals when society wants them to, resulting in anger.

• The w/c collectively go against the m/c- rejecting their system, and mainstream values. They involve themselves in non-utilitarian crime, such as assault. This differentiates to Merton’s argument as he argues that people commit crime for economic reasons, but status frustration explains non-economic deliquency.

What does Matza argue about crime, which differentiates from Cohen and Cloward & Ohlin?

• Focuses on individual choice and flexibility; they drift in and out of deviance for multiple reasons such as, their psychological state, socialisation and peer pressure.

• Some people do short-term, situational deviance and never commit again, therefore, the person doesn’t stay within the deviant group like Cloward & Ohlin argue.