Albert Cohen

Subcultural Theories:

  • Subcultural theories usually fall into the broader category of functionalist theories- particularly those that are influenced by Strain Theory

  • Albert Cohen was influenced by Merton’s ideas of inequality in society and agreed that a reaction to blocked opportunities causes crime

  • However, Cohen suggested that it was not individuals, but subcultural groups that were responsible for most crime

Status Frustration:

  • In Cohen’s research, he examined young males from low-income backgrounds in the 1950s

  • As a response to educational failure and inability to achieve status through legitimate means, these males suffered from status frustration

  • As a response, they turned to subcultural groups to obtain status from their peers

Alternative Status Hierarchy:

  • A status was unobtainable through legitimate means, these subcultural groups formed their own norms and values that subverted those of society

  • Status was awarded based upon an alternative status hierarchy- one which awarded higher status to its members for deviant activities than it did for conforming

Types of crime:

  • Cohen’s work focused on non-utilitarian crimes- Those that had little or no financial motive

  • Criminal damage, graffiti, joy-riding, violence and anti-social behaviour

  • Reaction to blocked opportunities- Cohen argued that behaviours were a result of seeking revenge against society

Alternative Status Hierarchy:

Examples of Social norms and values:

  • Employment

  • Hard work

  • Rewards based on merit

  • Obedience to authority

Examples of Subcultural norms and values:

  • Delinquency

  • Deviant behaviour

  • Status awarded for deviance

  • Challenging authority

Contemporary applications:

  • The concept of status frustration can be used to explain the high percentage of excluded pupils who go on to commit crime

  • Crime rates are higher amongst young males who are most likely to be low achievers in education

  • Crime prevention policies that address the status of young males, e.g., boxing clubs, outward-bound courses

Evaluations:

  • Cohen assumes that people want to conform to society’s norms and values and that being unable to do so leads to a reaction- some retreat and some become ritualistic according to Merton

  • Is crime the result of subcultures? Matza suggests that most young people drift in and out of deviant behaviours as unable to control subterranean values

  • Cohen explains petty crime but fails to explore the opportunities for further criminality based on location