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Subcultural theories of crime (Cohen (Non-utilitarian crime- crime…
Subcultural theories of crime
Subculture
A group within society whose attitudes, norms and values differ significantly from those of wider society.
Cloward and Ohlin
Lack of opportunity for individuals in legitimate opportunity structure is a cause of crime. Developed idea of illegitimate opportunity structure. Some subcultures offer individuals opportunity to achieve goals of society through illegitimate opportunity structure.
Types of subculture
1. Criminal
- Individuals work way up ladder in criminal careers. Young people have to prove themselves to show loyalty to subculture before being given opportunity to take criminal career further.
2. Conflict
- No local criminal subculture to provide a career opportunity but known as territorial gangs. Gangs often engage in violence with other gangs in area- violence is a means of achieving respect or status in gang life.
3. Retreatist
- when people feel that they can't achieve within society and so 'drop out' and can become related in depending on drugs and alcohol.
Cohen
Non-utilitarian crime
- crime committed without any obvious benefit to offender (vandalism).
Cohen argued that delinquent behaviour was group activity. Crticising Merton for explaining why people might be motivated to commit crime, but not why often takes place in groups or gangs.
Status frustration
- 'lower class' boys have same desires as middle class boys but lack means to attain success- upbringing didn't equip them to succeed at school.
Fatalism
- born to fail. A lot of working class individuals adopt approach in education, accept unable to succeed in education and resort to delinquent behaviour.
Evaluation
Cohen's ideas only apply to minority of offenders.
Miller claims that Cohen only attempts to explain why working class males turn to delinquent behaviour and not females.
Cohen only focusses on success and failure within school ignoring other factors outside school that could lead to individuals turning to delinquency.
Most subcultural theories attempt to explain why subculture are formed, Katz argues not a result of rejection of values, but males drawn to it.
This is placed in with the Functionalism 30 marker