Explanations for young people participating in deviant subcultures
functionalist
focus on norms and values
Merton (1938) = a strain between the goals and values of society and what they are able to achieve
may lead to deviant responses to this problem = innovation, ritualism, retreatism
merton did not consider this as a collective response or apply it specifically to youth
within a subculture - the deviant means of achieving society's goals often become the accepted means
a lack of educational opportunity or success is a key factor leading to the delinquent behaviour
Cohen (1955) = desire status
claimed that working class boys are aware of mainstream values such as success at school and good qualifications
as working class, the boy who clings onto this value system will see themselves as inferior compared to middle class = status frustration
a delinquent subculture with values such as aggression and fighting will be a way of dealing with status frustration
= working class desire status = involvement in delinquent subcultures
Cloward and Ohlin (1961) = blocked opportunities
deviance is through the problems of achieving mainstream values
types of deviant subcultures
criminal = a hierarchal of criminal opportunities
conflict = no access to an organised hierarchy of criminal opportunity = youths turn to violence
retreatist = unable to access success = will retreat from society's values altogether = addiction, petty crime
Miller (1958) = focal concerns
believes working class boys dont even try to gain academic success - that is a middle class value
focal concerns = being in trouble, tough, macho
CRITICISMS
its a generalisation of working class
need to consider regional, ethnic and individual variations
they use 'stereotypical criminal'
new right
deviant youths haven't received the appropriate socialisation into the value consensus held by the rest of society
they have a different deviant set of norms and values
based on: dependancy, criminality and laziness
Murray = underclass - dependancy culture
underclass do not want to work, and see dependancy on welfare as a positive lifestyle choice
entire underclass = deviant subculture
increase in single mothers raising young boys with no fathers in their lives = deprived social backgrounds
more damaging and a greater indicator of criminality than poverty is
girls = daddy issues
British public will become less tolerant of the underclass, and that politicians, seeking votes, will become more willing to toughen up on them - perhaps cutting benefits
CRITICISMS
people in underclass may want to work and not be dependant
marxist/neo marxist explanations
resistance against society's control and a reaction to their identity being threatened
Lea and Young (1993)
3 main explanations for crime and deviance
relative deprivation
marginalisation
subculture
experience of relative deprivation and marginalisation may lead young people to form subcultures to deal with frustration
rise of media = increase of feelings of relative deprivation
when people feel pushed to the edges of society
youths often feel deprived compared to adults
excluded and powerless = frustration
CRITICISMS
CCCS accused of ignoring gender by the feminists
CCCS is outdated
generalised youth
interactionist
see deviance as a social construct
mainstream society has defined certain behaviour as deviant
young working class males get labelled by public, police and media
Becker (1963)
argues that labelling relates to power; we may all be labelled, but some people are in a position to make their label stick
young people labelling police = no effect
police labelling young people = have an effect
leads to self fulfilling prophecy = person accepts and internalises the behaviour
Cicourel (1968) = justice can be negotiated
carried out observations with the police and criminal justice services in two US cities
stage 1 = police stop / interrogate / search
stage 2 = police arrest individual - depend on suspects appearance, manners or replies
stage 3 = probation officer - they have a a picture of a 'typical delinquent'
cicourel linked this to social class
if family bail them out and they seem to be a 'good' nuclear family and of good upbringing = charges may be dropped
justice can be negotiated
CRITICISMS
they assume the label comes first and therefore makes people deviant - not always the case