Focusing on specific examples examine different explanations for the existence of subcultures and why they are
often seen negatively within society today.
‘Before we can proceed to individual subcultures we must first define the basic terms, the word ‘subculture’ is loaded down with mystery. It suggests secrecy, Masonic oaths, an underworld. It also invokes the larger and no less difficult concept of ‘culture’. So it is with the idea of culture that we should begun’. Hebdige,1979. P.4 Subcultures are groups of people within a society that are or represented as non normative unusual in both their interests and practices. Subcultures are usually aware that they are unusual in one way or another, however society is also aware of their differences and therefore they are often exploited or perceived in a certain way. The theory of subcultures has been around since the 1940’s when subcultures were studied in relation to wider society. However the idea of subcultures has been around much longer, It is believed by many that within every society there are basic rules an disciplines which society abides by, and that these guidelines will always be broken by certain groups of people. ‘of the thousand millions of people who are said to constitute the population of the entire globe, there are- socially, morally and perhaps ven physically considered- but two distinct and broadly marked races, viz, the wanderers and the settlers- the vagabond and the citizen- the nomadic and the civilised tribes. Meyhew. H. London Labour and the London Poor. Vol 11. 1864.
When looking at different subcultures it is often very difficult to define them into groups, this is becoming more apparent within today’s modern society, as the media often adopts particular music or styles for commercial purposes, when selling or advertising products. However many subcultures reject or sometimes modify the importance of how they physically look to society, and focus more upon and ideology within the group. An ideology which is more resistant to exploitation by society and the media. For example Punks have a very radical and initially shocking style which was then adopted by different mass markets, when the subcultures itself became of interest. Richard Hebdige a media theorist and sociologist wrote about subcultures and there resistance to mainstream society. He argued that punk subcultures share the same ‘radical aesthetic practices as surrealism’Hebdige,1979. P126 ‘ Like Duchamp’s ‘ready mades’- manufactured objects which qualified as art because he chose to call them such, the most unremarkable and inappropriate items such as a pin, a plastic clothes peg, a television component, a razor blade, a tampon- could all be brought within the province of a punk (un)fashion. Objects borrowed from the most sordid of contexts found a place in punks ensembles: Lavatory chains, were draped in graceful arcs across the chest in plastic bin liners. Safety pins were taken out of their domestic ‘utility’ context and worn as gruesome ornaments through the cheek, ear or lip...fragments of school uniform were (white bri-nylon shirts and school ties) were symbolically defiled ( the shirts covered in graffiti, or fake blood: the ties left undone) and juxtaposed against leather drains or shocking pink mohair tops’.
Many would argue that Graffiti is a subculture within itself, Hip Hop culture has created a set of individuals which express themselves by going against social conformity. Illegal graffiti is done by many different kinds of personalities but in most cases it os done by those belonging to traditional gangs and graffiti writers, to leave their mark by using spay paint, markers , stickers and by scratching with glass or metal objects into walls and other spaces. Many gangs or 'Graffiti artists' do this in order to claim their turf or territory and often mark their neighbourhoods with graffiti that represents the group or gang they belong to. They leave their mark on fences,
‘Before we can proceed to individual subcultures we must first define the basic terms, the word ‘subculture’ is loaded down with mystery. It suggests secrecy, Masonic oaths, an underworld. It also invokes the larger and no less difficult concept of ‘culture’. So it is with the idea of culture that we should begun’. Hebdige,1979. P.4 Subcultures are groups of people within a society that are or represented as non normative unusual in both their interests and practices. Subcultures are usually aware that they are unusual in one way or another, however society is also aware of their differences and therefore they are often exploited or perceived in a certain way. The theory of subcultures has been around since the 1940’s when subcultures were studied in relation to wider society. However the idea of subcultures has been around much longer, It is believed by many that within every society there are basic rules an disciplines which society abides by, and that these guidelines will always be broken by certain groups of people. ‘of the thousand millions of people who are said to constitute the population of the entire globe, there are- socially, morally and perhaps ven physically considered- but two distinct and broadly marked races, viz, the wanderers and the settlers- the vagabond and the citizen- the nomadic and the civilised tribes. Meyhew. H. London Labour and the London Poor. Vol 11. 1864.
When looking at different subcultures it is often very difficult to define them into groups, this is becoming more apparent within today’s modern society, as the media often adopts particular music or styles for commercial purposes, when selling or advertising products. However many subcultures reject or sometimes modify the importance of how they physically look to society, and focus more upon and ideology within the group. An ideology which is more resistant to exploitation by society and the media. For example Punks have a very radical and initially shocking style which was then adopted by different mass markets, when the subcultures itself became of interest. Richard Hebdige a media theorist and sociologist wrote about subcultures and there resistance to mainstream society. He argued that punk subcultures share the same ‘radical aesthetic practices as surrealism’Hebdige,1979. P126 ‘ Like Duchamp’s ‘ready mades’- manufactured objects which qualified as art because he chose to call them such, the most unremarkable and inappropriate items such as a pin, a plastic clothes peg, a television component, a razor blade, a tampon- could all be brought within the province of a punk (un)fashion. Objects borrowed from the most sordid of contexts found a place in punks ensembles: Lavatory chains, were draped in graceful arcs across the chest in plastic bin liners. Safety pins were taken out of their domestic ‘utility’ context and worn as gruesome ornaments through the cheek, ear or lip...fragments of school uniform were (white bri-nylon shirts and school ties) were symbolically defiled ( the shirts covered in graffiti, or fake blood: the ties left undone) and juxtaposed against leather drains or shocking pink mohair tops’.
Many would argue that Graffiti is a subculture within itself, Hip Hop culture has created a set of individuals which express themselves by going against social conformity. Illegal graffiti is done by many different kinds of personalities but in most cases it os done by those belonging to traditional gangs and graffiti writers, to leave their mark by using spay paint, markers , stickers and by scratching with glass or metal objects into walls and other spaces. Many gangs or 'Graffiti artists' do this in order to claim their turf or territory and often mark their neighbourhoods with graffiti that represents the group or gang they belong to. They leave their mark on fences,
schools, sidewalks, sound walls, and road and street signs. Some areas, little rival gang /crew graffiti exists,
because rival gangs will not risk getting caught or are outnumbered at these primary locations.
According to the Australian Institute of Criminology
'A tagger begins to build a reputation, he or she will chose a style and a nickname and the preferred name hey like
to be called is ‘writer’ (although in this text the word tagger will be continued in use). As taggers gain more experience often tagging every sign, telegraph pole and fence to learn can control they will look for larger walls and locations more difficult to reach'. Different types of gangs / crews create different types of graffiti. Typically, graffiti will include the name of the gang/crew, nicknames of the members of the gang/crew, and even the names of affiliated gangs /crews , slogans or symbols (such as $) exclusive to the gang/crew, and often the territory claimed. Graffiti also can include threats and challenges to rival gangs/crews. In addition, graffiti can be used to show disrespect of rivals or to antagonise the party or authority or rival that the tagger perceives as his/her competition- this is often prevalent at legal walls where one tagger is jealous of another. Because members of different gangs/crews often live in close proximity to one another, graffiti can provoke confrontations. When graffiti is not cleaned off immediately, it will often multiply as different gangs/crews cross out rivals and add their own messages or tag'.
When looking at subcultures it is hard to look past the history of MOD’s. Since its emergence in the 1960’s it has had various revivals throughout the decades, Mod’s have continually adapted and changed and retain the vitality which they had as a subculture back when they began, they still remain visually, musically and culturally appealing to young people globally. Significant elements of Mod culture include Style such as Taylor made suites, music and vehicles such as motor scooters. Another very important association to mods is amphetamine’s, they believed that Amphetamine helped with alertness and stimulation, and so the dug was often taken at all night dances. They believed that this kind of drug gave positive effects compared the the intoxicating effect which Alcohol and other drugs such as cannabis give, at the time this drug was still legal in the UK and was very readily available in clubs and discotheques’, it was named by many as ‘purple hearts. Mods were more than often perceive negatively by the media, due to drug use and the fact that there was always continuous conflict between the Mod’s and the Rockers. Stanley Cohen
Mod’s were more than often working class, and arose from the coffee bar culture in London, unlike traditional british pubs which closed at eleven in the evening these coffee bars would stay open till the early hours of the morning and therefore would appeal to students, mostly those in art school or interested in the Jazz scene, but they became more and more facilitating to the working class, who traditional worked in factory jobs. ‘The first thing was the jazz thing in London, where these guys were living the life, wearing great clothes, into bebop. Then kids , 15, 14 year old saw them as thought, ‘fuck me, there cool. ‘I aspire to that’. These kids were the first to be influenced by things like advertising,. American concepts in advertising development were affecting these kids. These kids saw Mod as a way out of their boring, humdrum working class lives, as they grasped the elements of Mod that were attractive, so they looked at the old Jazzer’s or the young Jazzer’s. They got into that and thy looked at the boss at work and thought, ‘you know, I don’t want to work in a factory, I want to work in an advertising agency and places like that’. Eddie Piller. 1970. “We are the Mod’s” A Transitional History of a Youth
According to the Australian Institute of Criminology
'A tagger begins to build a reputation, he or she will chose a style and a nickname and the preferred name hey like
to be called is ‘writer’ (although in this text the word tagger will be continued in use). As taggers gain more experience often tagging every sign, telegraph pole and fence to learn can control they will look for larger walls and locations more difficult to reach'. Different types of gangs / crews create different types of graffiti. Typically, graffiti will include the name of the gang/crew, nicknames of the members of the gang/crew, and even the names of affiliated gangs /crews , slogans or symbols (such as $) exclusive to the gang/crew, and often the territory claimed. Graffiti also can include threats and challenges to rival gangs/crews. In addition, graffiti can be used to show disrespect of rivals or to antagonise the party or authority or rival that the tagger perceives as his/her competition- this is often prevalent at legal walls where one tagger is jealous of another. Because members of different gangs/crews often live in close proximity to one another, graffiti can provoke confrontations. When graffiti is not cleaned off immediately, it will often multiply as different gangs/crews cross out rivals and add their own messages or tag'.
When looking at subcultures it is hard to look past the history of MOD’s. Since its emergence in the 1960’s it has had various revivals throughout the decades, Mod’s have continually adapted and changed and retain the vitality which they had as a subculture back when they began, they still remain visually, musically and culturally appealing to young people globally. Significant elements of Mod culture include Style such as Taylor made suites, music and vehicles such as motor scooters. Another very important association to mods is amphetamine’s, they believed that Amphetamine helped with alertness and stimulation, and so the dug was often taken at all night dances. They believed that this kind of drug gave positive effects compared the the intoxicating effect which Alcohol and other drugs such as cannabis give, at the time this drug was still legal in the UK and was very readily available in clubs and discotheques’, it was named by many as ‘purple hearts. Mods were more than often perceive negatively by the media, due to drug use and the fact that there was always continuous conflict between the Mod’s and the Rockers. Stanley Cohen
Mod’s were more than often working class, and arose from the coffee bar culture in London, unlike traditional british pubs which closed at eleven in the evening these coffee bars would stay open till the early hours of the morning and therefore would appeal to students, mostly those in art school or interested in the Jazz scene, but they became more and more facilitating to the working class, who traditional worked in factory jobs. ‘The first thing was the jazz thing in London, where these guys were living the life, wearing great clothes, into bebop. Then kids , 15, 14 year old saw them as thought, ‘fuck me, there cool. ‘I aspire to that’. These kids were the first to be influenced by things like advertising,. American concepts in advertising development were affecting these kids. These kids saw Mod as a way out of their boring, humdrum working class lives, as they grasped the elements of Mod that were attractive, so they looked at the old Jazzer’s or the young Jazzer’s. They got into that and thy looked at the boss at work and thought, ‘you know, I don’t want to work in a factory, I want to work in an advertising agency and places like that’. Eddie Piller. 1970. “We are the Mod’s” A Transitional History of a Youth
Subculture. Feldman. J. P.14 1st July 2009.
When looking at explanations for the existence of deviance subcultures there are many things which must be questioned. Many sub cultural theories would argue that deviance is an alternative way of achieving status, if it has not been achieved legitimately. Even though this deviance may not be functional for wider society it is functional for the members of the subculture, despite the risk of punishment. There are three different types of sociological explanation for the existence of deviant subcultures. Firstly there are functionalist theories, secondly there is Strain theory and finally there is subcultural strain theory, they all individually explain why deviant subcultures exist in society.
Functionalism was the first major sociological approach to crime and deviance, Emile Durkheim is most famous for the work he did in 1858 to 1917 on this particular subject. Durkiem. E. Juvenile Delinquency; Theory and Practice, and Law.P 124. Functionalists see society as a stable system based on norms and values which are shared widely, however crime and deviance goes against this idea meaning that society can’t always be stable. Functionalists would argue that in order to achieve a society with shared norms and values there are two key mechanisms, firstly there is socialisation, which is when the norms and values are taught to people from a young age so that they know the correct way to behave. Secondly there are social control mechanisms such as jail for those who have been deviant and rewards for those who have done well. However functionalists do not see crime as completely negative, they see it as inevitable and universal, this is down to two reasons. Firstly there is the idea that not everyone is socialised the same way and secondly modern society is complex which makes it difficult to define where the boundaries between wrong and right are.
Boundary maintenance is a theory put forward again by Durkheim, he argues that crime produces a reaction from the rest of society, who have not been involved in the crime, often forcing them to realise their commitment to the usual norms and values, therefore reinforcing social solidarity. Durkheim argues that this has a positive effect on society and that a certain amount of crime and deviance helps society to function properly. Many people would argue that Durkheim’s theory is irrelevant to today’s society, for example Durkheim does not define how much crime and deviance is acceptable in order for society to function, there is no way of knowing what is the right amount. Another criticism may be that not all crimes promote solidarity, for example it may create fear amongst the elderly or amongst those who are vulnerable.
Another explanation for the existence of deviant subcultures is Merton’s strain theory, he argues that people engage in crime and deviance when they are unable to achieve socially approved goals legitimately, for example they might turn to theft or drug use. For Merton deviant subcultures develop due to two factors, firstly there are structural factors such as society’s unequal opportunity structure, and secondly there are cultural factors such as strong emphasis on success goals but less emphasis on legitimate success. The theory is called strain theory due to the strain between the goals which society encourages individuals to achieve and the gaols which society allows individuals to achieve.
The American dream plays a huge role in the existence of subcultures; Americans are expected to be successful by legitimate means such as studying hard, self discipline, educational achievement and qualifications. However not
When looking at explanations for the existence of deviance subcultures there are many things which must be questioned. Many sub cultural theories would argue that deviance is an alternative way of achieving status, if it has not been achieved legitimately. Even though this deviance may not be functional for wider society it is functional for the members of the subculture, despite the risk of punishment. There are three different types of sociological explanation for the existence of deviant subcultures. Firstly there are functionalist theories, secondly there is Strain theory and finally there is subcultural strain theory, they all individually explain why deviant subcultures exist in society.
Functionalism was the first major sociological approach to crime and deviance, Emile Durkheim is most famous for the work he did in 1858 to 1917 on this particular subject. Durkiem. E. Juvenile Delinquency; Theory and Practice, and Law.P 124. Functionalists see society as a stable system based on norms and values which are shared widely, however crime and deviance goes against this idea meaning that society can’t always be stable. Functionalists would argue that in order to achieve a society with shared norms and values there are two key mechanisms, firstly there is socialisation, which is when the norms and values are taught to people from a young age so that they know the correct way to behave. Secondly there are social control mechanisms such as jail for those who have been deviant and rewards for those who have done well. However functionalists do not see crime as completely negative, they see it as inevitable and universal, this is down to two reasons. Firstly there is the idea that not everyone is socialised the same way and secondly modern society is complex which makes it difficult to define where the boundaries between wrong and right are.
Boundary maintenance is a theory put forward again by Durkheim, he argues that crime produces a reaction from the rest of society, who have not been involved in the crime, often forcing them to realise their commitment to the usual norms and values, therefore reinforcing social solidarity. Durkheim argues that this has a positive effect on society and that a certain amount of crime and deviance helps society to function properly. Many people would argue that Durkheim’s theory is irrelevant to today’s society, for example Durkheim does not define how much crime and deviance is acceptable in order for society to function, there is no way of knowing what is the right amount. Another criticism may be that not all crimes promote solidarity, for example it may create fear amongst the elderly or amongst those who are vulnerable.
Another explanation for the existence of deviant subcultures is Merton’s strain theory, he argues that people engage in crime and deviance when they are unable to achieve socially approved goals legitimately, for example they might turn to theft or drug use. For Merton deviant subcultures develop due to two factors, firstly there are structural factors such as society’s unequal opportunity structure, and secondly there are cultural factors such as strong emphasis on success goals but less emphasis on legitimate success. The theory is called strain theory due to the strain between the goals which society encourages individuals to achieve and the gaols which society allows individuals to achieve.
The American dream plays a huge role in the existence of subcultures; Americans are expected to be successful by legitimate means such as studying hard, self discipline, educational achievement and qualifications. However not
all groups in society have an equal chance of achieving qualifications or a good career due to factors such as
poverty, illness, inadequate schools or discrimination in the job market, ethnic minorities are especially effected by
these factors and so are the lower classes.
Merton argues that an individual’s position in society effects how they react to anomie, there are 5 different reactions to strain, depending on weather the individual accepts, rejects or replaces the cultural norms of society. Firstly there is conformity where the individual accepts the goals and the legitimate way of achieving them, innovation where the individual accepts the goal of money but doesn’t accept the legitimate way of achieving it. Thirdly ritualism, where the individual gives up to achieving the goals but understand the rules and sticks to them. Then there is retreatism where the individual gives up on the goals and the rules and becomes a “dropout”. Examples of retreatism may be tramps, drug addicts, vagrant’s ad outcasts. Finally there is rebellion; this is when an individual rejects both the goals and the rules in order to bring about a revolution.
Staley cohen argues differently ‘working class yobs are the most enduring of suitable enemies’ and ‘But the roles in which they played over these decades – football hooligans, muggers, vandals, loiterers, joy riders and mobile phone snatchers – were not represented by distinctive subcultural styles. There is too much fragmentation to identify dominant subcultures , loyalties – wether to fashion, musical style or football, they are too diffused to
match each other. Cohen. S Folk devils and moral Panics. P.51 Taylor and Francis ( 1st April 2011). create within society a moral panic linked to particular subcultures. He argues thatA good example of this are cases such as the Jamie Bulger story and the Stephen Lawrence cases, both of which created immediate and ferocious panic within society. Groups of individuals became Fragmented and negatively associated with these cases, being linked and represented purely by their style, taste in music or practices. The media has a huge effect on Moral panics and often even creates them, after the Jamie Bulger Incident, ‘ The un called for a “crusade to rescue sick society”. A few days later , the shadow Home secretary, Tony Blair, referred to the week’s news as “hammer blows struck against the sleeping conscience of the country, urging us to wake up and look unflinchingly at what we see” The
Independent 921st Feb 1993) . ‘Britain is a worried country’ it stated. Cohen. S Folk devils and moral Panics. P. 51 Taylor and Francis ( 1st April 2011)
However there are many criticisms to Merton’s strain theory, first of all Merton shows how both normal and deviant behaviour arise from the same goals which society as a whole provides individuals. However he uses official statistics which often over represent working class crime, therefore meaning that Merton sees crime as mainly a working class phenomenon. However this is not always true, as not all working class people commit crimes and some are never ever associated with them even though the working class do experience the most crime out of all of the classes. Merton also ignores the fact that not everyone’s goals are the same, and that not everyone strives for money success, therefore assuming that there is a value consensus when there might not actually be one.
Subcultural strain theories see deviance as a product of deviant subcultures having different norms and values to that of the rest of society, the theory sees subcultures as an alternative opportunity for those who failed to achieve
Merton argues that an individual’s position in society effects how they react to anomie, there are 5 different reactions to strain, depending on weather the individual accepts, rejects or replaces the cultural norms of society. Firstly there is conformity where the individual accepts the goals and the legitimate way of achieving them, innovation where the individual accepts the goal of money but doesn’t accept the legitimate way of achieving it. Thirdly ritualism, where the individual gives up to achieving the goals but understand the rules and sticks to them. Then there is retreatism where the individual gives up on the goals and the rules and becomes a “dropout”. Examples of retreatism may be tramps, drug addicts, vagrant’s ad outcasts. Finally there is rebellion; this is when an individual rejects both the goals and the rules in order to bring about a revolution.
Staley cohen argues differently ‘working class yobs are the most enduring of suitable enemies’ and ‘But the roles in which they played over these decades – football hooligans, muggers, vandals, loiterers, joy riders and mobile phone snatchers – were not represented by distinctive subcultural styles. There is too much fragmentation to identify dominant subcultures , loyalties – wether to fashion, musical style or football, they are too diffused to
match each other. Cohen. S Folk devils and moral Panics. P.51 Taylor and Francis ( 1st April 2011). create within society a moral panic linked to particular subcultures. He argues thatA good example of this are cases such as the Jamie Bulger story and the Stephen Lawrence cases, both of which created immediate and ferocious panic within society. Groups of individuals became Fragmented and negatively associated with these cases, being linked and represented purely by their style, taste in music or practices. The media has a huge effect on Moral panics and often even creates them, after the Jamie Bulger Incident, ‘ The un called for a “crusade to rescue sick society”. A few days later , the shadow Home secretary, Tony Blair, referred to the week’s news as “hammer blows struck against the sleeping conscience of the country, urging us to wake up and look unflinchingly at what we see” The
Independent 921st Feb 1993) . ‘Britain is a worried country’ it stated. Cohen. S Folk devils and moral Panics. P. 51 Taylor and Francis ( 1st April 2011)
However there are many criticisms to Merton’s strain theory, first of all Merton shows how both normal and deviant behaviour arise from the same goals which society as a whole provides individuals. However he uses official statistics which often over represent working class crime, therefore meaning that Merton sees crime as mainly a working class phenomenon. However this is not always true, as not all working class people commit crimes and some are never ever associated with them even though the working class do experience the most crime out of all of the classes. Merton also ignores the fact that not everyone’s goals are the same, and that not everyone strives for money success, therefore assuming that there is a value consensus when there might not actually be one.
Subcultural strain theories see deviance as a product of deviant subcultures having different norms and values to that of the rest of society, the theory sees subcultures as an alternative opportunity for those who failed to achieve
legitimately. Albert K Cohen agrees with Merton’s strain theory and that deviance is mainly a working class
phenomenon, however he also criticises Merton on two of his ideas. Firstly Merton sees deviance as an
individual’s response to strain but fails to take into account that many crimes are committed in groups. Secondly
he focuses on crimes which have a material gain such as theft or fraud, however he fails to mentions crimes such a
assault or vandalism. Cohen focuses on working class boys he argues that as a result of being unable to achieve
within the education system many working class boys suffer from “status Frustration”, due to the act that they are
faced with a low status, they often turn to other working class boys in a similar situation, therefore forming a
subculture such as the Mods in the 1960’s, who turned to A different style and drug use as a means of escaping
their current working class status. According to Cohen most lower class boys desire middle class status, and
initially accept the goals and values of the middle class such as responsibility, delayed gratification, manners,
ambition and control over aggression. However he argues that when these boys reached school age, they were
singled out as the school system favours the middle class. It is obvious who is woking class and who is middle
class, by attitudes clothes and mannerisms, therefore the working class boy has to either move upward and achieve
these same levels of middle class standards of drop out and stay within the working class culture. This is when the
working class boys turn to look for other ways to gratify them selves, often turning to gangs or subcultures within
society. Criminology, theory , research and policy. Gennaro. Et al. P.161 jones and Bartlett learning, 15th may 2006
Cloward and Ohlin Also use Merton’s Strain theory as a starting point for their theory, they agree that the working class also are denied legitimate opportunities to achieve money success and that their deviance stems from the way that they respond to the situation which they are in. They argues that different neighbourhoods provide different opportunities for individuals and therefore create different subcultures, there are three types of subculture which they focus on. Firstly there are criminal subcultures which provide individuals with the skills to become successful in utilitarian crime, they arise in places where adult crime is high and sills and knowledge can then be passed on to younger generations. Secondly there are conflict subcultures which arise in areas with a high population turnover; it is often the case that young men turn to violence to help release their status frustration. Finally there is retreatist subculture where an individual gives up on the goals of becoming a gang leader or professional criminal, they often turn to a subculture which is based on illegal drug use.
David Matza (1964) criticises strain theories and argues that most delinquents and not as committed as many say they are, and instead drift in and out of crime and deviance Matza.NEW YORK. Wiley. Delinquency and Drift. P. 18 Miller also disagrees with strain theories he argues that the working class have different norms and values to the rest of mainstream society, and its own culture. This subculture which is amongst the working class does not value success in the same way as the rest of society do, therefore do not experience Status frustration.
Therefore in order to look at why particular subcultures are often seen negatively we have to look into why they are created, Albert Cohen argues that Status frustration within the working class is the cause the creation of subcultures, especially deviant ones or subcultures which are perceived by society as strange or negative in their aims and practices. However a functionalist view of society would argue that the reason why these types of subcultures exist is down to the fact that there has been a failure in primary and secondary socialisation within a particular group of people. For example people have not been taught norms and values from an early age, as well
society. Criminology, theory , research and policy. Gennaro. Et al. P.161 jones and Bartlett learning, 15th may 2006
Cloward and Ohlin Also use Merton’s Strain theory as a starting point for their theory, they agree that the working class also are denied legitimate opportunities to achieve money success and that their deviance stems from the way that they respond to the situation which they are in. They argues that different neighbourhoods provide different opportunities for individuals and therefore create different subcultures, there are three types of subculture which they focus on. Firstly there are criminal subcultures which provide individuals with the skills to become successful in utilitarian crime, they arise in places where adult crime is high and sills and knowledge can then be passed on to younger generations. Secondly there are conflict subcultures which arise in areas with a high population turnover; it is often the case that young men turn to violence to help release their status frustration. Finally there is retreatist subculture where an individual gives up on the goals of becoming a gang leader or professional criminal, they often turn to a subculture which is based on illegal drug use.
David Matza (1964) criticises strain theories and argues that most delinquents and not as committed as many say they are, and instead drift in and out of crime and deviance Matza.NEW YORK. Wiley. Delinquency and Drift. P. 18 Miller also disagrees with strain theories he argues that the working class have different norms and values to the rest of mainstream society, and its own culture. This subculture which is amongst the working class does not value success in the same way as the rest of society do, therefore do not experience Status frustration.
Therefore in order to look at why particular subcultures are often seen negatively we have to look into why they are created, Albert Cohen argues that Status frustration within the working class is the cause the creation of subcultures, especially deviant ones or subcultures which are perceived by society as strange or negative in their aims and practices. However a functionalist view of society would argue that the reason why these types of subcultures exist is down to the fact that there has been a failure in primary and secondary socialisation within a particular group of people. For example people have not been taught norms and values from an early age, as well
as been punished or reward for their behaviour. Mods are a prime example of a group of people born into a status,
In the past they were factory workers but through inspiration and influence from the middle class they turned into
a whole new subculture within society with their own norms and values, interests and practices. Therefore there
are many condescending explanations as to why subcultures exist within todays society and in the past, and as to
why they are often perceived negatively in the media and by wider society.
Hebdige.D Subculture: the meaning of style volume 4. Methuen & Co.LTD ,1979. P126 Matza.NEW YORK. Wiley. Delinquency and Drift. 1964 P.18
Durkiem. E. Juvenile Delinquency; Theory and Practice, and Law.P 124 2009. Wadsworth. Canada
Criminology, theory , research and policy. Gennaro. Et al. P.161 jones and Bartlett learning, 15th may 2006
The Independent 921st Feb 1993) . ‘Britain is a worried country’ it stated. Cohen. S Folk devils and moral Panics.
P.51 Cohen. S Folk devils and moral Panics. P.51 Taylor and Francis ( 1st April 2011 Meyhew. H. London Labour and the London Poor. Vol 11. 1864.
Hebdige.D Subculture: the meaning of style volume 4. Methuen & Co.LTD ,1979. P126 Matza.NEW YORK. Wiley. Delinquency and Drift. 1964 P.18
Durkiem. E. Juvenile Delinquency; Theory and Practice, and Law.P 124 2009. Wadsworth. Canada
Criminology, theory , research and policy. Gennaro. Et al. P.161 jones and Bartlett learning, 15th may 2006
The Independent 921st Feb 1993) . ‘Britain is a worried country’ it stated. Cohen. S Folk devils and moral Panics.
P.51 Cohen. S Folk devils and moral Panics. P.51 Taylor and Francis ( 1st April 2011 Meyhew. H. London Labour and the London Poor. Vol 11. 1864.
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