Summer 1997 Paper Three, Question 2.
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Critically examine the different ways that sociologists have used
the concept of sub-culture to explain deviance…
Exercise One
Your task here is to put the paragraphs into the correct order and
give this essay a mark out of 25. The essay itself is taken from June
1997. See attached mark scheme to help you mark this.
Paragraph One
Miller in this theory of sub-cultures thought the young
working class males were not rejecting the norms of society
as a whole. But they were attempting to live up to the norms
of working class life. Lack of suitable role models, fatherless
families’ etc have left the lower classes with very different
norms from the middle classes.
Paragraph Two
The functionalists have been the main perspectives of the
theory of sub-cultures as an explanation of deviance. One of
the first sociologists to put forward this explanation was
Merton in the USA with his theory of Anomie. He thought
that in a capitalistic society the overwhelming aim in a
capitalistic society was ‘money success’. Poorer working class
people who were unable to attain the success which they saw
others achieving turned to crime. Merton put this forward as
a view why some working class people appeared to reject the
norms and values of society as a whole. However, there are
problems with this point of view, not everyone turns to crime,
and some crimes as petty vandalism do not bring ‘money
success’.
Notes and Comments
Summer 1997 Paper Three, Question 2.
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Summer 1997 Paper Three, Question 2.
Paragraph Three
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New Right approaches are crystallised in the ideas of the
Right Realism attitude to crime. The welfare state has
encouraged a dependency culture and this had led to an
underclass being established. Family values have been
destroyed and a lack of will to work has been engendered.
Here sub-cultures are blamed on the welfare state and
benefits but little consideration is given to the conditions,
which have led to deprivation.
Paragraph Four
A Marxist critique has been suggested which infers that
because the poorer sections of society are subjected to so
much contradictory advice, they react by rejection and
forming subcultures. Teachers, parents etc. encourage young
people to work, job prospects are bleak, the media stresses
material goods and ‘fun’. Reaction to try to make sense of
this has been to form subcultures such as Mods and Rockers,
Punks, Skinheads etc. Marxists say that this is a way of
rejecting the values of capitalism, but it is difficult to be sure
exactly what does motivate young people. The reasons may
not be the same as those implied by sociologists.
Notes and Comments
Summer 1997 Paper Three, Question 2.
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Summer 1997 Paper Three, Question 2.
Paragraph Five
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Cloward and Ohlin took Cohen’s theory further by
suggesting there were three sub-divisions of criminal subcultures. One where the gang turned to crime another
because of lack of opportunity turned to conflict with gang
warfare, and the third ‘retreatist’ denied access to either of
these became involved with drugs and hustling.
Paragraph Six
All the theories of sub-culture have had a great deal of
influence on recent thinking about the causes of crime.
Mainly they are split into either seeing subcultures as
growing out of the inability of certain marginalised groups
to obtain the success obtained by other members of society,
or else as a rejection of capitalistic ideas and a protest at
the exploitation of the working classes. Both these points of
view may be right to some extent but it is very difficult to be
sure exactly.
Paragraph Seven
In this country the functionalist explanations for the subcultures of crime has come from Cohen. He saw the reaction
of particularly young and working class males to be lack of
educational and material success, as the formation of
gang. These turned the norms and values of society upside
down, and deviance and rejection of authority give gang
members status. Truanting from school, being rude to
teachers and petty crime and vandalism are all
encouraged and applauded y the gang mentality. There is
the problem that not all working class males turn to gangs
for self-esteem.
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Summer 1997 Paper Three, Question 2.
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Notes and comments
Summer 1997 Paper Three, Question 2.
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