subcultural theories....merton, cohen etc?

I have this question to do for a homework essay:

Assess the usefulness of subcultural theories in understanding crime and deviance. [40 marks]

I think it's from 2002 and aqa doesnt provide mark schemes from that long ago. I'm doing about cohen etc but was wondering if i should mention merton? every book i've read mentions his structural theory right before the subcultural section....if i DID mention him, how much would i write and how would i link him to subcultural theories?

Any other help would be great as I don't think i've got enough to achieve 40 marks on this!

thanks in advance :smile:

Reply 1

Chris.Livesey

10

The mark scheme for this question is as follows:

Answers in this band will show a very good knowledge and understanding and will successfully meet the synoptic demands of the question. These answers will show a thorough, conceptually detailed and wide-ranging knowledge and understanding of theoretical and empirical material on subcultures and crime and deviance. They will show a clear understanding of the theoretical debates surrounding the concept of subculture and their links to empirical studies. For example, there may be awareness of differences between interactionist, functionalist, feminist or Marxist views of the concept and of how these views inform different studies. Issues may include: class; gender; the relation between subculture and structure; ‘ordinary youth’; independent versus reactive notions; origins, functions and types of deviant subcultures; masculinities etc.
Moving up through the band, knowledge will become more comprehensive and detailed, and/or links between theoretical and empirical aspects more explicit and developed, and understanding will become clearer and more complex.

In answering this question candidates may refer to some of the following sources and/or relevant alternative ones: A K Cohen, Cloward & Ohlin, Miller, Durkheim, Merton, Becker, Campbell, McRobbie, Willis, Gill, South, Murray, Matza, Taylor et al, Young, S Cohen, Hall et al, J Clarke, P Cohen, Corrigan, Messerschmidt.

It suggests a spread of “the usual suspects” (Interactionist, functionalist, feminist, Marxist…) and while Merton gets a mention (you could note how his ideas about “structural strains and tensions” produce certain forms of reaction (conformity, innovation, etc.) and hence this would give you a lead into the idea of different types of subculture – reactive and independent, for example – I think there’s probably more than enough information around to make this not really worth the effort.

You’ve got stuff like the classic functionalism, Marxist CCCS stuff (Phil Cohen et al), “resistance through rituals” material, Hall et al etc., plus both Radical criminology and New Left Realism include a concept of subculture (as do writers such as Willis, Corrigan, Hargreaves and so forth when they write about education). In addition, you have classic Interactionist material (Young, Cohen etc.) and feminist stuff (McRobbie etc.) you could discuss.

If you wanted to bring things kicking and screaming into the late 20th century you could discuss concepts like “neo-tribes” or even subcultural capital (for example, Sarah Thornton’s work on club cultures).

Reply 2

Truman

3

Chris.Livesey

If you wanted to bring things kicking and screaming into the late 20th century you could discuss concepts like “neo-tribes” or even subcultural capital (for example, Sarah Thornton’s work on club cultures).

That was really helpful. What are neo-tribes? Im interested in giving my response a contempary feel but havent heard this term used before.

Reply 3

Chris.Livesey

10

Andy Bennett (1999) - “Subcultures or Neo-Tribes?: Rethinking the Relationship Between Youth, Style and Musical Taste”: Sociology, Vol. 33, No. 3 - argued "subculture" has become a “catch-all” category that has outlived whatever sociological use it may once have had. He suggests the concept of neo-tribes has more meaning and use in the analysis of “subcultural” behaviour since it reflects a (postmodern) emphasis on the way cultural identities are “constructed rather than given” and “fluid rather than fixed”.

In other words, the problem with something like "youth subculture" has always been the ability to demonstrate it reflects a "way of life" - that the subcultural group has all the mechanisims (socialisation etc.) that we would associate with its cultural counterpart (at least in this country - you could probably make a case for "subcultural gangs" in the USA, although I don't know enough about them say either way).

Bennett suggested "tribes" - a loose-knit coming-together of people with like minds / interests - as a more-accurate way of charactersing / theorising youth behaviour (think about events like "Tribal Gathering" etc. if you want examples).

Reply 4

Truman

3

Chris.Livesey

Andy Bennett (1999) - “Subcultures or Neo-Tribes?: Rethinking the Relationship Between Youth, Style and Musical Taste”: Sociology, Vol. 33, No. 3 - argued "subculture" has become a “catch-all” category that has outlived whatever sociological use it may once have had. He suggests the concept of neo-tribes has more meaning and use in the analysis of “subcultural” behaviour since it reflects a (postmodern) emphasis on the way cultural identities are “constructed rather than given” and “fluid rather than fixed”.

In other words, the problem with something like "youth subculture" has always been the ability to demonstrate it reflects a "way of life" - that the subcultural group has all the mechanisims (socialisation etc.) that we would associate with its cultural counterpart (at least in this country - you could probably make a case for "subcultural gangs" in the USA, although I don't know enough about them say either way).

Bennett suggested "tribes" - a loose-knit coming-together of people with like minds / interests - as a more-accurate way of charactersing / theorising youth behaviour (think about events like "Tribal Gathering" etc. if you want examples).

Thanks a lot for that, interesting and helpfull.

Reply 5

NickiM

14

I wrote this essay a few weeks ago and got 36/40 for it.

I talked about:

* Albert Cohen
* Cloward and Ohlin
* Miller
* Phil Cohen
* McRobbie
* Matza
* Marxism
* Labelling theory

Although, this is far too much to write in a timed exam, I always write loads. The thing is, our teacher for subcultural theories is rubbish, so I couldn't suggest what to leave out.

subcultural theories....merton, cohen etc?

Related discussions

Articles for you